9 of the Best Museums in New Orleans and How To Visit

One of the more unusual New Orleans cultural attractions, the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum preserves the first licensed pharmacy in the US. Highlights include a soda fountain and a large collection of antique medicine bottles, some of which once held ingredients that are no longer used in modern medicine. There are also old voodoo potions, centuries-old surgical tools, and even an exhibit dedicated to questionable medical practices, such as bloodletting and the application of leeches.

Don’t miss: The second floor exhibit of The History of African American Pharmacy in New Orleans Through the 20th Century.

Situated in the Warehouse District, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art is among the must-see museums in New Orleans for art fans. It's home to a massive collection of works by celebrated artists from the American South, including Benny Andrews and Ellsworth Woodward. It's also a great place to buy unusual souvenirs, thanks to the museum’s Center for Southern Craft and Design, which provides a space for southern artists and makers to sell their creations.

Don’t miss: The rotating collection of outdoor sculptures at the Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition.

Across the street from the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the National WWII Museum is a Smithsonian-affiliated museum that opened in 2000 as the National D-Day Museum. While the exhibits here focus largely on the D-Day landings, there's also plenty of more general World War II–related ephemera.

Here, you can see old tanks and fighter planes, and check out an authentic Enigma machine cipher device. There's also a 4D theater that screens a film narrated by Tom Hanks as well as a live entertainment venue—BB's Stage Door Canteen—that stages performances by acts who embody the spirit of the era.

Don’t miss: The chance to learn about the story of boat manufacturer Higgins Industries at The Bayou to Battlefield: Higgins Industries during World War II exhibit.

It's always Shrove Tuesday at Mardi Gras World, which features a large collection of parade-related ephemera, from gigantic floats to expertly crafted costumes. The museum is the brainchild of the late Blaine Kern, adoringly known as "Mr. Mardi Gras," who started working on Mardi Gras floats when he was a small child.

Today, the space doubles as an active float studio, and if you take a behind-the-scenes tour in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, you’ll surely see plenty of float makers in action.

Don’t miss: The chance to check out—and snap some photos with—a few of the many colorful masks on display.

There are a lot of misconceptions about what voodoo is and isn’t, but the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum aims to set the record straight. It’s one of the best museums in New Orleans, especially for fans of the supernatural or mystical; however, the voodoo layperson will find this site especially fascinating. The museum covers a range of topics, from the history of voodoo in New Orleans to the legacy of New Orleans’ most famous voodoo practitioner, the Voodoo Queen herself, Marie Laveau.

Don’t miss: The opportunity to get a psychic reading from one of the museum’s practitioners.

The foremost of New Orleans art museums, the New Orleans Museum of Art houses one of the largest collections of art in the American South, with more than 40,000 artifacts, decorative objects, paintings, and sculptures. The museum has a particularly impressive collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, featuring pieces by the likes of Degas, Monet, Renoir, and Gaugin. There's also an extensive selection of art from Africa and Asia, as well as a sprawling outdoor sculpture garden.

Don’t miss: A reflective (in more ways than one) walk through the Mirror Labyrinth in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden

Situated in the Tremé neighborhood, the Backstreet Cultural Museum tells the story of the Black community in New Orleans past and present. It was started in 1988 by Sylvester Francis, who used his garage to display photos and memorabilia from Mardi Gras. It's grown exponentially in the decades that followed and today features a large collection of Mardi Gras Indian costumes, as well as memorabilia from Jazz funerals and second-line parades. Visiting makes for an excellent addition to any Tremé sightseeing tour itinerary.

Don’t miss: The exhibit on Baby Dolls, a historic all-women African-American Carnival group that was revived in 2005.

If you love history (or architecture), don't miss a visit to the Cabildo, arguably the most important New Orleans history museum. The building was the seat of the city's government until 1853, and it was here that the Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803. Today, the Cabildo is part of the Louisiana State Museum and features exhibits on the history of the city. There’s also a selection of surprising items from around the world on display including a copy of Napoleon's death mask.

Don’t miss: A must-see exhibit for history buffs, From"Dirty Shirts" to Buccaneers: The Battle of New Orleans in American Culture.

While most of the top museums in New Orleans are geared toward adults, the Louisiana Children’s Museum is one spot in the city where little ones get to bet the stars. This spacious museum, spread across some 8.5 acres (3.4 hectares) of indoor and outdoor play space, features a huge range of hands-on activities for kids of different age groups.

Here, kids can explore exhibits and activities from a replica of the Mississippi River to music-making activities. Plus, this museum is located in the sprawling City Park, a massive green space that offers plenty of room to run as well as its very own amusement park.

Don’t miss: The Nature Caring Station, where kids can learn about animal rehabilitation in a playful and hands-on way.