Best 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."

"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..."

"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."

"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."

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

"Explore locally made jewelry, crafts, gifts and artwork under a twinkling canopy of lights as you walk hand-in-hand with your honey at the Frenchmen Art Market. Located at 619 Frenchmen Street, this charming outdoor craft fair opens only at night and is nestled between some of the most popular nightclubs in the area. After you’re done shopping, pop over to The Spotted Cat Music Club for live jazz music in an intimate setting."

"New Orleans, LA 70116Phone: (504) 358-8287Website: www.Palacemarketnola.com. One of the best things to do in New Orleans at night is wander the Palace Market on Frenchmen Street. It’s an open-air market, hosted only in the evenings, that displays local art and other artisanal goods under string lights."

"Featuring handmade goods and artwork made entirely by local artists. Browse art, find gifts and meet local artisans. Take a break from the clubs to hangout in one of the outdoor living rooms and take in the ambience of the market and the fun of Frenchmen Street!"

"The French Market is a six-block-long bustling, open-air shopping center that can hold as many as 220 vendors on a busy day. You can shop for local art, t-shirts and hats and all things Mardi Gras while enjoying New Orleans street music and the aroma of fresh gumbo and jambalaya from the food stalls. The market has a ton of history, having existed on the same piece of land for more than 200 years."

"Address: 700-1010 Decatur StreetNew Orleans, LA 70130Phone: (504) 636-6400Website. French Market is a popular open-air market and food hall in New Orleans. The space has permanent food stalls serving local étouffée, char-broiled oysters, crawfish, and more."

"A Larry Bird sandwich features roasted Springer Mountain Farms chicken, bacon, avocado, tomato, lettuce and aioli on ciabatta from Breads on Oak."

"When Croatian immigrant Drago Cvitanovich opened the first Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in 1969, his kinship with the local Croatian fishing community helped him secure the freshest oysters in the region. Many decades later, Drago’s has grown to three locations and cemented its reputation for the very best shellfish by continuing to source from local fishermen instead of a distributor. Though the menu offers several oyster preparations, the charbroiled option is the undisputed crowd-pleaser."

"If you ask the locals where to find the best charbroiled oysters in town they will more than likely point you in the direction of Drago’s Seafood Restaurant. The secret to their specialty oysters is a delicious buttery sauce consisting of garlic, herbs, and a blend of Parmesan and Romano cheese served with French bread for dipping."

"3206 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 833-9226; www.facebook.com/bearspoboys. A roast beef po-boy is topped with roast beef debris on Leidenheimer French bread."

"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."

"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."