Historic New Orleans Collection | Historic New Orleans Collection

A free history museum and research center devoted to the people, places, and traditions of New Orleans and the Gulf South.

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Hours & Location

Museum: 520 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA
Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

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Holiday Hours

Admission

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Stop by the front desk or reserve tickets online. Ticket covers admission to all exhibitions and certain daily programs.

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Museum: (504) 523-4662
Williams Research Center: (504) 598-7171
Mailing address: 533 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA, 70130

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Current Exhibitions

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Music & Musicians

New Orleans Musicians in Art: Selections from the Permanent Collection

November 4, 2025 to May 16, 2027

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Black and white photo of people in line for voting registration outside a building. Two men are seated near a Voting Applications sign, and several individuals are standing in line, some wearing hats and summer clothing.

The Civil Rights Movement

The Trail They Blazed

June 6, 2025 to June 7, 2026

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Illustration of a brown pelican perched on a branch with green leaves in the background. The bird has a long beak and distinctive brown, white, and yellow plumage. The botanical details add a naturalistic setting.

Land Loss & Climate Change

A Vanishing Bounty: Louisiana’s Coastal Environment and Culture

Ongoing

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French Quarter street scene showing at 710 Toulouse Street, and corner of shuttered building at 714 Toulouse, with a man walking along the street in the darkness, his shadow falling upon the wall. Shows cat beside colonnette supporting balcony, a street light, double doorway of the gateway, laundry hanging on second floor of 710 Toulouse, and ironwork balcony of 714 Toulouse. Shows partial view of balcony and building at corner of Toulouse and Royal Streets.

French Quarter Life

French Quarter Life: People and Places in the Vieux Carré

Ongoing

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Antique map of a city grid with detailed plots, streets, and buildings. It includes a compass rose and features ships sailing on the river at the bottom. The layout is intricate, showcasing a geometrically organized urban plan.

French Quarter Life

French Quarter Galleries

Ongoing

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Tours & Daily Programs

Get more out of your museum visit with a guided tour, Exhibition Shortcut, or daily program.

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A guide gestures towards a historical photograph on the wall while speaking to a man and a woman in a gallery setting. The wall has an exhibit description titled A Most Dreadful Visitation: Frederick Douglass and The 1887 Riot.

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Admission is Always Free 

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Latest News

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A view of Daniel Hammer being interviewed on "Out To Lunch" with Peter Ricchiuti.

WWNO: “It’s New Orleans: Out To Lunch” Hosts HNOC President & CEO

The popular podcast host Peter Ricchiuti dined with HNOC’s Daniel Hammer to discuss the role of museums in chronicling historical memory.

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A large, ornate church interior with a checkered floor and chandeliers. The pews are filled with people attending a service, facing an altar adorned with flags and artwork. The ceiling features intricate designs and paintings.

HNOC to Host 18th Annual Musical Louisiana Concert: “Echoes of Innovation”

The free concert will honor 19th-century composers and innovators at St. Louis Cathedral and features the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and special guests.

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A black and white photo shows Richard “King” Matthews leading the Avenue Steppers Marching Club at a second line parade in 1982.

Celebrate Black History with HNOC

Celebrate Black history all year long with blog posts, podcasts, collection highlights, and much more from the Historic New Orleans Collection.

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A historical museum exhibit features a large black-and-white photograph of an old prison building. In front, there is a wooden stock used for restraining prisoners, with openings for neck and wrists. The quote on the photo describes the harsh prison conditions.

Louisiana Weekly: HNOC Receives LEH Award for Louisiana Mass Incarceration Exhibit

Officials praised “Captive State” for addressing a difficult and often polarizing subject with scholarly depth while remaining accessible to a broad audience.

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Preproduction rendering of a scene from American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition, coming to HNOC on March 20, 2026.

Walter Isaacson: To Mark Our Country’s 250th Birthday, Let’s Look to Our Roots

In a letter to the editor for NOLA.com, the renowned historian and author cited HNOC’s upcoming exhibition as an opportunity for Americans to celebrate the historical milestone.

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Upcoming Events

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Wednesday

March 4, 2026

7:30–9 p.m.

Concert

Musical Louisiana 2026

Our award-winning Musical Louisiana concert series returns with a celebration of 19th-century Creole composers and innovators, presented in partnership with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Treme’s Petit Jazz Museum.

Concert

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Wednesday

March 11, 2026

4:30–7:30 p.m.

HNOC Ce Soir

HNOC Ce Soir: “A Vanishing Bounty”

Join us for an after-hours celebration of Louisiana’s coastal environment and culture inspired by HNOC’s “A Vanishing Bounty” exhibition.

HNOC Ce Soir

A vibrant courtyard at night, with warm lighting illuminating a two-story building. People are mingling on both levels, enjoying the open-air atmosphere. String lights add a festive touch to the elegant architecture.

Saturday

March 14, 2026

1–3 p.m.

