9 Best Museums in New Orleans

New Orleans is a place rich in history—that’s why there are several popular art and history museums in the area. But you might not know that there are also a variety of unique museums in New Orleans—a music museum, cocktail museum, even a pharmacy museum—that are worth a visit. Check out our list of the 9 best museums in New Orleans to see if there’s a museum you want to visit on your next trip to New Orleans.

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1. New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

A museum featured on the National Register of Historic Places—AKA worth visiting.

514 Chartres St | French Quarter | pharmacymuseum.org 

You might not be sure why you would want to visit a museum dedicated to pharmacy, but if you are interested in history, and specifically the history of New Orleans, the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is definitely worth a visit.

This museum showcases an extensive collection and provides an education on the past and present of pharmacy and healthcare in New Orleans. For example, America’s first licensed pharmacist, Louis J. Dufilho, Jr., made his most significant contribution to the field of pharmacy in New Orleans in 1816—he was the first to pass the licensing examination for pharmacists wishing to practice their profession, and therefore his pharmacy was the first to operate with these credentials.

If facts like this interest you, and you want to see what pharmacy looked like in New Orleans at that time, visit the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum on your next trip to New Orleans. 

“You've gotta stop by here if you visit NOLA. It's so interesting! I think we paid $5 each for entry, which was a shock. Just crazy cheap! It doesn't disappoint. It's a great place to visit for a walk through history.” - Yelp Review 

Purchase a GiftYa for the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum here.

2. The Sazerac House

An immersive exploration of the history of drinks in New Orleans.

101 Magazine St | Warehouse District | sazerachouse.com 

Calling all cocktail lovers, this museum is for you. The Sazerac House is part traditional museum, part interactive exhibits—all in the name of spirits. Take a journey through the history of cocktail culture in New Orleans, connecting past traditions with the tastes and techniques of today. As for the interactive experiences, take part in handcrafting the world famous Peychaud's Bitters and master the art of making America's original cocktail—the Sazerac!

Admission and tours are 100% free! And yes, that means free drinks!

“Very informative, and free drinks. Yes...free. You can self guide or be led. The first drink was a Sazerac, and the others were drinks I'd never had but were common to the area. All were delish.” - Yelp Review 

The Sazerac House doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants! 

3. New Orleans Jazz Museum

Learn about the history of jazz in the very city jazz was born.

400 Esplanade Ave | French Quarter | nolajazzmuseum.org 

There’s no better place to visit a jazz museum than in New Orleans—the very city in which jazz was born. The New Orleans Jazz Museum celebrates the history of jazz through interactive exhibits, educational programming, and engaging musical performances.

Whether you love jazz or you just want to learn more about a kind of music with such a rich history and such passionate performers and listeners, The New Orleans Jazz Museum is a wonderful museum to explore while in New Orleans. 

“As a lover of jazz, this has to be part of your life. The events are so beautiful and informative. I love going here and the times I've volunteered, I've met like minded folks. World class!” - Yelp Review 

The New Orleans Jazz Museum doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants! 

4. Southern Food and Beverage Museum

Celebrating the food and drink of the South.

1504 Oretha C Haley Blvd | Central City | southernfood.org 

This museum is dedicated to “the discovery, understanding, and celebration of the food, drink, and culture of the South.” What you can expect to find are special exhibits, demonstrations, lectures, and tastings that showcase the food and drink of the South. 

Some collections featured in the museum are The Museum of the American Cocktail's New Orleans Collection, La Galerie de l'Absinthe, Culinary Innovation Center by Jenn-Air, and their new Gumbo Garden.

Come have a taste of the South at The Southern Food and Beverage Museum!

“Not your typical museum, but the perfect museum for foodies/cooks like me! I truly enjoyed my visit here. Not only does it display rich contents of food history in NOLA, I appreciate it also showcases specialities from nearby states as well.” - Yelp Review 

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants! 

5. New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum

“One of the most unique and interesting small museums in the country.”

724 Dumaine St | French Quarter | voodoomuseum.com 

The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is what has been described as “one of the most unique and interesting small museums in the country.” If you have seen enough art and history museums, this niche museum might be a good choice for your next visit. 

The offerings of this museum include museum walkthroughs, cemetery tours, and readers and practitioners. During the museum tour you can see historic voodoo relics, paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts. The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum also offers walking tours to the nearby St. Louis Cemetery (the City of the Dead), the tomb of Marie Laveau, Congo Square, and other historic locations.

