When you think of museums in New Orleans, the Jazz Museum or an art gallery in a historic French Quarter building probably come to mind. And yes, they’re great. But what I’m after in a city are the places that scratch a bit, surprise you, make you think differently.
So here’s a selection of museums and cultural experiences that left a mark on me. Some are tiny, others are unsettling. All of them, in their own way, are keys to understanding this fascinating city, blending spirituality, memory, and Creole identity.
The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
📍 724 Dumaine St, New Orleans, LA 70116
The building itself is small, almost claustrophobic, with its narrow rooms and walls crowded with altars, fetishes, statues, and soot-blackened candles. But that’s precisely what makes it powerful. This museum doesn’t aim to make voodoo “Instagrammable.” It pulls you into a living spirituality, straddling the line between ritual and everyday life.
I remember seeing a handwritten note tucked between two candles: “Please, heal my sister.” It’s those little details that make all the difference. You’re not here to observe; you’re here to feel. It’s a place of transmission rather than exhibition.
Backstreet Cultural Museum
📍 1531 St Philip St, New Orleans, LA 70116
One of the most powerful and underrated museums in the city. Located in the Treme neighborhood, this museum pays tribute to Afro-Creole culture and local traditions: the Mardi Gras Indians, second lines, and Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs.
Did you know?
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Mardi Gras Indians are African Americans who create elaborately handmade costumes every year for the Mardi Gras parade. These costumes honor Native Americans who helped runaway slaves. The intricate beadwork and feathered designs are true works of art.
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Second lines are street parades born from jazz funeral processions. The “first line” consists of musicians and the family of the deceased. The “second line” is the crowd—dancing, celebrating life.
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Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs were originally community associations providing social support, healthcare, and dignified funerals for their members. Today, they proudly continue these traditions.
You’ll find stunning handmade costumes adorned with beads and feathers, archive videos, and personal stories. But above all, you’ll feel a sense of pride—a joyful resistance. I spent a long time chatting with the person at the entrance, who shared how his grandfather hand-stitched one of the displayed costumes.
The Historic New Orleans Collection
📍 520 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
This one is more “classic,” but I’m including it because it’s often overlooked despite being fascinating. It’s an archive center and museum dedicated to the city’s history. What I love most are the temporary exhibits: incredibly well-done, immersive, and always deeply human.
During my visit, there was an exhibition on the evolution of Creole neighborhoods and the role of women in preserving cultural traditions. I surprised myself by staying for over two hours, completely captivated.
Bonus: Admission is free.
Museum of Death (For the Strong-Hearted)
📍 227 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Sensitive souls, beware. Seriously. This museum is both fascinating and disturbing. It covers murders, funeral rituals, taxidermy, letters from serial killers… and actual crime scene photos (yes, real ones!). It’s morbid, nauseating even.
With the growing obsession with true crime on YouTube, you might think you’ll enjoy it. But I didn’t last long—barely 10 minutes. After seeing photos of bloodied crime scenes and victims, I almost fainted. No photos are allowed inside, and honestly, even if they were, I wouldn’t have taken any.
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
📍 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70113
This one was unexpected, and I loved it. It’s about food, of course—gumbo, po-boys, étouffée, jambalaya—but more than that, it tells the story of migration, survival, and celebration.
One section is dedicated to hot sauces from all over the South. Another highlights NOLA’s legendary bars. There’s even a small area for cooking classes.
Bonus: Right next door, you’ll find the Museum of the American Cocktail, part of the same building.
Bonus: Living Places That Are More Than Museums
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Voodoo Spiritual Temple (1428 N Rampart St): More than just a temple, it’s an intimate and disorienting experience. The altars are alive, filled with recent prayers, dried flowers, and pieces of life. When I visited, Priestess Miriam was singing a low incantation while incense filled the air. She looked at me in silence, and I felt a chill run through my body. It’s not a place for photos—it’s a place to feel, observe, and bow.
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Congo Square (Louis Armstrong Park): A vibrant place rooted in African American history. It’s where slaves gathered on Sundays to dance, play music, and keep African traditions alive. These gatherings were both a celebration and an act of resistance. Even today, you might hear drums echoing in the air, as if the past still lingers. I spent an entire afternoon there, just listening to a group improvising percussion. Children, elders, passersby—the circle formed naturally. For a moment, nothing existed but the rhythm.
NOLA’s Unofficial Museums: The Heartbeat of the City
New Orleans has its official museums (the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the National WWII Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Louisiana Children’s Museum, the Contemporary Arts Center, and the Cabildo Museum). But it’s the living places, the ones inhabited by history, struggles, and the unseen, that taught me the most about the city.
It’s in these sensitive, raw margins that I learned the most.
And you—have you ever felt that shiver of living history somewhere?
