Free Museums in Garden District

"Originally named the National D-Day Museum, and located in New Orleans because the flat bottomed Higgins boats used in the invasion were made here, this museum is a must see for every history buff. Besides extensive and interactive exhibits on the Pacific and European theaters, the museum includes a special section on the Normandy Invasion and thousands of three-dimensional artifacts representative of the war years both at home and overseas. December 2014 marks the opening of the newest Pavilion, Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters, and the Road to Berlin exhibit.From the "Steel Pot" helmet to the impressive Sherman tank, the Museum's artifacts bring the people and places of World War II into sharp focus."

"New Orleans is where Higgins boats were designed, built and tested. These landing craft were pivotal to amphibious invasions like Normandy in 1944, and so it’s fitting that New Orleans’ superb National WWII Museum should have opened on D-Day’s 56th anniversary on June 6, 2000. As you enter you’ll be given a dog tag, which you can scan at stations around the museum for compelling personal profiles."

"Older kids and adults will find this exemplary museum worth exploring. Exhibits examine America's contribution to the Allied victory in World War II, with a multi-sensory cinematic feature produced and narrated by Tom Hanks playing at the 4D Solomon Victory Theater. A post shared by The National WWII Museum (@wwiimuseum) on Mar 31, 2018 at 3:03pm PDT"

"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."

"– 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."

"French QuarterFounded in 1966, THNOC is a museum, and also a research center that aims to preserve and celebrate the artistic and cultural history of NOLA and the Gulf South. It occupies several beautiful and historic buildings in the French Quarter, making it easy to tour if you’re visiting NOLA, staying downtown, and hoping to stay classy between Hurricanes. Best of all, it’s totally free to one and all (though you might be sucked into purchasing something cool at their gift shop)."

"The HNOC is on a mission to preserve the French Quarter and New Orleans history. The space houses seven different exhibition halls with constantly evolving collections. Afro-Creole poetry, French Quarter life, second lines and social aid & pleasure clubs are just a few highlights."

"Right in the heart of the French Quarter, the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum contains a huge collection of apothecary jars with original ingredients, medical instruments, surgical tools, and much more. There is information about different questionable medical practices used over the years for people who don’t get freaked out too easily. You can learn more about voodoo potions, opium, and different ingredients used in medicines in the past."

"Experience what getting medical treatment was like in 1823 at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic building, and the exhibits offer plenty of historical curiosity as well. Get a glimpse into questionable 19th century medical practices and step into a recreated physician’s study and sick room."

"Structured as a pharmacy back in the day, New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is now a museum with exhibits featuring early medicines and superstitious cures, among other things."

"It’s also an excellent place to people watch and where a number of New Orleans’ historical landmarks like The St Louis Cathedral, The Cabildo, and The Presbytère are located (with Preservation Hall and The Historic New Orleans Collection nearby). Tons of artists, musicians, and fortune tellers hang out in Jackson Square and in the spirit of disclosure, I spent most of my time here people-watching and eating beignets. However, if you want to be a little more cultured than I was, visit one or several of the above-mentioned landmarks for even more NOLA history."

"The Cabildo’s twin, facing Jackson Square on the north side of the cathedral, is from 1791 and held as one of the masterpieces of colonial Spanish architecture. Previously the domestic quarters, or presbytère, for the cathedral’s Capuchin monks had stood on this spot, which explains the name. This ornate building has come through a few different uses, and was a courthouse from 1834 to 1911."

"In spring 2019, this treasured New Orleans institution was getting ready to move from 420 Julia Street to a high-tech and sustainable campus at City Park. The new museum grounds will cover 8.5 acres and have an interpretive wetland habitat, edible garden and an LEED-certified main building on the banks of a lagoon. Here there will be a replica grocery store and bubble studio, while the 30-metre Mighty Mississippi exhibit will explain the course of this mighty river from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico."

"If you’re heading to New Orleans with kids in tow, you can’t overlook the Louisiana Children’s Museum. It’s one of the most fun spots in the city for younger members of the family and is one of the best family-friendly places of New Orleans attractions. The museum spans two stories and showcases plenty of interactive and hands-on exhibits for kids to enjoy and learn through."

"Looking for a place to expand your knowledge and have fun at the same time?. The Louisiana Children's Museum offers a wide variety of knowledge from learning everyday skills like grocery shopping to learning about the science behind your body. This is a museum to help enrich and stimulate the bond between kids and their families as well as the environment around them!"

