New Orleans Mardi Gras Museums

There’s more to Mardi Gras than Bourbon Street and beads. An originally French tradition specific to Christianity, Mardi Gras and Carnival season represent a time of merriment before the penitential days of Lent. Since the first New Orleans parade in 1857, Mardi Gras has “survived world wars, yellow fever epidemics and political uprisings because man’s need to celebrate is universal and unstoppable,” says Arthur Hardy, a nationally recognized authority on Mardi Gras and a fifth generation New Orleanian. Discover this and more on Mardi Gras’ unique history at these convenient locations.

(Sponsored listings appear first in yellow)

The Backstreet Cultural Museum
1116 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116 [Map It]
(504) 522-4806
www.backstreetmuseum.org

Neighborhood: Treme
Attraction Type/s: Museum

Description: At The Backstreet Cultural Museum, visitors can find an amazing assortment of memorabilia indigenous to Mardi Gras, jazz funerals and other traditions found only in New Orleans. The museum houses the city’s largest collection of brilliantly colored and elaborately designed Mardi Gras Indian costumes hand made by local artisans costing upwards of $10,000 a piece. In this simple setting, the museum also houses an enormous collection of still photos and video footage of Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals and second lines.

Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World
1380 Port of New Orleans Pl., New Orleans, LA 70114 [Map It]
(504) 361-7821, (800) 362-8213
www.mardigrasworld.com

Neighborhood: Uptown/Garden District
Attraction Type/s: Museum

Description: Take a guided tour of our World. Mardi Gras World. Where you might be surprised by almost anything you can imagine. View our exclusive, historic Mardi Gras video. Marvel at the artistry and technology of our signature mega-floats. Enjoy King Cake and refreshments with our compliments. Come peek behind the curtain and see magic come alive. You'll leave with an insider's appreciation of Mardi Gras. This is the one New Orleans experience you'll never forget, no matter how many parades you've seen. Mardi Gras World. Magical memories. A priceless gift for the whole family.

The Presbytere
751 Chartres St., Jackson Square, New Orleans, LA 70116 [Map It]
(504) 568-6968, (800) 568-6968
lsm.crt.state.la.us

Neighborhood: French Quarter
Attraction Type/s: Museum

Description: The Presbytere houses an elaborate and exquisite collection of Mardi Gras artifacts and memorabilia. The story of New Orleans’ extraordinary Mardi Gras tradition is dynamically told in a high-tech, interactive, permanent exhibition titled "Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana." The exhibit traces the celebration from its ancient origins to the 19th century emergence of New Orleans’ parades and balls to the present-day celebration that attracts millions of visitors each year.