Free Museums in Mid-City

"National World War II Museum in New Orleans|© James Nesterwitz / Alamy. Thousands of visitors walk through the doors of the National WWII Museum on a daily basis, which Congress considers the official World War II museum of the US. Located in Downtown New Orleans, the sprawling complex contextualises the American experience of the conflict through eye witness accounts, multimedia experiences and extensive exhibits including The Home Front, the Pacific and European Theatres and the D-Day Invasion."

"A massive museum dedicated solely to the war that changed the world, The National World War II Museum is the largest museum in the state. Their campus consists of six buildings and permanent exhibits, three restaurants, everchanging special and traveling exhibits, their own in-house theater and much more. A weekend can easily be spent exploring all that the National WWII Museum has to offer, and you’d still barely scratch the surface."

"Did you ever wonder what it was like living a day during World War II whether you were on the front line or you were here at home?. The National WWII Museum is devoted to the preservation of WWII memories through exhibitions, the theater, and tours that will blow your mind!. Come learn about how New Orleans played a big role in WWII."

"The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is Smithsonian-affiliated and, as its name suggests, celebrates the culture and aesthetic of Southern artists. The permanent collection showcases more than 4,000 pieces from 15 states; in fact, with works dating back to 1733, the institution boasts the most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world. Exhibits feature paintings, photography, sculpture, and handicrafts, and place historical works alongside contemporary artists working in the South."

"In the south part of City Park is the New Orleans Museum of Art, one of the finest of its kind in the South. The museum features an excellent collection of French and American art, as well as African and Japanese pieces. On site and another of the institutions highlights is the outdoor Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, with more than 60 sculptures, as well as walking paths, lagoons, and mature live oak trees."

"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."

"This foundation looks after a beautiful ensemble of seven historic buildings on Royal Street in the French Quarter, and runs the Beaux-Arts Williams Research Center on Chartres Street for academics. The collection was started by General Lewis Kemper Williams (1887-1971) and his wife Leila Hardy Moore Williams (1901-1966), who in 1938 bought the 18th-century Merieult House and the neighbouring Italianate brick house beside. Over time the couple assembled a wealth of material about New Orleans and Louisiana, which makes up the museum’s exhibition, while the foundation later acquired more buildings like a late-19th-century townhouse and a Creole cottage."

"The whole state of Louisiana is overflowing with culture – and the Historic New Orleans Collection paints a wide-reaching picture of its titular city’s. The “Collection” is a museum, first opened in 1966, that is dedicated to collecting a wide range of exhibits showcasing the culture, history, and artistic tastes of the region. The museum’s collected pieces were first owned by General Lewis Kemper Williams and Leila Hardy Moore Williams, who purchased the Merieult House that the Collection now lives in back in 1938."

"Here's your chance to experience and understand the history and culture of the city of New Orleans!. The center is dedicated to the preservation and research of New Orleans and general Southern Gulf culture and history and is located in the French Quarter. Archives include the Sugar Bowl, life after Hurricane Katrina, the William Russel Jazz Collection, and the William C. Cook War of 1812 in the South Collection."

"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."

"In 1804 the State of Louisiana passed a law requiring a licensing exam for would-be pharmacists. The first person to pass this exam was one Louis J. Dufilho Jr. , becoming the first licensed pharmacist in the United States. You can drop by his premises on Chartres Street in the French Quarter, where stacks of strange remedies line the walls in historic apothecary bottles."

"– One of the most unique museums in New Orleans is the Pharmacy Museum. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-4 pm with a free guided tour at 1 pm (except for Saturday)."

"Louisiana's Civil War Museum, formerly known as the Confederate Museum, is one of the largest repositories of Confederacy-related artifacts and memorabilia in the United States. Housed in a stone Romanesque-style building, this is the oldest museum in Louisiana. The Confederate Memorial Hall Museum opened to the public in 1891 and today houses the second largest Civil War collection in the world."

"What kind of ammunition and instruments did they use against one another?. The Confederate Memorial Hall commemorates the American Civil War by keeping a preserved exhibition of all the materials involved. Here you will get a chance to learn about all of the battles, trials, and about each person that played a vital role in the Civil War."

"Louisiana’s Civil War Museum opened in 1891, making it the oldest operating museum in Louisiana. It is also known as the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum. Here, you’ll find a large collection of historical artifacts from the Civil War."

"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."

"Located directly adjacent to the New Orleans Museum of Art, the five-acre park provides a delightful instance for exploring the picturesque landscape of live oaks, Spanish moss, and lagoons. The 64 sculptures are, of course, another strong reason to venture to the garden. Location: 1 Collins Diboll CirArchitect: Lee Ledbetter Architects, Sawyer/Berson Architecture And Landscape ArchitectureDate: 2003Contact: https://noma.org/sculpture-garden"

"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."

"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..."

"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."

"The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is Smithsonian-affiliated and, as its name suggests, celebrates the culture and aesthetic of Southern artists. The permanent collection showcases more than 4,000 pieces from 15 states; in fact, with works dating back to 1733, the institution boasts the most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world. Exhibits feature paintings, photography, sculpture, and handicrafts, and place historical works alongside contemporary artists working in the South."

"In the south part of City Park is the New Orleans Museum of Art, one of the finest of its kind in the South. The museum features an excellent collection of French and American art, as well as African and Japanese pieces. On site and another of the institutions highlights is the outdoor Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, with more than 60 sculptures, as well as walking paths, lagoons, and mature live oak trees."

"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."

"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."