The Cabildo

The Cabildo is a baroque building in the French Quarter standing directly beside St. Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square, with arched windows and a mansard roof. The three-story structure houses rooms filled with objects and exhibits from colonial and early American times in Louisiana.

Construction began in 1795 after a fire destroyed the earlier government building, and the structure was completed by 1799. In 1803, the transfer of the Louisiana territory from France to the United States took place here.

Exhibits show daily life in Louisiana across different periods, letting visitors see how people lived through household items and everyday tools. The galleries show how traders, plantation owners, and ordinary settlers organized their routines and interacted with each other.

The entrance faces Jackson Square, and galleries spread across three levels that visitors can explore at their own pace. Air-conditioned rooms offer seating, and a small museum shop sits on the ground floor.

A fire in 1988 badly damaged the top floor, and restorers used old French timber techniques to rebuild the lost sections afterward. The result shows how 18th-century craftsmen worked with wood and hand tools.

Location: Louisiana

Inception: 1799

Official opening: 1911

Architectural style: Baroque

Address: Chartres Street

Opening Hours: Dinsdag-Zondag 09:00-16:00; Maandag closed; Feestdagen closed

Phone: +15045686968

Website: https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/cabildo

GPS coordinates: 29.95722,-90.06417

Latest update: December 22, 2025 15:03