Best Arts and Culture Places in Lower Garden District

"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."

"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."

"– New Orleans Museum of Art, fondly known as NOMA, is the city’s oldest fine arts institution and opened in 1911 with only nine works of art. Now, NOMA has a wonderfully impressive permanent collection with many beautiful rotating exhibits coming through frequently. Every Wednesday, the New Orleans Botanical Garden is free for Louisiana Residents through the Helis Foundation."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"Right next door to The National WWII Museum is the Contemporary Arts Center, known to locals as the CAC. This artistic hub hosts a variety of exciting contemporary art exhibits and events. To open the 2018 season, the CAC is presenting “Constructing the Break,” their annual open call exhibition of 29 regional artists."

"The CAC has free admission for Louisiana residents on Sundays courtesy of the Helis Foundation. The museum focuses on multi-disciplinary programming and rotating exhibits."

"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!"

"If you walk for about 20 minutes from the edge of the famous French Quarter, you’ll come to Julia Street – a road where artists have displayed artwork for decades. Here, you’ll find the Ariodante Gallery, a small space brimming with character among its suave neighbors. It’s the perfect spot to pick up jewelry, glassworks, ceramics and fine art by local and regional artists."

"Features an impressive collection of original paintings, works on paper, and sculpture by some of history’s most revered artists. Representing over five centuries of fine art, we specialize in original works from the old masters to the modern masters, as well as a select group of renowned contemporary artists."

"Callan Contemporary stands out for its abstract and figurative paintings and sculptures. This Julia Street gallery is a well-lit space with a sophisticated atmosphere. You can drift through the open white rooms admiring a mixture of unexpected mediums, textures and colors."

"Mushroom risotto features lion’s mane mushrooms confit, sauteed mushrooms, Parmesan and white truffle oil. Reservations recommended. Lunch Fri., dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun."

"Hidden on a quiet residential corner, this bustling bistro could have been transported directly from Provence. The menu continues the French...Read More"

"Herbsaint first introduced New Orleans to prolific restaurateur Donald Link. Since then, Link has opened several more excellent restaurants — Pêche, Cochon, and Cochon Butcher, and helped build a new generation of New Orleans culinary leaders. The French and Italian Herbsaint has remains one of the most consistently good restaurants in New Orleans, with the bonus of romantic outdoor seating along the downtown portion of the St. Charles streetcar line and now a menu catered to takeout and delivery."

"Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020, Herbsaint is the flagship restaurant in chef Donald Link's culinary empire. Herbsaint's food menu reflects southern, French, and Italian influences, such as the housemade spaghetti with guanciale (an Italian cured meat made of pork cheek), and fried-poached farm egg. More substantial dishes include duck leg confit with dirty rice, a crispy goat with lentils, and lamb and mushroom lasagna."

"Chef Donald Link (also of Cochon, Cochon Butcher, and Pêche Seafood Grill) turns out food that sparkles with robust flavors and top-grade ingredients...Read More"

"Sadly, both Kay and Paul Prudhomme are no longer with us, but their revolutionary K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen still lives on. Kay was the businesswoman, Paul was the Cajun chef who knew just how to make diners smile. His blackened catfish took the world by storm in 1979 (it even caused a catfish shortage) and his blackening spices are still just as delicious today, now made with fresh Louisiana drum."

"K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen is the pioneer New Orleans food place for Cajun cuisine. This New Orleans food place at Charters Street was started by late Louisiana Chef Paul Prudhomme. The famous chef invented the “blackening” seasoning process and started this upscale restaurant which served high-quality dishes, including Cajun and local cuisine."

"A Louisiana drum fillet is blackened in a cast-iron skillet and served with crabmeat-chipotle compote, potatoes and vegetables. Reservations recommended."

"Don’t let the plain Jane sign outside this Gentilly BYOB scare you away. Good Time sushi and hibachi is a cute little neighborhood sushi place with fresh options and good service. The lunch menu is cheap, cheap, and specialty rolls, like the “good time” and “the tiger,” are generous of portion and fresh."

"Preservation Hall played a big part in the revival of New Orleans jazz in the 1940s when the genre took a back seat to rock ‘n’ roll. Previously an art gallery, the venue was an accidental success, with musicians invited to rehearse at the venue by the gallery proprietor and jazz enthusiast Larry Borenstein. Now a full-time jazz venue, Preservation Hall features up to 5 performances a day from some of the most respected musicians in the industry."

"If you’re a fan of live jazz performances, then you must make plans to attend an upcoming show at Preservation Hall. Situated in the heart of the French Quarter on St. Peter Street, the venue presents intimate, acoustic New Orleans Jazz concerts featuring ensembles from a collective of more than 50 local master practitioners."

"Preservation Hall is a famous Jazz venue that dates back to the 1950s. It is located on St. Peter just south of Bourbon Street. Its grungy exterior and unique doors are instantly recognizable, as you can see in the image below from Spencer Horsman of Illusions Magic Bar."

"The theatre was originally built in 1906 and completely renovated in 2011. The venue is now used for concerts, plays, films, corporate events, and private parties."

"The Orpheum is an immaculately renovated historic theater with just over 1,400 seats to accommodate concerts, films, and private events. Originally built in 1918, the performance art theatre recently celebrated “100 Years on Stage” (1921-2021)."

"The acoustically-pure Beaux-Arts theater has been fully restored following damage from Hurricane Katrina. Location: 129 Roosevelt WayArchitect: G. Albert Lansburgh (restored by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple)Date: 1921Contact: https://orpheumnola.com/"