Museums · New Orleans · United States
5 best museums in New Orleans
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with The National WWII Museum, The Cabildo and Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 11–13 hours across 2 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 11–13 hours
- Areas
- Warehouse District and French Quarter
Museums in New Orleans
Museum · Warehouse District
1.The National WWII Museum
Designated by Congress as America's official World War II museum, this campus of pavilions tells the story of the war through oral histories, personal artefacts, aircraft suspended in the Boeing Center and immersive galleries following the Road to Berlin and the Road to Tokyo.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · French Quarter
2.The Cabildo
The Spanish colonial seat of government beside the cathedral, built in the 1790s, is where the Louisiana Purchase transfer took place in 1803.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
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Gallery · Warehouse District
3.Ogden Museum of Southern Art
The Ogden collects the visual art of the American South, from 19th-century landscapes and self-taught artists to contemporary painting and photography, in a five-storey modern hall attached to a 19th-century Romanesque library building.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · French Quarter
4.The Historic New Orleans Collection
This free museum and research centre on Royal Street presents the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South through rotating exhibitions of maps, paintings, photographs and documents, spread across restored French Quarter buildings with quiet courtyards.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · French Quarter
5.New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint
Housed in the Greek Revival Old U.S.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse District | The National WWII Museum and Ogden Museum of Southern Art | Full day + 1.5 hours |
| French Quarter | The Cabildo, The Historic New Orleans Collection and New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint | 1.5 hours + 1 hour + 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 1 free, 2 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is The National WWII Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Warehouse District): The National WWII Museum, at least 6 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Warehouse District and French Quarter): Ogden Museum of Southern Art → The Cabildo → The Historic New Orleans Collection, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (French Quarter): New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and often damp, with the occasional cold snap; Carnival season begins and king cakes appear in every bakery.
- September: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still hot and the peak of hurricane season; low prices, but keep plans flexible and watch forecasts.
- June: highs of 32°C (90°F), about 13 rainy days, quiet crowds. Hot and sticky with afternoon storms; hurricane season begins, and hotel rates drop.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- French Quarter — Cast-iron balconies, Jackson Square, Royal Street galleries and Bourbon Street's bars
- Warehouse District and CBD — Converted warehouses, the WWII Museum, galleries and big hotels
More of New Orleans
All things to do in New Orleans · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in New Orleans?
The National WWII Museum. Designated by Congress as America's official World War II museum, this campus of pavilions tells the story of the war through oral histories, personal artefacts, aircraft suspended in the Boeing Center and immersive galleries following the Road to Berlin and the Road to Tokyo.
+Which of these are free in New Orleans?
The Historic New Orleans Collection.