Free Museums in Metairie

"Originally named the National D-Day Museum, and located in New Orleans because the flat bottomed Higgins boats used in the invasion were made here, this museum is a must see for every history buff. Besides extensive and interactive exhibits on the Pacific and European theaters, the museum includes a special section on the Normandy Invasion and thousands of three-dimensional artifacts representative of the war years both at home and overseas. December 2014 marks the opening of the newest Pavilion, Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters, and the Road to Berlin exhibit.From the "Steel Pot" helmet to the impressive Sherman tank, the Museum's artifacts bring the people and places of World War II into sharp focus."

"The National WWII Museum is an outstanding museum with engaging exhibits and documentary snippets that tell the history of WWII as it was fought in Europe and in the Pacific. The museum is divided into three sections, with one section devoted to the war in the Pacific, another devoted to the war in Europe, and a third building that houses WWII aircraft. A film entitled Beyond All Boundaries, produced and narrated by Tom Hanks, is shown in the 4D Theater, with chairs that rumble as tanks go by on the screen, and stage props that turn the film into a full on sensory experience."

"This vast and still-expanding museum is a moving and well-executed examination of World War II events and its aftermath. Seminal moments…"

"A must-see on most visitors’ New Orleans itineraries, and deservedly so. The building itself, set back in City Park, is imposing and grand with its alabaster walls and Greco-Roman columns. There's also a beautiful five-acre sculpture garden, with artwork beneath magnolias and Spanish moss-laden live oaks."

"Founded in 1966, The Historic New Orleans Collection has two campuses: one on Royal Street and the other on Chartres Street. Its Royal Street campus has a permanent gallery on Louisiana history; a hall for rotating exhibitions; and house museum called the Williams Residence—which, according to the THNOC, “is the only French Quarter house open to the public with its original furnishings.”. Its Chartres Street campus holds the Williams Research Center, the Boyd Cruise gallery, and thousands of historic artifacts that encapsulate life New Orleans over the last 300 years."

"The whole state of Louisiana is overflowing with culture – and the Historic New Orleans Collection paints a wide-reaching picture of its titular city’s. The “Collection” is a museum, first opened in 1966, that is dedicated to collecting a wide range of exhibits showcasing the culture, history, and artistic tastes of the region. The museum’s collected pieces were first owned by General Lewis Kemper Williams and Leila Hardy Moore Williams, who purchased the Merieult House that the Collection now lives in back in 1938."

"This collection will see it’s new home, designed by Waggoner and Ball, open in the fall of 2018. The design includes a restoration of 200-year-old Spanish Colonial structure, the Seignouret-Brulatour House, with an addition to provide gallery space. With a careful eye towards renovation and education, the team used conservators and archaeologists to simultaneously preserve and exhibit the treasured French Quarter building."

"Located in a French Quarter building where the nation’s first licensed pharmacist, Louis J. Dufilho, Jr., lived and practiced in the 1800s, the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is a time-travel extravaganza. You can visit independently, but the insightful (and included with admission) 1 p.m. tour on weekdays is worthwhile to hear about medicine’s fascinating, unsterilized history and to eyeball some seriously iffy relics, like lead syringes, bottles once filled with opium-based teething formulas, strychnine-laced cosmetics, and over-the-counter heroin; plus, here’s your chance to view a pig’s-rib toothbrush and a calcified goat’s hairball."

"The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is located in the former home and apothecary of the first licensed pharmacist in the United States, Louis J. Dufilho, Jr. Here you will be able to view an extensive collection of apothecary jars with original ingredients, medical instruments, prosthetic devices, surgical tools and more. You will also learn about Dufilho whose work played a vital role in promoting public health."

"The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is one of the best of this Louisiana city’s tourist attractions. It’s a fascinating and rather unusual sort of museum, which makes it all the more intriguing. Located in the French Quarter and housed within an old two-story building, the museum exhibits a huge range of healthcare and pharmacy-related memorabilia."

"The Whitney Plantation House is meant to be the best one which doesn’t just focus on the mansion and owners but instead focuses on slavery and is turned into a slavery museum, with the money benefitting descendants of slaves (from what I’m told). I am really bummed I didn’t go here – I thought they might be unethical, then Sam talked to some locals who said this place was legit and totally a do-not-miss. Something to do on the next trip."

"The Whitney plantation is the first American museum dedicated to slavery. It has records of memoirs from literate slaves and their experiences. The Whitney plantation focuses on the institution of slavery. The Laura plantation is a creole owned plantation whereby the family tell the history of the their generation."

"Whitney Plantation, on the other hand, focuses on slavery and what life was like for the slaves living on the plantation. There are personal narratives and exhibits of the slaves who lived on the plantation which can certainly be more emotional but important history to understand nevertheless."

"A Victorian-style mansion with old south design and distinct luxurious charm, it is now used for weddings, as a museum, and also to host frog farm exhibits. With so many things under its belt, it’s hard to imagine that the House of Broel isn’t among the main attractions of New Orleans. The house is named after Bonnie Broel, an ordained minister, a Polish Countess, and the Dollhouse Museum curator."

