Museums in Louisiana

Welcome to one of the most historic buildings in the French Quarter. The Presbytère is located next to St. Louis Cathedral, overlooking Jackson Square. This Louisiana State Museum features revolving exhibitions along with permanent Mardi Gras artifacts. Add 751 Chartres Street in New Orleans to your itinerary!

Get a glimpse of the museum that tells the story of America in World War II. The museum is located at 945 Magazine Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The old New Orleans Mint is now the New Orleans Jazz Museum, featuring exhibits about jazz history and culture. The New Orleans Jazz Museum is located at 400 Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans.

Learn about the man who first put Coca-Cola in a bottle, plus view an extensive vintage Bible collection, at the Biedenharn Museum & Gardens in Monroe, Louisiana.

Curious about New Orleans' voodoo history and culture? The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum will educate and entertain you in their location at 724 Dumaine Street.

Planning a trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Capital City? Stop by one of the first "green" buildings in the Red Stick – The Shaw Center for the Arts – and experience the LSU Museum of Art. The museum is located in the heart of the city at 100 Lafayette Street.

Eddie G. Robinson was one of Louisiana's greatest football coaches! Learn what made him a Louisiana legend with a visit to the Eddie G. Robinson Museum on the campus of Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana.

Visit Louisiana's only UNESCO World Heritage Site and true monument to ingenuity in Pioneer, Louisiana, and learn about our ancient civilization.

Learn all about Louisiana's sports legends at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches. In the same building, discover more than 3,000 years of northwestern Louisiana history in art and artifacts.

Did you know Bonnie and Clyde's interstate crime spree ended in Louisiana? Visit the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland, Louisiana, to see a replica of their car and other artifacts from the notorious criminals.

Learn about the history and culture of enslaved and free African Americans  in Donaldsonville in rural south Louisiana.

The Lafayette Science Museum offers hands-on experiences for curious minds of all ages. Check out rotating exhibits and installations, plus a planetarium.

Head to Ruston to experience the North Louisiana Military Museum, where you'll see military uniforms, vehicles, weaponry and memorabilia.

Head to Morgan City, Louisiana, and visit the only museum in the world where the public can walk aboard an authentic offshore oil drilling rig.

Head to Ferriday, Louisiana, to learn about Louisiana music legends like Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley – and more!

This museum interprets Louisiana's storied history of its oil industry from past to present. Louisiana State Oil and Gas Museum is located in the aptly named Oil City, near Shreveport, Louisiana.

The Capitol Park Museum is located across from the Louisiana State Capitol and features interactive exhibits from across the Bayou State.

Learn about the down-the-bayou aquaculture at the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum in Houma, Louisiana.

Learn about the history and culture of Indigenous peoples, Acadians and Creoles in this living history museum in Lafayette.

Discover the history and famous citizens of Webster Parish in this Minden museum.

Explore Louisiana's rich political history and the democratic process through exhibits, programs and shows. The beautiful Gothic building overlooks the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge.

Climb aboard the USS Kidd, a Fletcher-class destroyer that served during World War II and the Korean War, in Baton Rouge. Attached to the vessel is the Veterans Museum, which displays a variety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and naval military history.

Love a good roadside attraction? Then you'll love this eclectic gem tucked away in the quaint town of Abita Springs on the Louisiana Northshore. While you're there, stop at Abita Brewing Company for a tour!

Learn about North Caddo Parish's railroad history and other fun facts about the area when you visit Vivian, Louisiana. There's plenty to see and do along Louisiana's Boom or Bust Scenic Byway.

Originally the seat of the Spanish government in New Orleans, The Cabildo is one of the most historically significant buildings in the city. When you visit the Crescent City, head to Jackson Square and explore the museum.

The dual focus of this museum site in Patterson highlights two very distinct — and compelling — aspects of Louisiana’s rich history: aviation and lumbering.

The Lafayette Museum is dedicated to sharing and promoting the history and culture of Acadiana. The museum, also known as the Alexandre Mouton House, served as the home of 11th Governor and first Democratic Governor of Louisiana.

Learn the stories of General Claire Chennault and other historic military figures and events from WWII through Operation Iraqi Freedom at the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum in Monroe, Louisiana.

Step into the country in the heart of Baton Rouge at the LSU Rural Life Museum. The museum preserves the culture of 18th- and 19th-century Louisiana and features multifaceted exhibits. Don't miss the opportunity to stroll through the 25-acre grounds, including the Windrush Gardens.

The Gueydan Museum & Cultural Arts Center houses a permanent collection of rare photographs and artifacts that tell the history of an area known for its rice farming and duck hunting. The museum also features changing art exhibits.  

A must-stop for any aesthete, the Zigler Art Museum features a newly renovated cultural center dedicated to art education and Louisiana artists, located in Jeff Davis Parish between Lake Charles and Lafayette.

Located in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, SUMA features African-American art from the permanent collection of Southern University in Baton Rouge. The museum is dedicated to maintaining a standard of excellence in the care and collection of art and artifacts.

The Mansfield Female College Museum, just 30 minutes from Shreveport, features much of the art, pottery and crafts produced by students, as well as an array of memorabilia.

Experience the history and production of TABASCO® on Avery Island, Louisiana. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the TABASCO® Museum, Pepper Greenhouse, Barrel Warehouse and more.