Chess Club

2026 Chess Club Meeting

Join HNOC’s free, all-ages Chess Club to learn more about the game and help plan future gatherings and events.

Chess Club

A view of families taking part in HNOC's Chess Fest, hosted at the TEP Center in the 9th Ward of New Orleans.

Wednesday

March 18, 2026

6–7 p.m.

Lecture

Louisiana Landmarks Society Presents

Reimagining New Orleans: The Sketchbook of J. N. B. de Pouilly

The unrealized visions of a bold New Orleans architect are the focus of year’s Martha Robinson Lecture, presented by the Louisiana Landmarks Society.

Lecture

Detail from a sketch by Jacques Nicolas Bussière de Pouilly

Thursday

March 19, 2026

9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Members Only

Member Preview: “American Revolution”

HNOC members are invited to an early preview of “American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition.”

Members Only

Preproduction still from American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition showing Washington's Crossing of the Delaware River.

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Research & Collections

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410 Chartres Street

Visit the Williams Research Center

Explore centuries of Gulf South culture with unparalleled access to rare documents, art, and historic treasures. Stop in or browse our online catalog.

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Online Catalog

A historic brick building with tall, arched windows and ornate stone details. The facade features a central sign with engraved text. Large doors and lantern-style lights flank the entrance. The structure is framed by neighboring buildings.

From Our Holdings

Explore historic artifacts from HNOC’s vault.

Collection Highlights Collection Highlights

Collection highlights

Hugh Hefner Letter

The Playboy founder laments the effect of Jim Crow on his budding empire.

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A nun stands outside a building with three large arched windows. She is facing the windows, holding a book. The building is white with some visible plants and a tree on the right. The scene has a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.

Artist Archives

Mother St. Croix Photographs of Ursuline Convent

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Black and white portrait of Leigh Harris with short hair, resting their head on their hand. They are looking directly at the camera, wearing a dark top and a hoop earring. The background is split into light and dark sections.

Artist Archives

Leigh “Little Queenie” Harris Collection

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Recent Acquisitions

Death Notice for John Ward Gurley

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Rare Books & Periodicals

Mosquitoes

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A sepia-toned photograph of a formal St. Patricks Day dinner. Numerous men in tuxedos sit at round tables in a grand hall with ornate columns and drapes. The scene conveys a sense of elegance and celebration.

Manuscripts

Hugh McCloskey Papers

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A vintage sepia-toned photo of two women. The left woman, labeled Stormy, wears a dark strapless dress. The right woman, labeled Torchy, wears a white blouse and dark pants. They pose together affectionately, with their arms around each other.

Recent Acquisitions

Dorothea “Torchy” Wilde Papers

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A vintage military drum featuring an eagle with a U.S. shield, surrounded by stars and decorative elements. The drum has worn red and blue paint, with rope tensioning and wooden rims, showing signs of age and use.

Staff Picks

Jordan Noble Drum

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A sepia-toned vintage photograph of a man with curly dark hair and a mustache. He is dressed in a 19th-century suit with a double-breasted coat and bow tie. The image has an old, slightly worn appearance.

Recent Acquisitions

Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez Papers

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First Draft

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Stories from the Historic New Orleans Collection

First Draft

Who’s a Good Boy? These Pups from the Past

For as long as dogs have been domesticated, there have been dog lovers. The evidence runs throughout HNOC’s holdings.

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Poster featuring an illustration of a Catahoula Cur, the state dog of Louisiana.

FIRST DRAFT NEWSLETTER

New Orleans Stories,
Delivered to Your Inbox

History For Everyone

Dive into family friendly content and events at HNOC.

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Learn & Explore

2026 Student Writing Contest: “The Trail They Blazed”

Students address important civil rights issues facing America today and in the future, inspired by the HNOC exhibition The Trail They Blazed.

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Civil rights protesters march past a shopping center. A Dollar Store and Walgreens can be seen in the background.

Publishing

Explore our publications, from HNOC books to the First Draft blog.

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Books

Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration

by Eric Seiferth, Katherine Jolliff Dunn, and Kevin T. Harrell (curators) and Nick Weldon (editor)

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Shop & Relax

Two people browsing in a colorful bookstore filled with books, artwork, and decorative figures on display. One person flips through a book on a wooden table, while another examines books on a shelf in the background.

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The Shop

Our award-winning museum shop offers gifts by local artists, HNOC books, merchandise inspired by objects from our holdings, and much more.

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Three people sit around a small outdoor table, smiling and talking. One person holds a hot dog. A poster display is in the background along with potted plants and umbrellas.

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The Café

Relax and recharge while enjoying a coffee or pastry in our historic and picturesque Brulatour Courtyard.

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Donate & Support

End of Year Campaign

Support the Williams Research Center

HNOC’s Williams Research Center is a site for discovery—a place where everyone can find their story. Support continued free public access with a gift today.

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