Beautiful wedding reception. Delicious food. Excellent drinks. Wonderful staff. Lots of rooms filled with beautiful memorabilia and history. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Quick tour of Hurricane Katrina exhibit (still emotional) and Mardi Gras exhibit. Definitely recommend.

The exhibit is easy and quick to get through. The Katrina exhibit was poignant and hard to watch, but important for those who havent really dived into the effects of Katrina. Very eye opening and allows you to respect the sense of community New Orleans can offer.

Informative but lacking. The Mardi Gras section was more about parades than the actual event.

To go see and learn what New Orleans is all about was a great learning experience! Seeing the disaster of what Hurricane Katrina did and how the community had to come together was very moving! I teared up a little bit. Then learning all of the excitement that Mardi Gras is and how it came about was so much fun! Everything on display was beautiful! Educational and fun for anyone.

Great place to visit, soak up the culture, see the devistating effects of hurricane Katrina. Mardi Grai exhibits! Inexpensive!

Interesting exhibits about Hurricane Katrinas impact in New Orleans and the annual Mardi Gras celebration, and located right in the center of the French Quarter. The main highlight of the museum was definitely the costumes on display on the second floor. Also, its a nice cool place to duck into for an hour or so to get out of the sun.

The history of Mardi gras comes to life with amazing costumes and artifacts from the past as you walk thru the gallery on the 2nd floor but before you get to see this amazing site your walk on the 1st floor takes you into one of the darkest moments in New Orleans that happened a few years ago Katrina! You see the effect and hear the horror as people and city went thru those days prior and During and after the hurricane.

The Marti Gras exhibit is more...uplifting than the hurricane one downstairs.

Expected more than a “six ways to Sunday” display of Hurricane Katrina plus some Mardi Gras stuff. With all this Katrina paraphernalia here I sure hope the local and state politicians get their act together and design/construct what needs to be built, and have a plan in place for the next major hurricane.

This place is definitely interesting. It talks about hurricane Katrina which I have heard of but never knew much about along with other historical information about New Orleans. They had a lot of research put into this and plenty of pictures and video footage. I think this a fun place to go if your into historical events.

2 very interesting exhibitions. Hurricane Katrina and Beyond on the first floor. And Mardi Gras on the 2nd floor.

I was so moved by the content on the Katrina floor. I read each and every captioned piece and was so captivated. The artifacts of the destruction were gut wrenching, and gave me and entirely new perspective of the events. I was so young when it happened, that I didnt grasp the concept of the mass devastation. The Presbetere displayed the facts; personal stories, telecasts, and gave an explanation to why it happened. Such an incredible experience.And upstairs is where the party happened. I learned all about the origins of Mardi Gras and fun facts. Beautiful displays!

Cool museum detailing the impact of Hurricane Katrina & the history of Mardi Gras

Great exhibits on Mardi Gras and Katrina

The display is currently split into two segments. Downstairs is an excellent overview of Hurricane Katrina, with numerous artifacts to illustrate the horrendous impact and suffering . Upstairs youll get a fun look at Mardi Gras and come to understand the meaning and significance of the costumes and events. Well curated and a must visit site.

If you want to better understand the situation that was Hurrican Katrina, this is the place. There is an entire room dedicated to the inefficiencies of the government, scientific warnings, first-hand accounts and admittals that people underestimated the severity of the storm. A humbling educational experience and opportunity for reflection follower by the history of Mardi Gras and Zulu. The entry fee is $6 for adults. No food allowed inside. Bathrooms on-site. Mardi Gras exhibit is upstairs but there is an elevator for handicap access.

The hurricane Katrina exhibit was amazing and sad. I had Goosebumps walking through, trying to imagine the horrors those people went through. The Mardi Gras exhibit was informative and beautiful. It was fun to learn the history of such an iconic celebration.

Loved the Katrina exhibit. Sooo many lives affected.Mardi Gras exhibit was interesting with lots to look at.Beautiful building to be in.

Beautiful building with lots of historic values.

I thought the price for admission was well worth it. Adults pay $6 each and kids get in for free. The first floor is dedicated to the Hurricane Katrina tragedy with lots of interactive booths to help educate about the effects of the storm and efforts being put in place to avoid a similar occurrence. The 2end floor meanwhile is a Mardi Gras exhibit showcasing elaborate costumes and other paraphernalia used during the parades. I love the pictures I was able to take on this exhibit. Made me feel like I got a taste of Mardi Gras without the chaos involved.

