With so much to do and sample, first-time visitors to New Orleans and especially the French Quarter, might miss its museums. The food and the fun beckon; however, New Orleans offers a unique history. Both the French and the Spanish left their mark on the area’s architecture, food and culture. Visitors can learn more at any of the best New Orleans Museums, like the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, The New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old Mint and the National WWII Museum.
13 Best New Orleans Museums
WWII Museum
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
1850 House
The Cabildo
The Presbytère
The Degas House
St. Louis Cathedral
The New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old Mint
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
Hermann-Grima House
Gallier House
The Historic New Orleans Collection
The Sazerac House
The National WWII Museum
As the official WWII museum for the U.S., it covers six acres and features five pavilions with immersive and interactive exhibits explaining the war on both fronts. Visitors learn about the people, campaigns and equipment that defined this war.
The National WWII Museum’s Solomon Victory Theater plays the 4D film Beyond All Boundaries, narrated by Tom Hanks. The U.S. Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center features a collection of WWII tanks, trucks and aircraft.
The National WWII Museum contains 250,000 artifacts in total. There are galleries for the Road to Berlin. the Road to Tokyo and the Libration Pavilion. It also covers lesser-known elements of the war, like the massive art theft that happened during the war.
Located at 945 Magazine St, New Orleans, Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $35, and students in Kindergarten and up are $25. Second-day tickets are $11 per person. The movie is an additional $11. Or use a New Orleans Go City All-Inclusive Pass.
Go City All-Inclusive Pass
With the app-based Go City All Inclusive Pass, visitors purchase the pass, scan it, and go to their chosen attractions. I downloaded the app and added my order number from an email confirmation.
This made planning a lot easier. All I did was pull up the app at the ticket window, and they scanned and let me in. It was very easy. Most museums don’t require advance reservations; however, most tours require reservations, like the swamp tour or the Creole Queen Paddle Wheeler.
The Go City All-Inclusive Pass includes options like a New Orleans School of Cooking Demonstration, a Cajun Pride Swamp Boat Tour and a Cities of the Dead Cemetery History Tour.
Top Things to Do in The French Quarter
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
Inside the home and pharmacy of the first licensed pharmacist in the U.S., visitors get a sneak peek of the history of medicine from the 1820s. If it wasn’t history, it might be considered a haunted attraction.
This widely popular museum is equal parts fascinating and scary. I was personally thankful I wasn’t a patient. It is a quick museum to explore and great for those who don’t typically do museum tours.
Located at 514 Chartres St., New Orleans. Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Saturday from .11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission is $10, and guided tours are available and reservable online. Or use a New Orleans Go City All-Inclusive Pass.
1850 House
With its location overlooking Jackson Square, Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba built the 1850 House to be used as rentals. Her father, Don Andrés Almonester y Roxas, helped to build the St. Louis Cathedral, The Presbytère and The Cabildo, all located nearby.
Those on a guided tour will learn more about Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba’s fascinating, sometimes tragic life. The 1850 House is decorated with antiques of the era and is another home tour is explore while visiting the French Quarter.
Located at 523 St Ann St. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission is $5 and free for kids 6 and younger. Or use a New Orleans Go City All-Inclusive Pass.
The Cabildo
New Orleans has a French flair, though the Spanish ruled the area too. The Spanish built The Cabildo in 1795 and 1799. As the seat of the Spanish Colonial City Hall, it is located next to St. Louis Cathedral, overlooking Jackson Square.
The three stories of The Cabildo offer exhibits on the history of New Orleans. It was the site of the Louisiana Purchase Transfer ceremonies and formerly the headquarters of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Located at 701 Chartres St. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission is $10, $8 for seniors and students and free for kids 6 and younger. Or use a New Orleans Go City All-Inclusive Pass.
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The Presbytère
Designed in 1791, this building adjoins St. Louis Cathedral and matches its architecture. However, it is the permanent exhibits that draw visitors.
Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana takes visitors through the history of New Orleans’s biggest (and most famous) party. Visitors will see floats, costumes and more.
The Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond walks visitors through Hurricane Katrina and its brutal aftermath. This interactive exhibit explains how the levees and the flooding affected the area.
Located at 751 Chartres St. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission is $7, $6 for seniors and students, and free for kids 6 and younger. Or use a New Orleans Go City All-Inclusive Pass.
The Degas House
The French impressionist painter Edgar Degas visited his American family in the fall of 1872. After making a laborious journey, he stayed for about six months. His mother, Célestine Musson, was born in New Orleans and retold stories of the area. Degas was fascinated and wanted to visit from an early age.
