Beyond Bourbon Street - An Insider's Guide To New Orleans

Hansen's Sno-Bliz and the Story of the New Orleans Snowball In today’s episode, we head over to Hansen's Sno-Bliz on Tchoupitoulas Street, in uptown New Orleans. We visit with Ashley Hansen, granddaughter of Ernest and Mary Hansen, and the current owner of Hansen's Sno-Bliz. Hansen's is the oldest snowball stand in the United States, and is currently open for its 86th season in 2025. In the 1930s, Ernest Hansen created the first machine to shave ice into the snowy powder essential for a terrific New Orleans snowball. That machine is still put to daily use in the shop today! Mary Hansen ran the business, while Ernest was working as a machinist on the ships docked along the Mississippi. In their later years, the Hansen's ran the snowball stand together. As they got older, their granddaughter Ashley was their to assist, and ultimately to continue the tradition. "There are no shortcuts to quality” - Mary Hansen Mary Hansen uttered these words frequently, and ran her business by this code. Today, Ashley continues