Attraction
The National WWII Museum
A large campus of pavilions in the Warehouse District telling the American story of the Second World War, with restored aircraft, immersive films and a submarine…
New Orleans Museum of Art
NOMA is the city's oldest fine arts museum, set in City Park with a broad collection and the free Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden behind it.
At a glance
- Type
- Art museum
- Area
- City Park, New Orleans, United States
- Opening
- Open 6 days a week (closed Monday)
- Official site
- noma.org
Good to know
- Free sculpture garden
- Café
- Museum shop
- Free parking
- Step-free entrances
- Free for under-20s
Why we recommend it
The New Orleans Museum of Art, usually called NOMA, is the city's oldest fine arts institution. It opened in City Park in December 1911 as the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art, and it has been extended since, including an education wing in the early 1970s and a major expansion in 1993. The collection now runs to more than 40,000 objects covering around 5,000 years, which makes it a broad museum rather than a specialist one.
French art is a particular strength, and the museum has a special link to Edgar Degas, who lived in New Orleans in 1871 and 1872 and painted works there that the museum holds. Elsewhere you will find European and American painting, a large photography collection of more than 12,000 works, glass and ceramics, Japanese painting, African art, and art from the Americas before and after European contact. Special exhibitions change through the year, so check what is on before you go.
Behind the museum, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden spreads across 11.5 acres of lagoons, bridges, live oaks, pines and magnolias, with more than 90 modern and contemporary sculptures along a walking trail. It is free and open seven days a week, from 10am to 6pm between April and September and 10am to 5pm between October and March. The garden is a good option on a Monday, when the museum itself is closed.
The museum opens Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm, and Wednesday from noon to 7pm. It is closed on Mondays and on several holidays, including Mardi Gras and Lundi Gras, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Visitors aged 19 and under get in free, and Louisiana residents have free general admission on Wednesdays. Allow two hours for the galleries and another hour for the garden.
Accessible entrances are on both sides of the building, near Café NOMA and the museum shop, and accessible parking is at the front, while general parking is free on Lelong Drive and nearby streets in the park. The Canal-City Park streetcar line ends at Wisner Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, a short walk away, and several bus routes stop nearby. Combine your visit with a walk around Big Lake or the rest of City Park.
New Orleans Museum of Art FAQs
When is NOMA open?
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm, and Wednesday from noon to 7pm. It is closed on Mondays.
Is the sculpture garden free?
Yes. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free and open daily, until 6pm from April to September and 5pm from October to March.
Are there free admission options?
Visitors aged 19 and under go free, and Louisiana residents get free general admission on Wednesdays.
Is there parking?
Yes. Parking is free on Lelong Drive and the surrounding streets in City Park, with accessible spaces at the front.
How do I get there by streetcar?
Take the Canal-City Park streetcar line to the end at Wisner Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, then walk a few minutes.
Is there a café?
Yes. Café NOMA is beside one of the accessible entrances.
How long should I allow?
About two hours for the museum and another hour for the sculpture garden.