One especially unique feature of this museum is that they may assist interested persons in services like psychic readings, consultations, special gris-gris, rituals, and ceremonies.

“The woman/practitioner that worked here was awesome. She was very friendly with the kids and stayed in character. She gave all the kids toys as they were leaving. Whether you are a believer in VooDoo or not, this is a nice and unique place to visit.” - Yelp Review 

The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants! 

6. New Orleans Museum of Art

The city's oldest fine arts institution.

1 Collins Diboll Cir | City Park | noma.org 

The New Orleans Museum of Art, or The NOMA, is the city's oldest fine arts institution. They host a permanent collection of almost 40,000 objects. They also host ever-changing exhibits by world-renowned artists, and have a sculpture garden where you can view more than 90 works in a scenic landscape. Needless to say, there’s a lot to see.

Come visit if you appreciate art, but also feel free to come visit if you just want to have some fun with friends, take some pictures, and stroll through the sculpture gardens on a nice day. This museum welcomes all kinds of visitors!

“It was nice to peruse and walk through the different floors and see art through the ages. We had a nice time. Their changing exhibition was also interesting although a bit out there. If you're in town, check out City Park and NOMA for points of interest that aren't Bourbon Street.” - Yelp Review 

The New Orleans Museum of Art doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants! 

7. Louisiana Children's Museum

Fun hands-on exhibits for the kids!

15 Henry Thomas Dr | City Park | lcm.org 

If you want a 100% kid-friendly experience, check out the Louisiana Children's Museum for fun hands-on experiences for the kids. And who knows, you might end up enjoying these interactive exhibits for yourself!

Some of the museum’s highlights include the Sensory Lagoon where younger children can roll on a bed of lily pads, hear splashing sounds, and feel the movement of the water and the Creole Kitchen where older kids can prep, mix, bake, and broil your favorite Louisiana recipe to serve to their hungry grown-up.

There are so many unique interactive activities for both kids and parents to enjoy at this kid’s museum.

“My son loves this place. He [would] come back everyday if they would allow him and he would just play with the Mississippi water river exhibit alone!  You can't go wrong bringing a baby to toddler to 9 /10 years old here and just enjoying the various stations.” - Yelp Review

The Louisiana Children's Museum doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants! 

8. The McKenna Museum of African American Art

Museum dedicated to African Diasporan pieces and Black excellence.

2003 Carondelet St | Central City | themckennamuseum.com 

The George & Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art is an institution that “collects, interprets, and preserves” African Diasporan fine art. Through innovative programs and engaging exhibits, the McKenna Museum seeks to make African Diasporan fine art accessible and engaging to all. 

If you want to see art that is often underrepresented in large-scale art museums, come to The McKenna Museum of African American Art for a museum whose direct focus is African Diasporan fine art. It’s worth it.

“What a gorgeous space! LOVE the renovation of this historic home. Seriously the building is beautiful. But that's not all!  The art on display is incredibly varied and really impressive/moving/inspiring/calming depending on the piece.” - Yelp Review

The McKenna Museum of African American Art doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants! 

9. Mardi Gras World

Where the Mardi Gras floats are made!

1380 Port Of New Orleans Pl | Lower Garden District | mardigrasworld.com 

If you are interested in seeing the magic behind the scenes of Mardi Gras floats, Mardi Gras World is the place to go. This massive warehouse houses all of the Mardi Gras floats past and present. On one of their tours offered daily, you can look at past floats, or watch artists create art for new floats in real-time. This is a behind the scenes look into the work that goes into Mardi Gras like never before.

This is the kind of museum you’ll only find in NOLA. So if you’re interested in getting an exclusive behind the scenes look at Mardi Gras floats and what goes into creating them, you should definitely consider visiting Mardi Gras World.

“Interesting one of a kind place to visit. We learned quite a bit about the Mardi Gras here and enjoyed seeing the creative floats and props, the making of them and the historical significance. Lots of photo ops and very interesting to see stuff that wasn't shared on Yelp yet.” - Yelp Review

Mardi Gras World doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants! 

Let us know in the comments which of these unique, inspiring, and beautiful New Orleans museums you explore first. Whether it’s The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, The Sazerac House, The McKenna Museum of African American Art, or one of the many others, you are sure to learn more about the rich history of NOLA—and enjoy every minute of it.