Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Warehouse District

"Set smack dab in City Park among the Spanish moss-draped oaks complete with Greco-Roman columns and a charming sculpture garden, the grounds alone warrant a visit to this NOLA institution that’s oozing with grandeur. It’s the city’s oldest fine arts institution and boasts a permanent collection of nearly 40,000 pieces. Not only that, but it’s one of the most impressive and revered fine art collections in the whole of the south."

"Having opened in 1911, the New Orleans Museum of Art is the city’s oldest fine art institution. Back then, it had just a few art pieces but has since grown to house over 40,000 objects with a notable collection of French and American art. The museum is also home to the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, with over 90 sculptures on display in the 11-acre landscaped garden."

"With works by Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, Monet, and Georgia O'Keeffe, NOMA is an oasis of fine art that can be appreciated by both parents and children alike. Kids will love story time, child-focused art workshops, and art classes."

"Behind the museum’s main building is a gated outdoor space in 11 acres of mature parkland enriched with more than 90 works of sculpture. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden opened in 2003 and at the time of writing in 2019 had just doubled in size with an expansion that included 26 new works, mostly by 21st-century artists. On serpentine paths among pines, magnolias, camellias and live oaks draped with Spanish moss there are pieces by Henry Moore, Deborah Butterfield, Barbara Hepworth, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Robert Indiana, Gaston Lachaise and René Magritte, as well as contemporary sculptors like Katharina Fritsch, Hank Willis Thomas and Jeppe Hein."

"The NOMA Sculpture Garden is another great part of City Park. It is a a free portion of the NOMA Museum and, as with everything in City Park, is surprisingly large, with a ton of sculptures placed among beautiful trees and small ponds. There are plenty of fun statues that make for great Instagram shots."

"Just outside NOMA’s front door, find the recently expanded Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a collection of sculptures set among City Park’s oaks and lagoons. The three-acre expansion includes 27 outdoor artworks. Admission to the sculpture garden is always free."

"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."

"Visit the spacious art galleries of the Contemporary Arts Center to see some world-class fine art in the up-and-coming warehouse district in downtown New Orleans. There are different artist residences happening and constantly rotating and changing exhibits. The museum is famous for the events that it hosts with different performances and lectures."

"Take in cutting-edge exhibits, featuring both local artists and the work of national and international talent, at this cornerstone of…"

"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."

"It doesn’t matter if you’re after something sweet or savory, District Donuts on Magazine street is the place for you if you crave things like sliders, beer and of course, donuts. This place prides themselves on using local ingredients and items are made to order. As for price, you can typically get sliders for less than five dollars, whereas their deal called the Brown Bag Meal can set you back around a cool ten bucks which includes waffle fries, two sliders and a soda."

"Clearview Parkway, Suite D, Jefferson, (504) 605-7944; 2209 Magazine St., (504) 570-6945; 5637 Magazine St., (504) 313-1316; www.districtdonuts.com. Creative doughnut flavors include hibiscus, lemon icebox, red velvet, white chocolate-strawberry-Champagne, strawberry cheesecake, Chocolate milk and cookie dough."

"District Doughnuts Breakfast is known to be the the most important meal of the day. However, I call it sugary beginnings. At @districtdonuts you can pick..."

"Back in 1991, Phillip Songy started his family-owned donut shop that has since blossomed into a full-service neighborhood restaurant, Terrytown Cafe & Donuts. In 2015, the signature glazed donut was voted "Best Doughnuts City Wide" in a local competition. The hand-cut classic donuts are incredibly affordable; a single donut is less than a dollar."

"This 24/7 neighborhood bakery on the West Bank won over Times-Picayune judges with its glazed doughnut and apple fritter. The T-P crowned Terrytown as having the best doughnuts and for the best value. But Terrytown Cafe and Donuts’ regulars already knew that."

"Built in 1851 by the Jesuits, this breathtaking, Moorish-inspired structure melds Islamic architecture with Christian and Jewish symbolism (including hundreds of Stars of David). Massive bronze doors, soaring Arabesque arches, stunning stained glass (featuring 18 stations of the cross), cast-iron pews and columns are among the church’s many architectural highlights. Of special note is the towering cupola, the marble statue of Mary (originally carved for Marie Amélie, queen of Louis Philippe of France, during the mid 1800s) located above the onion-domed high altar and two Venetian-glass mosaic shrines at the rear of the sanctuary."