This famous and striking building dates back to 1791, and was built on a site that formerly housed Capuchin monks. It was created in the colonial Spanish architectural style, with many neo-Renaissance elements. The building housed the Louisiana Supreme Court for a time, and now is owned by the Louisiana State Museum, becoming a National Historical Landmark in 1970. It stands facing Jackson Square, next to the St. Louis Cathedral.The Presbytère now houses two permanent exhibits for the Louisiana State Museum. The two exhibits capture the duality of New Orleans - joy and suffering, or as the museum literature describes it, celebration and resilience.The first floor is dedicated to the experience of Hurricane Katrina, presenting all sorts of artifacts, recreations, and multimedia tools to bring that tragic experience to vivid life. Its extremely well-done. Theres a lot of important history and science combined with personal stories and contemporary accounts. This exhibit is not overly political, by the way, and while it is straight-forward in discussing issues of loss and grief, it is not pessimistic, either. There are stories of courage and survival in the midst of so much devastation that are heartening and even inspiring.The second floor offers a complete change of pace, as it is devoted to Mardi Gras. There are masks and costumes and even entire floats, there are beads and buttons and noisemakers. And there are historical pamphlets, photographs, music, artwork, and posters. The rich history of the Mardi Gras tradition is here in many different permutations. Its slightly bizarre and altogether fun.The first floor exhibit is called, Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond. The second floors is Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana. If the exhibit on the first floor is sad (and it is, and should be) the second floor offers a tonic, a tasty. fizzy restorative. The two displays together offer a special sense of completeness to visitors. Its a kind of balance drawn from the unique character of New Orleans, but its also universal and will be appreciated by everyone.

Very moving exhibit that walls you through Katrina and other devastating Hurricanes. Upstairs is a very impressive Mardi Gras collection. Definitely worth a visit whilst in NOLA

One of my favourite stops from the trip to New Orleans. Beautiful building, inside and out. Great dual exhibits on Katrina and Mardi Gras - two very important events to the city. Sad, happy, educational. I thought the whole thing was really well done, and inexpensive too. Highly recommended for a stop off when youre strolling the French Quarter.

Its only $6 which is not much, but... You may also still spend it better. Two exhibitions, Hurricane Katrina and Mardi Gras. It was nice to be in the AC so I didnt mind walking around and reading/looking (this is end of July), but definitely wouldnt be my first choice otherwise.

Interesting experience,it was very insightful in to the the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.

The best! gone at least 4 times. Take everyone who comes to NOLA with me there

Small but interesting.

Beautiful cathedral, over 280 years of worship there

Great museum, both the good and bad in hurricane Katrina and Mardi gras, so interesting! And cheap!!

Very interesting place. Lots to see. Easily spent 4 hours here and couldve been longer. Great exhibit on Katrina.

The Hurricane Katrina exhibit on the ground floor is educational and moving. The Mardi Gras exhibit on the second floor is flamboyant and fun. Allow at least an hour and a half.

We visited both the Presbytère and Capildo and my preferred museum was the Presbytère but that likely depends on the exhibits. The exhibits when we visited in Feb 2018 were Hurricane Katrina-an excellent mix of photographs, video, interviews, and diagrams which explained all the events and circumstances. The other exhibit was Mardi Gras which was going on during our visit. Once again, the mixed media, wonderful displays of Queens crowns, costumes, and explanations about every one of the customs. Well worth the visit and I would recommend getting the ticket for both museums. The Capildo has the Battle of New Orleans and some New Orleans history. Both were very good and fans of military history (like my husband) will find them fascinating. They are renovating (Capildo) right now so will likely have another good exhibit when done.

Katrina exhibit was incredible. Especially loved room were different displays had actual residents talking about their experience. Better than any tour offered!

Lots of interesting b information on the Mardi Gras and past hurricanes

A hidden gem. Takes about an hour but definitely worth a visit if you have the time

His museum is a MUST for anyone looking to learn more about either Mardi Grais or the impact of hurricanes on New a Orleans.... or anyone who wants to be completely absorbed in history in a air conditioned beautiful building for a few hours :) Absolutely beautiful displays and interactive, sensational videos— make sure you bring Kleenex.

