There is plenty to eat, see and do while visiting New Orleans. You can simply wander the streets to explore The Crescent City or dive into the city’s rich culture through the museums of New Orleans.
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In a city known for its rich culture, there are great museums to discover the art, history, and culture of the area. The best museums of New Orleans offer you a variety of World War II history, voodoo culture, fine art, and the history of cocktails.
WWII Museum
The war that changed the world. This museum is one everyone should visit! The campus consists of six buildings with permanent and ever-changing traveling exhibits. The large campus makes it the largest museum dedicated to World War II in the United States. You will begin with a “train ride” introduction to “your soldier.” The exhibits include interactive portions to follow “your soldiers” journey through the war. The combination of audio, video, artifacts, displays, and personal soldier stories bring the history to you in immense detail.
Lower 9th Ward Living Museum
A hidden gem, this museum was founded and curated by Leona Tate. Ms. Tate was one of four girls who desegregated public schools in the United States. The museum is housed in a six-room house while sharing the story of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward.
Admission is free.
Sazerac House
Documenting all things cocktail history through historic displays and interactive displays (with a few tastings thrown in). You will wander three stories of exhibits taking you from the origins of the first cocktail through Prohibition and into cocktails today.
Admission and tours are free, but you will need a reservation.
New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA)
The oldest fine arts institute in New Orleans. This art museum features about 40,000 works and is constantly rotating pieces from world-renowned artists.
Museums in the French Quarter
Louisiana State Museum: The Cabildo
The Cabildo’s Spanish colonial building serves as an elegant backdrop to Jackson Square. Neighboring the St. Louis Cathedral, the museum houses several artifacts of America’s history within its three floors of exhibits.
The building itself is one of the most historically significant buildings in America with its tumultuous past. While the original Cabildo was destroyed in the Great New Orleans Fire (1788). The current building was erected sometime between 1795-99 as the home of the Spanish municipal government. The Cabildo was the site of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 which doubled the size of the United States and served as the center of the New Orleans government until 1853. At that point, it became the headquarters for the Louisiana Supreme Court. Plessy v Ferguson was decided in the Cabildo in 1892. The building was transferred to the Louisiana State Museum in 1908 serving to educate the public about Louisiana history.
Closed for restorations from 1988 to 1994 after a fire, the building was authentically restored with 600-year-old French timber framing techniques.
Voodoo Museum
Often described as “one of the most unique and interesting small museums in the country.” The Voodoo Museum showcases the history and culture of the voodoo religion.
Here you can do a simple walk-through the museum or opt for a tour of the nearby St. Louis Cemetery (the City of the Dead) which holds the tomb of Marie Laveau.
Arnaud’s Germaine Wells Mardi Gras Museum
Showcasing more than two dozen Mardi Gras costumes. Including 13 queen costumes and 4 king costumes dating back to 1941. Additional exhibits include vintage photos, Carnival masks, and faux jewels. Viewing is free for patrons during restaurant hours.
Pharmacy Museum
Originally the first apothecary of the United State’s first licensed pharmacists, Louis Dufillo Jr. The museum walks you through the history of early medicines, superstitions, voodoo, and how the world of pharmaceuticals evolved.
Museum of the American Cocktail
Housed with the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, but not to be confused with the above Sazerac House. The Museum of the American Cocktail highlights a two-century-plus history of the cocktails we love and their influence on our world.
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
Dedicated to the foods of the Deep South. This museum also offers you, private cooking classes, making it a great place to explore the food traditions of Louisiana cuisine. The exhibits highlight topics like Acadian migration, Caribbean influences on Creole cuisine, and the heritage of Louisiana shrimpers.
New Orleans Jazz Museum
Celebrating jazz where it was born. Located in the French Quarter and highlighting all things jazz music, this museum is a perfect start to your New Orleans adventure.
Backstreet Cultural Museum
A true labor of love, this museum was created by the late Sylvester “Hawk” Francis to document (over three decades) carnival celebrations, second lines, and jazz funerals.
Discover more about New Orleans in our additional articles.
- Let the Good Times Roll in New Orleans
- Eating your way around New Orleans
- Beignets of New Orleans
- New Orleans Best Bars
- Visiting History: Chalmette Battlefield
- World War II Museum
