Museum Spotlights

Did you know that according to the 1910 census, 80% of the residents of what we now call the French Quarter were Sicilian immigrants?  Or that the lower Quarter was once commonly referred to as Little Palermo?  Or that New Orleans has had two Italian-American mayors?  Ever wonder why St. Joseph’s Day altars are so popular in New Orleans? The American Italian … [Read more...] about American Italian Cultural Center

The old Hibernia Bank tower no longer looms over the CBD skyline, but it does provide revelers on Bourbon Street a familiar landmark.   From St. Patrick’s Church to the stately Gallier Hall to Tracey’s and the old Parasol’s Bar in the Irish Channel to Fahy’s Irish Pub and Erin Rose in the French Quarter, the influence of the Irish in New Orleans is everywhere. … [Read more...] about Irish Cultural Museum

The Southern Food & Beverage Museum is a nonprofit living history organization dedicated to the discovery, understanding, and celebration of the food, drink and the related culture of the South. While based in New Orleans, the Museum examines and celebrates all the cultures that have come together through the centuries to create the South’s unique culinary heritage. The … [Read more...] about Southern Food and Beverage Museum & Museum of the American Cocktail

Located in the heart of Treme, the Backstreet Cultural Museum is a New Orleans treasure.  Technically opened in 1999, the museum had its origins years earlier in 1988 when Sylvester Francis, who used to march with the Gentlemen of Leisure Social Aid & Pleasure Club, began displaying photographs and other memorabilia in his two-car garage.  Mardi Gras Indian tribes … [Read more...] about Backstreet Cultural Museum

Le Musée de f.p.c., a historic house museum, is one of the country’s few attractions dedicated exclusively to preserving the material culture of and telling the story of free people of color. The founders of this repository strive through their collection of documents, paintings and decorative arts to present, interpret and preserve the history and culture shared by so many … [Read more...] about Le Musée de F.P.C.

Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art. It has been recognized for its original exhibitions, public events and educational programs which examine the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature and culinary … [Read more...] about Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Many people credit the 1984 World’s Fair with revitalizing the then run-down Warehouse District, but the transformation of the old neighborhood from warehouses serving the port to what is now called the Arts District began in 1976 with the opening of the Contemporary Arts Center. Founded by a passionate group of visual artists at a time when the movement to tear down the … [Read more...] about Contemporary Arts Center

Few places offer the chance to experience the lifestyle of our ancestors of more than 150 years ago. The 1850 House is one of these rare places, offering a glimpse of upper-middle-class life in antebellum New Orleans, the most prosperous period in the city’s history. The 1850 House doesn’t represent any single family’s house. Rather, it reflects mid-19th century prosperity, … [Read more...] about 1850 House