"Local music fans, neighborhood drinkers, and curious tourists all come to see one of the city's favorite sons, Kermit Ruffins, in action at his namesake bar. Inside has the feeling of a tricked-out family basement, but with Mardi Gras colored tiling. The drinks are cheap, the food is (often) free, and the music flows like the lifeblood of the Seventh Ward."

"Before visiting New Orleans for the third time last fall, I binge-watched the HBO series Treme on Amazon Prime. The show is named after the neighborhood north of the French Quarter, where jazz music was born in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Several of the lead characters are musicians; viewers are treated to a lot of terrific music."

"Are you looking for a great place to watch live entertainment around New Orleans, Louisiana?. If so, you should head on over to Kermit's Treme Mother in Law..."

"The Oakwood Shopping Center is in Gretna, a quick drive over the Crescent City Connection, the bridge that takes you to the West Bank of the Mississippi. It's not as big as some of the other malls on this list, but that can be a blessing in disguise. The Oakwood Mall has plenty of parking and fewer crowds, making the shopping experience breezier."

"With 82 shops, including Dillard's and JC Penny's, this mall on Jefferson Parish's West Bank offers an array of retail options across all price ranges, as well as dining, spas, a barbershop and more."

"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. This shopping center is an L-shaped strip mall that comes with a huge parking area. It boasts a good number of stores to shop from, and the best part is that everything here is incredibly cheap."

"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. This shopping center, which opened in March of 2015 at the intersection of South Claiborne Avenue and Toledano Street, is considered one of the highlights of the Central City neighborhood. It is a 115281-sq ft (10709-sq m) decent shopping mall with a huge free parking area."

"Lower Garden DistrictThis vegan spot has just undergone a change of management and has a new look and feel. It's got a cocktail bar vibe in addition to the plant-based breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Breakfast has a serious dairy-free coffee program, as well as dishes like blueberry buckwheat pancakes and sweet potato breakfast tacos (pair with a vegan Vietnamese iced coffee or fresh squeezed satsuma juice)."

"Every single one of of these vegan restaurants in New Orleans is worth visiting, but Seed was definitely my favourite. It’s actually fully vegan and doesn’t serve any animal products whatsoever, which I loved. The airy interior is decorated with large paintings by Ally Burguieres and the surrounding Garden District is equal parts swish and laid-back."

"1330 Prytania St., (504) 302-2599; 2372 St. Claude Ave., (504) 827-1447; www.seedyourhealth.com. Cornmeal-battered and fried eggplant fills a po-boy dressed with grilled red peppers, onions, romaine lettuce and garlic aioli."

"Nina Compton brings her generous spirit and natural warmth to every plate of inventive island meets New Orleans and Mediterranean cuisine at Bywater American Bistro, the second restaurant she and her husband Larry Miller opened after settling in Nola to open Compere Lapin in the CBD. This neighborhood spot - which like all New Orleans restaurants pivoted every which way in the past difficult year, feels personal to Compton, and it is. She lives upstairs and is invested in making Bywater her home. She has a loyal following, with good reason."

"As of October, every Thursday at Bywater American Bistro is officially date night, with a three course pre-fixe dinner for two and welcome cocktail on offer for $70 (excluding tax and gratuity). Nina Compton’s newer restaurant, located on a quiet corner at the border of Bywater and Marigny, has added distanced sidewalk seating since reopening and also offers takeout. Date night menu changes weekly."

"The quality of the food, for me, is the fancy part of dining out. It’s in the ingredients and the preparation. Bywater American Bistro sources quality ingredients, the food is prepared very well in a technical sense, and the flavors are incredible."

"Lizardi rolls are egg rolls filled with cabbage, crabmeat, shrimp and crawfish seasoned with Asian and Cajun spices and served with sweet chili sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat."

"611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 323-4259; 5001 Freret St., (504) 603-3085; www.blazepizza.com. The build-your-own-pie format allows diners to choose sauces (tomato, spicy tomato, garlic-pesto or cream sauce), cheeses (mozzarella, feta or Gorgonzola), meats, vegetables and more."

"For your pizza pleasure, we recommend the Veg Out, topped with zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, and red sauce dollops. And you can get vegan cheese at no extra cost!"

"Category: American, Delivery, Happy Hours, Outside Dining, Southwest, and Weekend Brunch. Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant aims to provide a laid-back, beach vibe complete with the coldest drinks and hottest menu around since 1992. Whether you want to belly up Read more..."

"701 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 523-8995; www.lucysretiredsurfers.com/neworleans. A Juicy Lucy burger is an 8-ounce patty topped with tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles and Lucy’s sauce on a Dong Phuong roll."