The Southern Forest Heritage Museum is a complex of historic buildings preserved from an old sawmill in the beautiful piney woods of Long Leaf, Louisiana. The area is also known for its significant contributions to World War II, and now houses an extensive collection of memorabilia from that time.

Located in Monroe, the Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum provides a safe, educational place where children of all ages can plan and learn through interactive exhibits. Exhibits include "The White House," "Baby Bayou," "Discovery Hospital" and more.

The Martin Homeplace is a rural life museum that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Transport yourself to 17th-century Columbia, Louisiana, and experience the period’s folklife customs and northern Louisiana lifestyles from the 1800s.

Housed in a historic railroad depot on the banks of the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum features fine art exhibits, interactive art and science galleries for children, an Ancient Egypt gallery and a planetarium with a rotating docket of shows.

Learn about the history and development of Louisiana! Most interestingly, a series of dioramas depict life and commerce in the region.

Monroe’s Masur Museum, the largest visual art museum in northeast Louisiana, presents temporary exhibitions ranging from Old Master prints to works by contemporary artists.

Since 1936, The Old Post Office Museum has been a staple of Franklin Parish life. The facility is largely in its original condition, down to gold post office boxes and hardwood floors.

All ages are encouraged to explore the world of math, science and technology at this interactive museum in Shreveport. Enjoy feature films in the IMAX Dome Theater, learn from hands-on exhibits and more.

Did you know Louisiana holds the last steam-powered municipal water plant in the country? This museum honors and preserves the first hydraulic equipment to provide the city with clean drinking water and fire-fighting water pressure.

Located in Bastrop, the Snyder Museum highlights local history through a genealogy exhibit, regional art displays and more. Stroll through the Garden Room, where a grand terrace, fountain and lush landscaped grounds inspire.

The Louisiana State Cotton Museum in Lake Providence honors one of the state's major economic players. Visitors get an inside peek into the past and present operations of cotton harvesting.

Bossier City's Krewe of Gemini Mardi Gras Museum features unforgettable glamor and glitz! Displays highlight elaborate costumes and parade floats that emphasize Louisiana's rich Mardi Gras history.

Located in the heart of Cajun Country, the museum pays homage to the legacy and heritage of Cajun people. Exhibits feature personal memorabilia like photographs, letters and postcards, as well as a genealogy section.

Ready to fly? Run by the United States Air Force, this aviation museum explores the history of the Barksdale Air Force Base, with displays featuring vintage aircraft from World War II and the Cold War.

Bayou Teche Museum in downtown New Iberia showcases the diverse blend of cultures, artists and industries that have developed this peaceful Louisiana town.

Explore the Italian heritage of Independence, Louisiana, through historical photos, family stories and artifacts that highlight the lasting impact of Italian immigrants on the region’s culture and traditions.

Located on Camp Beauregard in Pineville, this museum is housed in replica World War II barracks. The institution pays tribute to service members and civilians of Louisiana, particularly during the second World War.

Exhibits at the New Orleans Museum of Art range from world-class collectibles to modern and contemporary works and film screenings. Don’t miss the Sculpture Garden, which houses nearly 100 sculptures in a picturesque landscape.

Explore the American South through a Jewish lens. Through exhibits, collections and programs focused on the cultural history of southern Jewish people, gain a new appreciation for identity and acceptance at this museum in New Orleans.

The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, located at the site of the state's first licensed pharmacist, highlights past and present cures. Enjoy local oddities like voodoo potions, too.

Known for being a safe haven for enslaved African Americans (and later for having the largest population of free people of color), Opelousas is a microcosm of the American South: diverse communities shaped by the fight for freedom and equality.

In Rayne, celebrate Roberts Cove's rich German heritage — one of Louisiana's many foundational Acadian cultures. In October, enjoy German food, beer and folklore demonstrations at Germanfest.

Take a deep dive into Louisiana's Native American and European history. Exhibits also detail the industries that once made Louisiana the wealthiest southern state.

Explore Louisiana's political history and the events, beliefs and experiences that have shaped it. Thousands of artifacts at this Winnfield museum highlight politicians and their campaigns, including Earl Long's 1951 Chevrolet Sedan and Huey Long's dining room set.

Catch a glimpse of upper-class New Orleans life. Explore a mid-19th-century home emblematic of the city's most prosperous period.

Housed in an antique train depot, this museum highlights exhibits and collections which explore the lifestyles of early settlers in Eunice.

The E.D. White Historic Site in Thibodaux, built with hand-hewn cypress, details the lives of a father and son who became major political figures in the 19th century.

Envision the lives of a small group of German settlers in Minden, Louisiana, who built a robust faith-based community together.

Located near the French Quarter, this museum is also a research and publishing center. Exhibitions chronicle the lives of Louisiana artists and their works.

Le Musée de la Ville de Kaplan preserves the city's history and Cajun cultural heritage, with rotating art displays by local artists and thematic exhibits showcasing early 20th-century life in Kaplan.

Looking for a family-friendly museum? The Louisiana Children's Museum in New Orleans features immersive, interactive displays and fun programs designed to enrich little imaginations.

Honor past, present and future veterans at the Louisiana Military Museum in Abbeville, which explores the collective stories of Louisiana servicemen.

See an extensive faux Fabergé egg collection in Maurice, Louisiana. Colorful displays inspire, while works like eggshell-based evening bags highlight Louisiana's creative community.

Displays at this antique general store in Jennings, Louisiana, reimagine 19th-century shopping experiences, while the store's contemporary section offers rare goods for purchase.