New Orleans Museum of Art

The New Orleans Museum of Art is a fine art museum located inside New Orleans City Park; it dates to the early 20th century and serves as the principal art museum for the city. The site is notable for its permanent collection and a major outdoor sculpture garden on the same grounds.

The museum displays collections of European and American painting, decorative arts and non-Western objects across its galleries in the main building. The adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden covers about 11 acres and features over 60 large-scale outdoor sculptures along landscaped paths.

The institution was established in the early 1900s with philanthropic support and has grown through added galleries and acquisitions across the 20th century. The sculpture garden was developed later to expand the museum’s public-program footprint in City Park.

The museum sits within City Park in New Orleans, at the park’s core cultural complex, making it accessible from downtown and residential neighborhoods by car or public transport.

• Best time to visit: The outdoor sculpture garden is a separate ticketed or timed area in peak season and is especially good in late afternoon light for photography.
• Access: Located within City Park, the museum is easy to combine with other park attractions and is a short drive from downtown New Orleans.

What to See #

• Besthoff Sculpture Garden: An 11-acre outdoor sculpture garden on the museum grounds that contains more than 60 works by international artists and open-path landscaping.
• Main building: The museum's main building, housing rotating temporary exhibitions alongside its permanent collection of European, American and non-Western art.