Wonderful hidden history of the Mardi Gra indians

This is a MUST SEE when you come to NOLA! Hes 1 of the Ninth wards Katrina survivors & spoke up for the areas residents when people were ignoring them. Call before you go as the museum is in a small building behind his home. If youre coming for the Essence festival or a HBCU bowl game please support 1 of our own by stopping by. He gave me a Big 9 S & P club coconut!

It is a little difficult to write this review and only give two stars. If I was writing solely based on the service that Mr. Lewis is performing for the culture of the city, and the place that he holds in its esteem, I would give 5 stars. However, I have to write this review based on our experience as tourists who frequently visit New Orleans and who are very interested in its history and culture.Of course, this is not a typical museum, but is in Mr. Lewiss home that he graciously opens up to guests for just an optional donation. Overall though, we found our experience to be pretty disappointing. We were expecting to see a lot of artifacts, but also to be regaled with stories of personal experiences and history. Maybe we where just there on a bad day, but we were offered limited information, and exceptionally brief answers to questions. It is a very difficult museum to navigate without guidance, and we where left to just kind of stare at many artifacts that we did not know or understand the significance of. We left the museum with more questions than new information.A quick note about the Museums location. It is easy enough to get a cab there from other parts of the city, but very very difficult to get a cab back. There is a bus that runs down St. Claude Ave, but Im not sure about how frequently it runs. You can actually walk back to the Bywater by crossing the St. Claude Ave bridge on foot. It looks like pedestrians are not allowed, but if you follow the street to the right parallel to where the bridge begins there will eventually be a set of steps up to a pedestrian walkway. We felt perfectly safe walking during the day, but there is not really much around so it can at times be a little uncomfortable.Overall, although we are glad to have met Mr. Lewis and to have seen the museum, I cant say that we would go back or necessarily recommend this museum for most people visiting New Orleans.

I promise you that youve never been to a place quite like this. It was amazing to see this mans quest to preserve local history and culture.

A must see if you are into Mardi Gras Indian culture and history.

The preservation of culture was spot on. It was powerful seeing and feeling the history about a community from a community member. His beading work was . I highly recommend this experience to all.

Ronald is such a knowledge person about the history and culture of New Orleans. Hes so nice and approachable. Be prepared to learn a lot and see a lifetime worth of local history

Significant asset in the Ninth Ward, a lot of history preserved right there in the Ninth Ward

Fantastic seeing all that history and Ronald is an amazing human being.

GREAT PLACE TO VISIT AND MR RONALD LEWIS IS VERY HELPFUL

This is an absolutely incredible experience and a must see if you are interested in authentic New Orleans culture. The owner Ronald is an incredible man, as knowledgeable as he is generous. Call ahead to make an appointment between 10am-4pm and come with questions. No entrance fee but be sure to leave a donation to support this amazing collection of local artifacts.

Great artifacts from Mardi Gras Indian culture. Very informative and Mr Ronald Lewis was AMAZING!

Ronald had a lot of knowledge.

Interesting, definitely worth your time. This kind gentleman, Mr. Lewis, is a wealth of knowledge and wonderful life experiences.

Stopped here on a Confederacy of Cruisers bike tour which I also recommend. Ron was a really neat person to meet who has a really interesting collection of items surrounding New Orleans culture and his place in it. Definitely a major highlight of our trip.

Awesome history. A place everyone should visit in New Orleans

Great place to learn the history and to hear about it as well.

We enjoyed our visit to The House of Dance and Feathers. Mr. Lewiss expertise and dedication to his city is evident in his every word. Highly recommend!

I love my culture and Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Minnie... Love u guys!!!! For keeping our history alive

Its really good at learning the history of New Orleans.

Dat tha spot check tham out. My ppl

The authenticity of the culture and there rich history

Very educational!!!!A must place for the real history, words cant explain, if you are In for the real deal then make your way to this Historic place.

This place is a melting pot of Cultures

A must visit if you have any interest in the dancing Indians of New Orleans

More than amazing! Mr. Lewis & the House of Dance & Feathers was one of the many highlights of my trip to New Orleans. The stories and pride he shared with my friends & I about history & culture is very much appreciated.

This was a wonderfully personal experience. We had the opportunity to hear first hand accounts of Mardi Gras Indian history and more.

This was a cool NOLA experience, and must do for anyone desiring an authentic experience with down to earth native dont be deceived the lower 9th ward isnt scary at all its TRUE N.O.!

The curator is wonderful and full of history

Sweet and generous host...a must see...going back tommorow with cash for his book and a few shirts!

So full of history! Great place to visit and learn about the past.

Great place. .. Learned a lot. ...

The proprietor is the gatekeeper for the Northside Skull and Bones gang and also runs big nine social Aid and pleasure Club missed connections make him very knowledgeable about all of the Backstreet cultural happenings in the City of New Orleans. Inside the house of dance and Feathers is a good collection of Mardi Gras Indian suits and history of them and the Northside Skull and Bones gangas well. Its free to get in but donations are accepted.

Mr. Lewis is a very friendly gentleman with extensive knowledge of New Orleans tradition.

So wonderful to meet Ronald and see his years of spectacular work!

Greate experience! If you are in New Orleans I definitely recommend it

A lot of history. Enjoyed the experience

Hidden gem so lets keep it that way! I hope all visitors respect Ronalds property and legacy. He spent over an hour schooling us on the Mardi Gras Indians and various social clubs...WOW! Incredible experience! Anyone that meets him is a lucky soul!

Its not the slickest museum around but it is a comprehensive and fascinating archive of the Mardi Grad Indians and Skull and Bones maskers. We had a great chart with the owner who told us plenty of his own mardi gras stories. Its definitely worth the drive.

A great collection of mardi gras Indian memorabilia. The owner/curator is very friendly and enjoys sharing his collection.

You can get a beautiful visual picture of the New Orleans Indian Legacy.

The spirit of Nola rest inside this wonderful man and his home.

An amazing personal story by an amazing man, Ronald Lewis, on the culture of New Orleans, Mardi Gras and the Mardi Gras Indians. A hidden gem for which he deserves a big donation for his efforts. Cant beat a personal tour of New Orleans culture. And this was after he was flooded by Katrina.

The intimate connection with the neighborhood is unavoidable. Your guide is a legend. Take a moment. Youll be glad you did.

HOME Sweet HOME

Not much organisef

A treasure of history!

Great

More to see

Amazing

Awesome place

Historical

Friendly and kind

I love a historic home tour