When his brothers had been sent to New Orleans earlier, when they returned to France for a visit, Degas returned with them. The American side of the family had made money in cotton, and one of his more popular paintings from this visit was the Cotton Office in New Orleans, 1873. He also painted family portraits during this visit. He returned to Europe in early 1873 and changed his style of painting.
The museum tells the story of his time in New Orleans. Visitors can also see reproductions of the works produced during his visit. The Degas House is also a popular wedding venue. The tour includes a walking tour of the neighborhood and information about the Impressionists in New Orleans.
Located 2306 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $29 and students (up to 17) are $22. Reservations are required.
St. Louis Cathedral
Also known as Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, it is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and one of the oldest cathedrals in continuous use in the U.S.
Self-guided tours are available daily from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Sunday mass is celebrated at 9 and 11 a.m., and Saturday mass is celebrated at 5 p.m.
Located at 615 Pere Antoine Alley. Donation of $1 to tour the cathedral.
The New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old Mint
Visitors can learn more about the vibrant jazz music founded in New Orleans through a series of interactive exhibits. Many of the legends of New Orleans Jazz are discussed, like Fats Domino. The National Park Service hosts jazz music performances at this location.
With its location inside of the Old Mint, there are displays on money as well.
Located at 400 Esplanade Ave. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission is $8, $6 for seniors and students, and free for kids 6 and younger. Or use a New Orleans Go City All-Inclusive Pass.
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
This National Park Service site shares the rich heritage of Jazz. From the beginning of the musical genre to the Jazz greats, including the trailblazing women of Jazz, visitors get an overview at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
For performances, visitors can go to The New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old Mint. The National Park Service French Quarter Visitor Center features a drum circle on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the Dutch Alley at 916 N. Peters St. Located at 419 Decatur St. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is a collection of six separate locations across Southern Louisiana. For the most convenient location, travelers will find a visitor center with interpretive programming in the French Quarter.
Visitors learn about the history of the oldest part of New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River region. The park offers ranger programs and Junior Ranger programming for kids.
Both sites are located at 419 Decatur St. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is free to enter the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park.
Old Home Tours in the French Quarter
One of the best ways to learn about the unique history of the French Quarter is to walk through it. Here are a few of the best tours.
Hermann-Grima House
Built in 1831, the exterior of the house is Federalist, and the main house offers richly decorated rooms. Visitors enter through the carriage house and courtyard to meet their docents.
For my visit, I took the Urban Enslavement Tour, which walks through the building next to the courtyard. On the ground floor, I walked through the open hearth kitchen, a larder and a storage room. This is where all the cooking was done for the house, along with the people living and working in the house.
Upstairs, we walked through the rooms that the slaves lived in (mostly women, due to the domestic nature of the work). It was interesting to learn how work was completed before modern conveniences.
Inside the main house, visitors tour the antique-decorated rooms. The docent explains the families that called the house home, including their misfortunes. The tour guide also explains the social classes of the people living and working in New Orleans at the time.
Located at 818 St Louis St. Open Wednesday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Tuesday). Adult admission is $17, $14 for students and free for those 8 and younger for the guided tour.
Gallier House
Completed in 1860, this house was the family home of a New Orleans architect and featured indoor plumbing, a novel idea at the time. In addition to the stately home tour, visitors can tour the slave quarters located behind the home.
During my visit, I learned about the household tasks performed to upkeep the home and its family. The house was dressed for summer, with linens, coverings and carpet removed.
The Gallier House tour offers seasonal programming, such as an October tour about death and mourning and Christmas decorations during the holiday season.
Located at 1132 Royal St. Open Wednesday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Tuesday). Adult admission is $17, $14 for students and free for those 8 and younger for the guided tour.
The Historic New Orleans Collection
While several sites are located throughout the French Quarter, the main interpretive area is the French Quarter Galleries. These galleries offer a history of New Orleans, especially the French Quarter.
In the French Quarter Galleries, visitors discover why the area was chosen and how the area developed. Walking through the exhibits, I learned about how the French and the Spanish left their mark on the city’s arts, food and culture.
Located at 520 Royal St. Free to Enter. Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The Sazerac House
Touring the Sazerac House isn’t an old home tour, though it does walk visitors through the history of Sazerac, a type of rye. Originally from New Orleans, it is a liquor and a signature cocktail.
This multi-story exhibit offers a comprehensive history of the spirit. The Sazerac House offers complimentary tours along with tours that focus on cocktails with Sazerac.
Located at 101 Magazine St. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free to enter, reservations accepted. It offers a gift shop with a selection of its spirits for sale. Must be 21+ to sample the spirits.
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