Things to do in New Orleans, Louisiana (LA): The Best Specialty Museums

The National WWII Museum is the top-rated tourist destination in New Orleans and #2 in the U.S., and an unforgettable way to experience World War II—from industrial efforts on the home front to the combat experience of the American servicemember abroad. Offering a compelling blend of sweeping narrative and poignant personal detail, the Museum features immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences, and an expansive collection of artifacts and first-person oral histories to take visitors inside the story of the war: why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today. Beyond the galleries, the Museum offers unique access to experiential history, including an opportunity to tour and ride on an authentically restored PT-boat, tours behind the scenes to handle artifacts alongside Museum curators, and an impressive collection of restored and working macro-artifacts to discover. Open early through 1/2/18, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

House of Dance & Feathers is a cultural museum based on Ronald Lewis' participation in the culture of Mardi Gras Indians, Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs & Skull and Bone Gangs. Opening hours are informal, so please telephone ahead to make an appointment.Ronald: I was working on my Mardi Gras Indian costumes for the Choctaw Hunters, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe I helped start in the Lower 9th Ward. While I was working on the suits, I had feathers and memorabilia all over the house. I came home one day & everything was in my backyard. My loving wife (who we call Minnie) said "I can't take this no more. You've got to find something to do with this." I moved the artwork into the shed and started putting up my various artifacts. The children in the community started calling it a museum and I gave it a name, "The House of Dance & Feathers", which means second lining and Mardi Gras Indians. I was at the point in my life where, "Okay, I can make a Mardi Gras Indian costume, but I want to educate the world about our great culture, how we do this, and why we are so successful at it even though the economics say we ain't supposed to be." Ronald created the museum in 2003, and then once again rebuilt in the wake of Katrina in 2005. Based at Ronalds house on Tupelo Street in the Lower 9th Ward, The House of Dance & Feathers is a unique experience as Ronald Lewis weaves his personal stories into each artifact in the museum and encourages a dialogue with his guests, so no two visits are ever the same. Although you'll arrive a stranger, you'll almost certainly leave as a friend.As well as being the museum's director and curator, Ronald W. Lewis, is the president of the Big Nine Social Aid & Pleasure Club, former Council Chief of the Choctaw Hunters, Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame inductee, 2008 King of Krewe de Vieux and a central character in Dan Baums best seller, Nine Lives: Mystery, Magic, Death and Life in New Orleans.

Treme’s Petit Jazz Museum will tell you the true story of jazz right here where it all first started. Through a tour of the exhibits with a local expert you’ll discover Treme, the oldest integrated neighbourhood in all of America, and why it became the birthplace of jazz. Treme has always been an important center of African-American and Creole culture; New Orleans’ beating heart for brass bands, Mardi Gras Indians, and of course, the jazz that is the life blood that pulses through the city. Visit this one of a kind local museum, and gain an insider’s glimpse of the influences, legends, and historical events that gave rise to the music that has kept this community's, and the world’s, feet tapping since 1895.

The Sazerac House is one part history and traditions, two parts interactive exhibits and experiences, mixed with spirited events and a dash of rich New Orleans culture. Visit us to experience distinctive tastes and traditions worth carrying forward. Where the past, present and future come together-over cocktails, of course. *Holiday and parade hours subject to change.

Mardi Gras World is the most unique attraction in America’s most uniquely attractive city. Come see how Mardi Gras is made and get up close to Mardi Gras' grandest floats and sculptures.

NOMA is committed to preserving, presenting, and enriching its collections and renowned Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden; offering innovative experiences for learning and interpretation; and uniting, inspiring, and engaging diverse communities and cultures. NOMA is New Orleans’ oldest fine arts institution and most ambitious cultural convener. NOMA’s permanent collection is at the heart of all museum programs and has grown from 13 works in 1912 to more than 40,000 today.

The private residence of the Rice family also houses a chapel, Anne Rices doll collection and Stan Rices paintings.Closed due to damage suffered in Hurricane Katrina.

Few places offer the chance to experience the lifestyle of our ancestors of more than 150 years ago. The 1850 House is one of these rare places, offering a glimpse of middle- and upper-class life in antebellum New Orleans, the most prosperous period in the city's history. This furnished rowhouse in the Lower Pontalba Building, represents a mid-19th century home. Visitors encounter the stories of the Baroness Pontalba, the woman who constructed the building and the people who lived here in the 1850s.