10 Must-See Museums in New Orleans

Explore world-class art, unique history, musical wonders, and more at the best museums in New Orleans.

New Orleans is much a museum in itself , withneighborhoods , building , and sites all wedge full of chronicle . as luck would have it there are museums consecrate to exploring the unparalleled history of the metropolis and the state , as well as a compass of other amazing ethnical instauration .

From humankind - course of instruction nontextual matter to some of the quirkiest and most unequaled collections you ’ll notice anywhere , New Orleans museums cover all the basis . Not to mention that many proffer essential background info for exploring the city — insight that will sure enough raise any visitant ’s experience . These are the best museum in New Orleans , including scenic spots perfect for a local’sdate nightor must - see place for tourists . And because this is New Orleans , most of these museum have cracking food for thought and/or sport event to round out the experience .

National World War II Museum

Warehouse DistrictThis world - class complex appeal M of visitors each solar day . Through interactive exhibits , films , and a stunning collection of object , all ages have the opportunity to learn about — and learn from — those who service in WWII and on the homefront at the National World War II Museum . The sprawling campus consists of a series of marquee and dramatic art exploring the different facet of the warfare . Get up close with restored jeeps , sheet , and Higgins boats . The Solomon Victory Theater showsBeyond all Boundaries , an sole 4D experience , and the Stage Door Canteen host a variety of theatrical carrying into action . The museum ’s new attraction , Expressions of America , is an immersive night auditory sensation and abstemious show offering an inspiring coup d’oeil into the life story of the people who served .

What to know : Given the size of it of the museum , you ’ll want to pass a whole mean solar day here . The museum is open day by day from 9 am to 5 Prime Minister , though times vary for certain special display and experience . Tickets are timed , uncommitted in 15 moment increase . A mess of software are available , from general campus admission ( $ 32.50 ) to guided tours and behind - the - scenes experiences . Grab a bite to eat on at American Sector or the Soda Shop , and be certain to check out the giving workshop have 1940s - urge gifts and wearable .

New Orleans Museum of Art

Mid - CityLocated in City Park at the bound of the Big Lake , the New Orleans Museum of Art home more than 40,000 work of artistry spanning the 15th to 20th centuries . saunter the neoclassical , Beaux Arts - style building and take in work from Impressionist masters , plus Surrealist works , glass , ceramics , pre - Columbian art , and an extensive picture taking collection . The museum host shoot viewing and lecture in junction with exceptional exhibit as well as a variety of ethnic event throughout the year . The next Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden is a beautifully landscaped showcase of the museum ’s sculpture collection .

What to know : The museum is open 10 am to 5 pm from Tuesday through Sunday . entrance money is $ 15 . Midweek are free for Louisiana occupier . The carving garden is open from 10 am to 6 pm day by day , accession is barren . Cafe NOMA by Ralph Brennan is a adorable pip for lunch and parkland views . checker the calendar for case like Music in the Garden and NOMA at Night . After a visit to the museum , stick around to explore City Park or rent a boat to paddle around the lake .

Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Warehouse DistrictBased on the institute contribution of more than 1,200 work from the collection of Roger H. Ogden , a New Orleans man of affairs and philanthropist , the Ogden Museum has become the most comprehensive collection of southerly art in the world . Showcasing works from 15 southerly State and the District of Columbia , the museum celebrates the art , history , and refinement of the region through displays of painting , watercolor , drawings , print , picture , carving , woodworks , and craft . artist represented include Walter Anderson , Benny Andrews , Clementine Hunter , George Dureau , William Dunlap , Ida Kohlmeyer , Will Henry Stevens , Kendall Shaw , and George Ohr . The edifice boast a stunning atrium and a rooftop patio with views of the city .

What to know : The museum is open 10 am to 5 autopsy daily . Admission is $ 13.50 . Thursdays are complimentary for local . ensure out Ogden After minute on the third Thursday of each calendar month . This eventide programme features a divers lineup of music and programming . The gift shop is packed with alone gifts , books , home goods , jewellery , and more from local and regional artists and makers .

Historic New Orleans Collection

Gallic QuarterThe Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum , research center , and publishing firm consecrate to the subject and saving of the story and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South part . Its public gallery are situate in the heart of the French Quarter , make it easy for you to stop in and learn a bit of chronicle while enjoying the Quarter of today . Explore artifacts and cultural tradition from pre - colonial to modern times , get the stories behind edifice and sites in the Quarter , learn about architecture , the urban center ’s preservation movement , and much more . HNOC is a thoroughgoing complement to a Vieux Carre outing .

What to be intimate : The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm , and Sunday from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm . All HNOC gallery are free , guided tours are usable for $ 5 . The museum store is a great slur for mellow - quality keepsake . Download the HNOC ’s app French Quarter Tours to continue your journeying into French Quarter history — it can service as your personal circuit guide , highlight important sites and story , as you take the air around .

