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Art Lover's Guide to New Orleans


A New Orleans sculpture garden
Hi, I'm Madigan!

Madigan Talmage-Bowers is a writer based in Denver, Colorado. She has also lived in Italy, San Francisco, and New York City, where she studied media theory at the New School. She loves introducing her kids to ancient history, local art, hiking trails, and new foods on adventures around the globe.

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Hi, I'm Madigan!

Madigan Talmage-Bowers is a writer based in Denver, Colorado. She has also lived in Italy, San Francisco, and New York City, where she studied media theory at the New School. She loves introducing her kids to ancient history, local art, hiking trails, and new foods on adventures around the globe.

see more

A riot of color, music, and movement, New Orleans has inspired countless artists, from colonial architects and impressionist painters to mask makers and jazz musicians. Whether you’re in the mood for highbrow or carnivalesque, here are the top stops for an artsy exploration of the city. 

Degas House

Reflections on the water at Degas House.
Tranquil Degas House. | Photo Credit: Geza Kurka Photo Video / Shutterstock

French impressionist Edgar Degas spent a few inspiring months at this columned mansion on Esplanade Avenue, taking images of 19th-century New Orleans back to Europe and reigniting his career. Join a tour to hear the stories behind some of Degas’ most admired works and see the cramped garret room where he painted them. 

Longue Vue House and Gardens

The leafy drive leading up to Longue Vue House and Gardens in New Orleans.
The drive leading up to Longue Vue House and Gardens. | Photo Credit: Kathleen K. Parker / Shutterstok

The European-style gardens at this National Historic Landmark in New Orleans’ Lakeview neighborhood are a work of art themselves. Beyond the manicured shrubs and blooming fountains, the Longue Vue House is home to an impressive modern and op art collection featuring works by Kandinsky, Picasso, and Vasarely, plus rotating special exhibits. 

New Orleans Museum of Art

Outside the grand New Orleans Museum of Art.
Outside the New Orleans Museum of Art. | Photo Credit: Chuck Wagner / Shutterstock

If you need a break from the humidity and heat, duck into the air-conditioned galleries of NOMA, one of the top fine-arts museums in the American South. Browse the impressive French, Japanese, and African collections, or take a stroll beneath live oaks in the lakeside sculpture garden. 

Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World

An exhibit at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World.
Colorful Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World. | Photo Credit: Erica C / Tripadvisor

No matter when you visit New Orleans, you can see the colorful artistry of the city’s biggest party up close at this Mardi Gras museum and workshop. See extravagant costumes and watch craftspeople at work creating huge, papier-mâché floats and props for the next carnival parades.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

Mausoleums at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans.
Mausoleums at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. | Photo Credit: Page Light Studios / Shutterstock

While a graveyard might not be the first place you’d look for great art, this legendary New Orleans “City of the Dead” is one of the best places to admire the city’s unique above-ground burial style. Ornate tombs, family crypts, and carved stone memorials offer a fascinating glimpse of funerary art throughout the centuries (it’s been around since 1789). 

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See all New Orleans tours
665 tours & tickets
Things to do in New Orleans
See all things to do in New Orleans
Performers smile on the streets of New Orleans
Top 4 Spots for Culture Lovers in New Orleans