Best Museums in New Orleans
Best Museums in NO
An undoubtedly unique city with a heck of a lot of history, New Orleans is a total dream for those who are looking to incorporate a little education into their travel experience. Whether you’re looking for a bustling institution offering a comprehensive survey of the history of the city, or a small specialty spot devoted to Mardi Gras, The Big Easy has you covered. Each one has its own distinctive personality, focus and atmosphere, though all are as fascinating as one another. If you’re a first time visitor, you might feel a little overwhelmed by all the possibilities – but don’t worry, that’s where we come in! If you’re making your way over to New Orleans and aren’t quite sure about where to spend your time, have a read through our list of the best museums in the city. However you choose to explore the Big Easy, we’re sure it’ll be wonderful.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
If you only go to one museum in New Orleans, make it the Historic New Orleans Collection. Perfect for those who are looking to learn more about the history of the region, this place is truly passionate about educating its visitors. Its impressive and expansive collection consists of 35,000 library items and approximately 350,000 photographs, prints, drawings, paintings and other artefacts. Needless to say, you’ll need to set aside a good amount of time in order to see everything. Exhibitions have been presented on a wide variety of topics, ranging from the Battle of New Orleans and the development of local cuisine to more modern subjects like the Sugar Bowl and life after Hurricane Katrina. The institute often has special talks, events, and concerts, so be sure to check online before you head out. We love this spot because it's impossible to leave without having learned something new.
GET CULTURED
If you’re looking for something a little more niche, New Orleans has plenty of cool specialty museums to fit that very brief. Standing out as one of our favorites on the list, Backstreet Cultural Museum works to present, preserve and interpret the history of New Orleans. Located in Tremé, the oldest African American neighborhood in the United States, the institute works to educate visitors about the social development of the city and particularly shed light on the relationship between Black and Native American culture. The museum is best known for holding the city’s largest collection of beautiful and intricate Mardi Gras Indian costumes. Still, that’s not all there is to see here. Aside from these wonderful artistic treasures, visitors can also enjoy an amazing assortment of memorabilia pertaining to Mardi Gras, jazz funerals and other traditions which derive from New Orleans. Both fascinating and fun, this place works to provide a fantastic cultural experience for those of all ages.
For creative types visiting New Orleans, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art is the perfect stop. A Smithsonian affiliate, the museum is recognized for housing the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art. The institution prides itself on diversity, working to highlight some of the best female and POC artists of the south. Its impressive permanent collection holds over 4,000 pieces from 15 southern states, with works dating way back to 1733. The exhibits feature everything from paintings and drawings to photographs and sculpture, so there’s a little something for everybody here. Though it might be one of the smaller art galleries in the city, this place packs a lot of punch, presenting some of the rarer and lesser-known pieces from the city’s creative history. It remains one of the south’s finest art collections, so don’t miss it!
TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Of course, nowhere is known for fun and festivities quite like New Orleans. Even if you’re not visiting during Mardi Gras, you can still get a taste of the real thing at Mardi Gras World. Breaking away from the typical museum experience, this place offers an inside look into the nation’s biggest party. The massive 400,000 square-foot complex, just upriver from the New Orleans Morial Convention is actually a working warehouse where the megafloats, characters and costumes for Mardi Gras are made. Walking through this unique space, you’ll be able to learn more about all of the work and detail which goes into making these spectacular pieces, as well as how technology plays into the creative process. Along the way, your tour guide will also talk you through the history and beautiful traditions of this exceptional holiday. Don’t forget to check out the gift shop, which sells masks, beads and Mardi Gras posters to take home for your loved ones. A total Instammer’s dream, this spot is not to be missed!
If you’re a seasoned visitor to New Orleans, you might be looking for a new museum to check out. Well, don’t worry – you've come to the right place! The city is jammed-packed with great cultural amenities, though we especially love the Pharmacy Museum for bringing something new to the table. Located at the site of the first licensed apothecary shop in the United States, this unique attraction is great for those visitors of a curious mind. The institute is still set up today the way it was back in the 1800s, and works to showcase the history and development of medicine since that time. From hand-blown apothecary bottles and potions once used by Voodoo practitioners to surgical instruments and old wheelchairs, there’s most certainly a lot to see here. In true New Orleans style, this place is rumored to be haunted by a doctor who used to work here – but don’t let that stop you from checking this place out! A wonderful speciality museum to remember, it would be easy to get lost in this space for the whole day!
Some of the best vacations include a day or two spend deep inside the halls of a museum. Thankfully, New Orleans presents a myriad of options to choose from, no matter where your interests may lie. Explore the city to its full potential with GoCity’s All-Inclusive Pass or Explorer Pass. If you’d like to know more, connect with us on Instagram and Facebook. With Go City, you can see more, for less.