Louisiana State Museum, State history museum in French Quarter, New Orleans, United States
The Louisiana State Museum is a state history museum in the French Quarter of New Orleans that spans seven historic buildings. The exhibitions cover regional culture, music history, and state development with a focus on local traditions and their distinctive characteristics.
The museum was established in 1906 and uses the Cabildo building, which served as the seat of Spanish colonial government and witnessed the Louisiana Purchase transaction. These structures connect directly to fundamental events in Louisiana's past.
The museum displays the evolution of jazz through instruments and photographs, as well as Mardi Gras traditions with historical costumes and masks. These collections allow visitors to experience the local music culture and regional celebration customs firsthand.
With a single ticket, visitors can enter multiple museum buildings and book guided tours in English from Tuesday through Sunday. It helps to allow enough time to visit several buildings, since the exhibitions spread across the entire neighborhood.
The museum preserves the world's largest collection of Mardi Gras artifacts, including elaborate costumes and masks from several centuries. These objects allow visitors to trace the development of one of America's most famous celebration traditions.
Location: New Orleans
Inception: 1906
Website: https://louisianastatemuseum.org
GPS coordinates: 29.95771,-90.06375
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:40
New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, reveals its musical history through its neighborhoods and concert halls. The French Quarter features wrought-iron balconies and Creole buildings facing St. Louis Cathedral, while Bourbon Street is home to jazz clubs and music venues. Preservation Hall has upheld the jazz tradition since 1961 in a building from the 18th century, and Jackson Square hosts musicians and street performers in the city center. The musical heritage extends from the Marigny district, with its Creole houses and clubs, to Congo Square, once a gathering place for African music in the 19th century. The Garden District showcases its 19th-century homes surrounded by gardens, while City Park offers 500 hectares of century-old oaks and botanical gardens. The Louisiana State Museum completes this exploration with its regional history and art collections.
French Quarter
263 m
Bourbon Street
215 m
Jackson Square
71 m
St. Louis Cathedral
29 m
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
337 m
Andrew Jackson
82 m
Pat O'Brien's Bar
154 m
Brennan's
308 m
The Cabildo
68 m
Equestrian statue of Joan of Arc
326 m
French Market
362 m
Old Ursuline Convent, New Orleans
413 m
Pontalba Buildings
98 m
Napoleon House
255 m
The Presbytere
64 m
Beauregard-Keyes House
431 m
Madame John's Legacy
199 m
Hermann–Grima House
389 m
Gallier House
462 m
Steamboat Natchez
336 m
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
235 m
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
216 m
Bank of Louisiana
350 m
Louisiana State Bank Building
396 m
Historic New Orleans Collection
220 m
The Presbytère
68 m
Equestrian statue of Joan of Arc
327 m
Toulouse Theatre
122 mReviews
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