Well worth the price of admission. Lots of interactive and informative exhibits, and such amazing costumes on display. Also nice A/C when you are a little too warm, and clean bathrooms.

Interesting lower level showcasing Hurricane Katrina and why it had such an impact to this area. Neat upstairs dedicated to mardi gras. Staff not very friendly. Which seemed to be a common occurence in NOLA.

Great displays on both Katrina and Mardi Gras!

Well explanation about Hurricane Katrina and Mardi Gras

Great museum. Really nice Mardi Gras exhibits. Fun place. Great history lessons.

It’s supposed to be a Church Zone but anything goes!!

Very moving exhibit. Brings you right there... How bad it got. Why the levees failed.

I just moved to Louisiana & I felt this museum really helped me understand the history and culture of New Orleans! It was so detailed and beauitful, I literally cried because Im just so proud of the people here after seeing the exhibits..Super interesting & its cheap but definitely worth it for someone interested.

Wonderful museum about Katrina on the 1st floor and about Mardi Gras and beautiful costumes, crowns, septers, movies...etc

Very informative and nice to walk around! You can see the Katrina exhibit below, the Mardi Gras exhibit on the second floor. The costumes were so cool to see!!! If you go, get the pass to see the Cabildo as well to save a few bucks :)

This museum consists of two topics: first floor is Hurricane Katrina, second floor is Mardi Gras. Both were quite interesting but I personally found all the outfits and customs about Mardi Gras very entertaining. Besides samples of the outrageous costumes, there are interesting areas about cross dressing and customs in the rural areas (riding a horse while wearing full costume and standing is def. impressive).Admission price was $7 as of Sept 25, 2019 which was quite reasonable. (Note, there are a handful of related museums in the area, and if you plan to visit the others during the same day (only same day) at the entrance if you buy the tickets for other places you will get 20% discount on the other tickets (but you must buy them together)).

Great exhibit on Katrina and Mardi Gras

Beautiful building and very informative exposees on Katrina and Mardi Grass.

Definitely captures the shock and horror of Katrina. I was traumatized by this exhibit. People need to see it. The Mardi Gras exhibit upstairs was a welcome relief that explains why people stay. A large portion is dedicated to Gay Mardi Gras, which has a long and interesting history. There is also a great section on Cajun Mardi Gras, which is completely different from the New Orleans experience. Be sure to check out the fantastic view of Jackson Square. It would be nicer if they would wash the windows. Then go out to the Square and listen to the brass bands.

The Presbyteres Hurricane Katrina Museum does a great job showcasing the horror and helplessness that New Orleanians felt during and after the storm. It also showcases the selfless work done to help victims of the storm. Its contrasted with an exhibit on Mardi Gras parade groups, which doesnt exactly relate, but lets you see both sides of a complex city. Both exhibits are high-quality and worth seeing!

I cried through the entire Katrina tour. I didnt realize that it still haunts me as if it just happened. They were helpless and we were helpless trying to get to them. I have at least 3 neighboring houses that had to come to Houston to rebuild their entire lives when they went back to nothing after the storm. Entire families moved here after the clean up and we brave hurricanes together with better planning.

Beautiful museum full of history with a cheap admission price. This is an excellent stop to make if you are history buffs or just interested in NOLA history. I went to the Katrina exhibit and the NOLA history exhibits but found it to be a little boring for my taste. I prefer a more interactive experience. They had one room with a lot of interactive exhibits which was great but the rest felt lacking.

Too much Katrina info that was repetitive, Mardi gras collection was interesting but path through it was confusing and frankly boring.

On a recent trip to New Orleans, we visited several French Quarter museums and found this one to be the best. The first floor is a sobering history of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The second floor is the history of Mardis Gras. Both must-sees for visitors who want to understand the modern city of New Orleans. Well worth the small admission fee. Id say that if you only do one museum in the French Quarter, you should do this one.

If you are lucky they are open but most of the time they are closed

Excellent Katrina and hurricane displays and very informative. Very worthwhile and youll be glad you visited.

Located at the end of Jackson Square they have 2 continuous exhibits one on Hurricane Katrina and the other on Mardi Gras. Expect to spend about 2 hours going through the entire place. Admission is very reasonable.

