Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Destrehan

"Located in City Park, the neo-classical, Beaux Arts-style New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) presents an impressive collection spanning the 15th-20th centuries. A great escape from the hectic pace of life in the Big Easy, strolling through NOMA grants visitors a look at Impressionist masterpieces by Monet, Pissarro and Renoir, as well as Surrealist works by Miro, Magritte and Ernst. Additional displays feature Faberge objects and tribal figurines from Hawaiian and Gulf Coast tribes."

"The city’s oldest art museum boasts over 40,000 artworks and objects from across the globe and the ages. But if you’re in town for Mardi Gras, make a point to see their current exhibition on 19th-century Swedish artist Bror Anders Wikstrom, who immigrated to NoLa in 1883 and helped shape the carnival experience into what it is today with his elaborate float designs. Afterwards, take a stroll through the museum’s enchanting five-acre sculpture park."

"This five-acre sculpture garden is a park within City Park, and acts as an open-air annex to the wonderful New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA). 90 sculptures—mostly modern and abstract—are set among magnolias and live oaks, framed by bridges and reflecting pools, with world-renowned artists Henry Moore, Antoine Bourdelle, and Ossip Zadkine represented. The lake-set Virlane Tower by Kenneth Snelson is a favorite, as is the familiar Love, Red Blue sign by Robert Indiana, but it’s best to come without a map."

"The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is technically a part of the New Orleans Museum of Art, but it’s one of those places to visit that deserves its very own part of this listing since many come by just to visit the garden on its own. Right near the main NOMA building, an 11-acre expanse of garden stretches out, decorated with over 90 different sculptures. The gardens first opened in 2003 and have grown in size ever since it made its home in the rear of the Louisiana museum."

"Inside City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art and Besthoff Sculpture Garden is a fun find for families looking to escape the heat and meander through galleries of exquisite art. The museum offers regular galleries and visiting exhibitions. Families can enjoy galleries featuring everything from West African art to Roman Catholic art from India to contemporary art pieces."

"The Contemporary Arts Center, housed in a large redbrick building that stands out in the relatively muted Central Business District, is one of the city’s most prestigious spaces for the full gamut of contemporary arts, including painting, film, theater, and music. Exhibits, which rotate every four to eight weeks, can include any visual art form, from photography to sculpture and painting. The featured works are well-curated—sometimes around themes, sometimes around individual contemporary artists."

"The CAC (900 Camp Street; 504-528-3805) has been in the heart of the Warehouse District since 1976. It is the place to find new and exciting expression in the medium of painting, theater, music, performance art, dance, photography, video, sculpture and more in New Orleans. Love is in the air at the NOMA Sculpture Garden in City Park."

"Located in the center of City Park is NOMA, New Orleans Museum of Art which the building itself is beautiful holding a permanent fine art collection of over 40,000 pieces. We will be checking this out on our next trip as well!"

"Take the famous St. Charles Streetcar to Central City to visit the McKenna Museum of African American Art. The museum’s mission is to make African Diasporan fine art available and accessible to visitors of all ages. They work to preserve the culture of the African American community in Louisiana."

"The McKenna Museum is a fine art institution with a direct focus on African Diasporan pieces. In addition to their collection, McKenna offers a range of diverse programming such as guest speakers, workshops and book readings to further their mission and work."

"After voodoo (or vodou) came to New Orleans in the 1700s—first via West African slaves, then with Haitians after the Haitian Revolution—it entwined with the city’s identity. Which is why, since the 1970s, a French Quarter visit has been deemed incomplete without a stop at the tiny Historic Voodoo Museum. If it’s lore you seek, you’ll find it here."

"One of the most quintessential New Orleans bars is definitely the Carousel. In case you’re wondering, that’s not just a clever name — the bar is an actual, fully functional carousel here. Thankfully they replaced the animals with proper bar stools, so you don’t need to straddle a horse to get a drink here."

"The famous Carousel Bar & Lounge is inside the Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street in the French Quarter. The bar was originally installed in 1949, though it’s gone through some changes over the years. As you may have guessed, as you sit at the bar, it slowly rotates around, just like a carousel."

"One of New Orleans’ most creative bars is the city’s only revolving bar. Enjoy bar bites and cocktails while you take a spin on the Carousel Bar and Lounge inside the Hotel Monteleone. Open every day from 11 a.m."

"Despite the eclectic lean of many hotels in NOLA’s Central Business District, you’ll find nothing but elegance at the Windsor Court Hotel. More than half of its 324 rooms are suites, appointed with marble tubs, French doors, and, on higher floors, sweeping views over downtown and the Mississippi River. We doubt you’ll be spending much time in them, however."

"The Spa at Windsor Court is one of the best retreats in town. Intimate and serene, the 4,500-square-foot spa has 10 treatment rooms, including one wet room and one couple's treatment room, a sauna and salon facilities. Guests can use the outdoor pool at their leisure, order from the special spa menu and sip on cucumber-infused water or a glass of bubbly."

"With its refined rooms and luxurious amenities, Windsor Court Hotel is the epitome of elegance. Not only is this boutique hotel picture-perfect, but it’s located just off of Canal Street and two blocks from the French Quarter. The entire hotel recently received a $22 million renovation so expect nothing but the best!"

"You can almost sense the history as you walk into the Roosevelt Hotel’s signature bar. A small seating area gives way to the long, narrow bar room with its dark, African Walnut woods, leather-backed chairs and the striking colorful murals of old New Orleans that frame the entire scene. Even in a city of characterful hotel bars, it stands out, though it’s definitely upscale so you’ll want to dress appropriately."

"Our tour of the best cocktail bars in New Orleans begins at Sazerac. There’s a lot of history at this place, as it’s named after what some consider to be the first real cocktail. The classic Sazerac dates back to the 1830s, and it’s been a go-to cocktail for New Orleanians ever since."

"Founded in 1854, this 1,300-acre expanse of moss-draped oaks and 11 miles of gentle lagoons is just 2 miles from the French Quarter,…"

"Famed for the 300-year-old allée of live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss that flank its main entrance, Oak Alley Plantation has more to offer visitors than a quintessential view of a Southern plantation. Highlights include numerous exhibitions exploring the complexities of Southern and Louisiana history, 1,300 acres (526 hectares) of grounds, and the historic house itself—all within easy driving distance of New Orleans.More"

"About a one-hour drive from the centre of New Orleans, Oak Alley Plantation is well worth a visit if you’re heading out of the city. Now, a tour here will usually mean a two-hour stay but it’s well worth it if you want to learn more about the history of this house and plantation at your own pace. It’s easily one of the best things to do in New Orleans if you’ve got a car or on a wider road trip (like we were)."

"Experience the flavors of Hong Kong in New Orleans’ Lakeview at Ming’s. This casual Cantonese eatery’s menu includes American Chinese favorites like fried rice, lo mein and egg foo young. Or opt for Chef Ming Joe’s creations that combine the flavors of his hometown with a pinch of New Orleanian flare like Crawfish Velvet - a stir-fried crawfish dish with pork and black beans in a savory egg-white sauce."

"By definition, that means they deviate from the norm, or the expected. Let’s be honest, it looks a little like the Department of Motor Vehicles when you walk in."

"Hope they start offering more of the Champs sides than they do now. Then they would be the only place to go to for fast..."