"House of Broel is an opulent 19th century mansion located in one of New Orleans’ most picturesque neighborhoods, the Garden District. Owner Bonnie Broel has turned her home into an in-demand wedding destination that offers brides and grooms some of the best Southern charm that New Orleans has to offer. For casual visitors, House of Broel offers an off-the-beaten-path gem: a doll museum."

"If you like arts and culture, you might enjoy a trip to the New Orleans Museum of Arts aka NOMA. Here you’ll find art work from famous artists like Picasso, Joan Miro, Georgia O’ Keffe, and also some local Louisiana artists. The art exhibition are divided into arts from different regions of the world. NOMA has a nice cafe, a cute garden to enjoy a picnic and a lake behind to kayak."

"Located in the center of City Park is NOMA, New Orleans Museum of Art which the building itself is beautiful holding a permanent fine art collection of over 40,000 pieces. We will be checking this out on our next trip as well!"

"Gracing the main entrance to City Park since 1911, this traditional fine-arts museum draws from classic Greek architecture, with several…"

"Louisiana's Civil War Museum, formerly known as the Confederate Museum, is one of the largest repositories of Confederacy-related artifacts and memorabilia in the United States. Housed in a stone Romanesque-style building, this is the oldest museum in Louisiana. The Confederate Memorial Hall Museum opened to the public in 1891 and today houses the second largest Civil War collection in the world."

"What kind of ammunition and instruments did they use against one another?. The Confederate Memorial Hall commemorates the American Civil War by keeping a preserved exhibition of all the materials involved. Here you will get a chance to learn about all of the battles, trials, and about each person that played a vital role in the Civil War."

"Louisiana’s Civil War Museum opened in 1891, making it the oldest operating museum in Louisiana. It is also known as the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum. Here, you’ll find a large collection of historical artifacts from the Civil War."

"Elmwood Shopping Center in Harahan is over 1 million square feet, making it one of the largest open-air shopping centers in Louisiana and one of the highest performing regional shopping centers in the United States. Elmwood’s tenant anchors include Home Depot, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Hobby Lobby, Best Buy, Office Max, Petsmart, DSW, Ulta, Old Navy, Cost Plus World Market and Michael’s Arts and Crafts."

"Elmwood isn't an enclosed mall, but a sprawling outdoor collection of department stores, boutiques, big box retailers and more. Some of the big names holding court are Best Buy, Big Lots, World Market, Old Navy, Ulta and Marshall's. As you drive from place to place, there are tons of national and regionally based food places for you to grab a quick bite."

"Jazz at Jazz Playhouse & Explore Frenchman Street If you want that jazz club experience, then check out the Jazz Playhouse inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel around 8 PM. From here you can either hang out on Bourbon Street but if you really want to see where the locals go, hop into an Uber and go up to Frenchman Street late into the night. These bars are the place to be: Snug Harbor, d.b.a., The Spotted Cat, Apple Barrel, The Blue Nile and Maison."

"Frenchman Street is just a few blocks away from Bourbon Street but it seems like an entirely different world. The daiquiri stands and “huge ass beer” signs are replaced by jazz clubs and spontaneous street performances. If you’re in the mood for live music then you’ll almost certainly find something to your liking here."

"Frenchmen Street is a famous location in the 7th Ward of New Orleans and is best known for the three-block section in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood."

"The Shops at Jax Brewery, located in what once was the largest independent brewery in the South built in 1891, combine a riverfront location with a portfolio of national and local brands including Chico's and Gumbo Kids. The property has four floors of shops, cafes and boutiques, with the top floor offering some pretty spectacular views of the city. A few of the shops offer witty screen print t-shirts with local sayings and attractions that are sure to be a hit."

"The Shops at Jax Brewery are located in an architecturally striking 19th-century former beer brewing facility - opened in 1891, the Brewery was the largest independent brewery in the south. The property has four floors of shops, cafes and boutiques, with the top floor offering some pretty spectacular views of the city. A few of the shops offer child and adult-themed screen print items of local witticisms and attractions that are sure to be a hit."

"Coffee came to European markets via the Middle East in the 1600s. Then it arrived in North America by way of European settlement, and it appears that its first point of entry may very well have been none other than New Orleans!. The French — who often used a unique coffee/chicory mix — brought it here in approximately 1720."

"After venturing out into the Central Business District, I had a hard time focusing at Pulp and Grind. With its limited seating options, I was lucky enough to cop a bar stool and order myself and iced vanilla latte and a cheddar, ham, and sriracha bagel bomb. Even though the food and drinks were unreal (not to mention, they have a huge fridge stocked with fresh and energizing juices), it was a little too loud and crammed for my liking."

"Lizardi rolls are egg rolls filled with cabbage, crabmeat, shrimp and crawfish seasoned with Asian and Cajun spices and served with sweet chili sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat."

"At Paris Parker Salon and Spa they devote themselves to their guests’ unique needs by listening to understand, then providing the service, experience and results that revitalize the true essence of every person they touch."

"Massage Envy provides massage, skin care and total body stretch services which are an integral part of total body wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Keep your body working with Massage Envy. Schedule an appointment today!"