This museum has all the cultural highlights of this city, Katrina and Parade. The exhibits of Katrina are well organized and very informative. The admissions for college students with student id is $5.

The Presbytere museum is right on Jackson Square and has two brilliant exhibits which were both really well done.The first is on Hurricane Katrina which gave so much information through literature, video and audio which really tells the story of how terrible this hurricane was and how it affected the city and so many people. It was very moving and hard to take in and imagine at times. Very emotional especially the video at the end.The second exhibit was on Mardi Gras and had gave a great overview of the history and what the Mardi Gras is all about. There are some beautiful costumes on display and some great pictures of Mardi Gras from years gone by. Looks and amazing festival and must be so much fun to be part of.The tickets were cheap and it was not very crowded so we could move round easily at our own pace.

Great place to learn about the hurricanes that have hit New Orleans and all that goes with Mardi Gras.

This museum in Jackson Square has a powerful exhibit on the main floor about hurricanes - including the impacts, causes and emergency response. Its informative and it helped me get insight into the impacts of Hurricane Katrina as well as planning for and dealing with other hurricanes and natural disasters. On the second floor, there is an exhibit on Mardi Gras. We didnt enjoy this exhibit as much and it was a bit emotionally confusing to go from the intensity of hurricanes to the celebratory nature of Mardi Gras. Id recommend a visit here focused on the hurricane exhibit. Its worth the $6 price of admission.

A very nice, historic building to visit. I got in with a student discount, which was nice. The exhibit on Hurricane Katrina is quite powerful, and I found myself looking over it for over an hour. The Mardi Gras exhibit on the second floor is colorful and eye-catching. Lots of grand, elaborate dresses, crowns, scepters, and other accessories on display.

The Katrina exhibit was amazing! Highly recommend

I came to this museum mostly for the Katrina exhibit and it is nicely displayed, very moving. I spent a few hours in here, but I like to read every little thing. The Mardi Gras exhibit upstairs gives a good history on it from the start. They also have a discount if you’re visiting multiple state museums! I would definitely recommend.

For $6 for adults and $5 Students/Military/Seniors (children under 12 are free), you get two exhibitions. Living With Hurricanes - Katrina and Beyond, exploring the historical love/hate relationship between New Orleans and water, the hurricane itself, the engineering problems that exacerbated it, and the citys subsequent recovery.On the second floor, youll see Mardi Gras: Its Carnival Time in Louisiana, full of the rich history of the parades, costumes, and culture of this yearly spectacle and how its celebrated not only in New Orleans but across the state.

A fun little museum for New Orleans and a recommended see. Well done history of hurricane Katrina on the bottom floor with a quite well done display and history of Mardi Gras upstairs. Worth a visit for a first time visitor to the city, but keep in mind this is quite a bit smaller than many museums and clearly done the best as could be done with limited resources made available, so four stars.

Very active area theres street merchant selling random things. Street performers and alot of shop around. Always exercise caution not to get ripped off by any merchants or people complimenting you randomly (Theyre trying to shine your shoes and get money off you)

Great exhibits about Katrina and about Mardi Gras. Extremely well done, tons of explanations. It really puts both the hurricane and the holiday into perspective. Highly recommended.

Interesting exhibit but could of been put together better. If you’re looking to cool down for a hour,reasonably priced and in the middle of the city this is your place

The Katrina and Mardi Gras museums were both very informative. Enjoyed myself

Super cool Katrina & Mardi Gras museum.

This State Museum is first-rate! The ground floor is devoted to Hurricane Katrina. There are static displays, artifacts, pictures and video stations. You cant help but leave with the feeling that there wasnt a disaster plan and poor blacks were the victims. The second floor celebrates Mardis Gras. It is a thorough history communicated with lots of colourful displays. If you cant make it to the real thing, try this as a substitute.

The exhibit on Katrina was really well put together and told a cohesive story that really helped me understand the city better. The Mardi Gras exhibit was more haphazard.

It really was a good place to let your child have some wholesome fun.

Beautiful cathedral, over 280 years of worship there

We went through the Katrina exhibit and it opened my eyes to exactly what the people of New Orleans went through. Very well put together with multimedia displays and props. I highly recommend it if you have a few days to spend in the city.