Southern Food and Beverage Museum

Central CityThe Southern Food and Beverage Museum celebrates the nutrient , booze , and related culture of the South . Collections , display , lectures , and demo research the history and influences that have conduce to New Orleans cuisine , the city ’s dining conniption , and the related cuisine of the part . From recipes and restaurant fare to product story and kitchen collections , SOFAB takes you through the level behind the food of the South . Learn about everything from the phylogeny of jambalaya and the life of famed Popeyes chicken male monarch Al Copeland to the ethnic custom surrounding red beans and rice . There ’s always something tasty going on at the museum — keep an eye out for cooking demonstration and tasting , cookbook sign language , cocktail event , and Godhead markets .

What to sleep with : The museum is loose Thursday through Monday from 11 am to 5 pm . Admission is $ 10.50 . SOFAB also offers cookery stratum and a culinary entrepreneur program , so budding chefs can expand their cognition in this urban center that ’s oh - so rich in culinary culture .

Backstreet Cultural Museum

TreméWhile second lines and Mardi Gras Indian processions are comfortably experienced live on the street , the Backstreet Cultural Museum let you plunk into the colorful history of these and other ethnical experiences of African Amecans in New Orleans . showing of elaborate , hand - beaded Mardi Gras Indian suits and regalia dazzle , while memorabilia from locality Social assistance and Pleasure Clubs plus photos of jazz funeral and second note straighten out the corporate spirit and triumphs as celebrated through community - based processions and masking tradition . The museum hosts programming ranging from guided tours to sewing stratum and an unwritten history undertaking .

What to know : The museum is open day by day from 10 am to 4 pm . Tickets are $ 20 , $ 15 for locals . Mardi Gras Day at the museum brings the exhibits to life as you may catch Indians , the North Side Skull and Bone Gang , Baby Dolls , euphony , and more .

The Cabildo

French QuarterThis elegant Spanish colonial construction sits next to St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square . Formerly a authorities building built by the Spanish in the 1790s , the Cabildo showcases the rich and colorful history of New Orleans and Louisiana through rare artifacts and original works of art from the Louisiana State Museum . From one of Napoleon ’s death masks and Sidney Bechet ’s saxophone to memorabilia from Pontchartrain Beach , the collection explore the part ’s historical influence and Louisiana ’s place in American history . get wind about the Battle of New Orleans , the Louisiana Purchase , and all the renowned and infamous characters that made the city and the state what they are today .

What to know : The museum is exposed every day except Monday from 9 am to 4 promethium . entrance money is $ 10 . The Cabildo is one of four Louisiana State Museum prop in the French Quarter — the Presbytere , 1850 House , Old U.S. Mint , and Madame John ’s Legacy also explore the divers chronicle and culture of Louisiana .

The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience

CBDLearn about a different side of the South at The Museum of the southerly Jewish Experience . MSJE traces the history of Jews in the American South from Colonial times to the present tense and explores the ways Jews in 13 Southern states influenced and were influence by the cultivation of these communities . Exhibits , assembling , and public programing uncover this singular account , from immigration stories and the foundation of Judaic life history in the South to mod southerly Jewish life . Learn about Southern Jews in popular polish , how Southern and Jewish culinary custom merged out of necessity , and much more . With these stories , the museum train to encourage a new sympathy and appreciation of identity , diversity , and espousal .

What to know : The museum is candid every day except Tuesday from 10 am to 5 pm . Admission is $ 15 . The store carries a range of items from far-out Southern Judaica and gifts to clothes , jewelry , and books . If you ’re look for a mezuzah made from a Kentucky Bourbon barrel or a Mardi Gras kippot , you ’re in the right-hand blank space .

Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum

French QuarterThe historical Arnaud ’s restaurant is a top goal for classic Creole cuisine , but some may not know it comes with a bonus attraction . Head up the stairs to the Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum for a look into the munificent worldly concern of Mardi Gras balls . The museum is call for the girl of Count Arnaud , the eating house ’s founder . Germaine reportedly reigned as fagot over 22 Carnival balls , and the collection include 13 of her gowns . In improver to these elaborate outfits , king ’s costumes , children ’s costumes , Carnival mask and simulated gem , and lashings of vintage picture are also on display .

What to know : The museum is free and open to the public during restaurant operating hours . You do n’t ask to dine at Arnaud ’s to visit , but it does make for an fantabulous New Orleans culture combo . you may also check in the French 75 Bar before or after a visit .

Abita Mystery House

Abita SpringsWorth a drive to the Northshore , the Abita Mystery House ( formerly known as the UCM Museum ) is a weird and tremendous roadside attraction fill with vintage colonnade machine , queer ethnic music art , crypto - taxidermy , and thou of found target and dwelling - made inventions . Highlights include Darrell the Dogigator ( half dog-iron , half alligator ) , Edmond the Allisapien ( half gator , half homosapien ) , several mini towns with energy - release vivification , a comb collection , and a trailer purportedly hit by a UFO . It ’s a labyrinthine structure consist of an old gas station , a Creole bungalow , and a house covered in mosaic tiles — each building backpack with treasures .

What to love : The museum is opened day by day from 10 am to 5 pm . entrance fee is $ 5 . While it does require about an 60 minutes ’s parkway from New Orleans , it ’s well deserving it , and you may make aday tripof it with a visit to Abita Brewery , the Tammany Trace , and a stroll through downtown Covington .

Backstreet Cultural Museum