Amazing museum exhibits. Great information.

Not really worth your time. The portion about Hurricane Katrina is pretty poorly done. Feels like a museum exhibit created as part of a high school senior project. Considering the vast amount of first-hand information/media available the exhibit should be much better. New Orleans deserves better. The Mardi Gras portion is better but a little disorganized.

Good overview of Katrina storm and all about Marni Gras. Should be on your lists of things to see when visiting NOLA.

Wow. This is one of those museums that is interesting, fascinating, and kind of depressing in a way.The museum displays the flood and aftermath of Katrina.The name is one of those that you dont have to say what it is. When you hear Katrina, you instantly think of New Orleans and the devastating flood.There are salvaged items, video, news reports, interviews, pictures and all kinds of reminders of this natural disaster. It knocked the city down, but not out. Shows the fight and resiliency of its residents, and the support from all over the country.I would encourage you to go. Itll take about 1 to 1.5 hours to go through.

Little short to visit but cheap and well done

Super interesting museum. If youre interested in the history of Katrina and Mardi Gras then this is the place for you.

Interesting little museum with more to offer than I expected. Definitely worth a visit.

Historic Mardi Gras and hurricane museum.

The Mardi Gras museum on the 2nd floor is very detailed about the traditions surrounding Mardi Gras with several costume pieces on display. I think it is a must see cultural experience for such an affordable price. The Katrina museum on the bottom floor is very factual about the timeline leading up to it and what was learned to prevent such failures in hurricane safety in the future, but it fails to really go into the details of what happened during the storm... only a few testimonials and photos. It could definitely be expanded upon, but perhaps they prefer to focus less on the awful aftermath that occurred and look towards a more positive future.

Around 2 hours of great history about Mardi gras and then hurricane Katrina. Good for anyone curious about NOLA history. Affordable at about $6 per adult, well worth the cost.

Excellent Mardi Gras exhibit on second floor.

One of several state museums on Jackson Square. Worth a visit.

This place was neat if you want to learn a lot about Mardi Gras and all the different festivals in the city. The downside is that I found the part about Katrina to be very short with not a lot to do. The information they had was good but I would not go a second time.

A nice place to spend time on a rainy or hot day. The Katrina exhibit was most definitely emotionally difficult, but I feel that learning about what happened is an important part of visiting New Orleans. Fortunately, the second floor will cheer you up with the Mardi Gras exhibit; I feel like it was put there on purpose to ensure we dont all leave the place completely depressed.

If while in NOLA you only have time to visit one museum then visit the Presbytere. This little gem is located in the French Quarter (across the street from where the Louisiana Purchase was signed) and is home to two exhibits that answer all the questions you never knew you had about the origins of Mardi Gras and the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. Admission is cheaper than the price of a stiff geaux drink from Bourbon Street and there is air conditioning too!

A poignant Katrina exhibit followed by a dreamy Mardi Gras extravaganza upstairs. Plan on spending a couple of hours soaking it all in.

Great musuem on Louisiana history and super cheap!

Its was worth the $6. but that is about all. No pictures/maps of the actual damages of Katrina. The Mardi Gras displays were ok, nothing exciting.

Visited this museum on a recent tip to NOLA!! The 1st floor is about hurricanes, with special emphasis on Katrina. The 2nd floor is about Mardi Gras. I learned so much & saw so many treasures from Mardi Gras past. Deeply rooted in New Orleans history. Located behind Jackson Square. Always people mingling outside. Multiple sights to see at this historical New Orleans museum.

Nice museum. Thought the Katrina exhibit could include more but still informative.

Ive never expressed emotions at an exhibit, in a museum, until I visited here. The exhibits curator did an excellent job illustrating the raw emotions, pain, and devestation of Hurricane Katrina. It has a few #kidfriendly demonstrations but the Katrina exhibit isnt comprehendible by young children. The Mardi Gras exhibit on the other hand is perfect for children. Ill always remember this experience and carry it with me forever! #Letsguide

If youre looking for a moving exhibition, the Hurricane Katrina exhibit brought home the suffering that people experienced during and after the storm. I was close to tears during the exhibit.The Mardi Gras exhibit was a much needed reprieve from the sadness of the other exhibit and displayed the dichotomy of the town-- from great suffering to a giant party with a load of history.