New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum — Attraction in New Orleans

In hindsight, after reading these reviews, I’m glad my family was not able to get admitted to the museum.

But I do have QUITE the aggravating story to share with anyone who is considering visiting here.

My family was interested in learning about the local culture in New Orleans. Voodoo practices are a centerpiece of the history here. So we thought we’d check out the voodoo museum.

The first time we showed up around 11am. We were told by the attendant at the front desk that we couldn’t go in until 2:30, and the museum closes at 5:30. The front desk attendant was a little rude and off putting but we’re a family of very easy going people and a lot of us have worked service jobs so we didn’t think anything of it. We get that working with tourists can be stressful! No problem, there was plenty of other things to do in town.

The next day, we REALLY wanted to check out the museum. So my sister called and asked if we would need a reservation to make sure we could get in. We were told over the phone that no, it’s fine, we could head over and get in right away. Awesome!!! We walked to the voodoo museum and upon showing up, we were told that we couldn’t get in (again) until 2:30. One sentence later, we were told we could get in at 1:15, 30 minutes after we showed up. The front desk attendant was so rude with the way she phrased this that we felt uncomfortable and unwelcomed and decided to just skip the museum entirely.

I know any time you read a 1 star review you’re like, oh that’s just a person LOOKING to be mad. The workers were probably just rude as a reaction to how the customers were behaving. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine! But I can’t express this enough, my family was super chill, patient, and calm, and all of our very casual inquires were met with nasty vibes for absolutely no reason.

My biggest problem was with the attitude of the front desk worker we dealt with. From the brief glimpse we got in the gift shop, which is also the front entrance, I could feel that this place was not a genuine celebration of the culture of voodoo history. It is definitely a tourist trap, and not even a decent tourist trap. I NEVER leave bad reviews, but I had to go out of my way to leave this review because of how unpleasant this experience was. Once again, cannot be more glad that my family was not given the opportunity to drop any money here. I will now spend the rest of my energy looking for educational experiences that actually care about the subject matter they’re supposed...

save your money. me and my parents did the tour, which included a tour of the museum and a “walking tour” all about voodoo. turns out the “museum” is a cramped 2 room full of fake voodoo artifacts and a whole bunch of places to give offerings to these statues of “gods”. the whole place just looks thrown together and incredibly unprofessional. the tour guide, on the other hand, was the worst part. he kept us standing in the first room for 30 minutes preaching about christianity and talking more about himself than anything else. once we finally got outside, this man took us down the street and started explaining to us how “shotgun” houses work, and where they came from. after that, he started telling us about his favorite gumbo spot, of which he took us to and made us step inside to look at how cheap the menu is… what this has to do with voodoo, i have no idea. eventually he took us to to marie laveaus house, which isn’t even her house anymore?? they advertise seeing her actual house, but it’s just the “general location” her house was in. at this point, me and my family were already tired of this guy, as he kept making sexual innuendos, talking about his boss (aka his wife), and explaining the history of all of the buildings we passed. once we got to the armstrong national park, he was in full “black history” mode, showing us congo square and telling us how old the different oak trees were. the only genuine question i asked during the whole tour, he couldn’t even answer?? i thought the tour was going to go on for a while longer, since we were several blocks from the museum. however, he dropped what he was doing, started preaching about the importance of tipping (we gave him a tip, just so he would shut up), and told us the tour was over. granted, he asked us if we needed directions back, but we were too tired of this man at this point to willingly listen to him talk anymore. moral of the story, do not waste your money on this tourist trap. it is absolutely not worth any money. find something better to do...

“Ten Bucks to Meet the Loa? Bargain of the Afterlife.”

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be lovingly hexed by history, gently spooked by folklore, and spiritually side-eyed by a papier-mâché Baron Samedi, then friend, fork over your $10 and step into the spellbound shoebox that is the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum.

This place is small. Like, “blink and you’re communing with Marie Laveau’s ghost in the broom closet” small. But what it lacks in square footage, it makes up for in soul, layered, dusty, and delightfully unbothered by modern museum polish. It’s part shrine, part fever dream, part grandma’s attic if grandma practiced hoodoo and collected cursed dolls.

The exhibits? A glorious jumble of altars, gris-gris bags, chicken feet, and cryptic notes that may or may not be binding contracts with the spirit world. I tried to read one and accidentally promised my firstborn to a swamp deity named Earl. Worth it.

The vibe? Equal parts reverent and kitsch. You’ll learn about the real roots of Voodoo—its West African origins, its syncretic evolution, its misunderstood magic—and you’ll do it while standing next to a mannequin that looks like it moonlights as a jazz saxophonist in the French Quarter.

Staff? Chill. Like, “we know the spirits are watching, but we’re not gonna make a big deal about it” chill. They’ll answer your questions, point you toward the altar, and let you linger in the incense haze until you feel mildly possessed or deeply enlightened. Or both.

Final verdict: For the price of a sad airport sandwich, you get a portal into a world where mystery reigns, history hums, and every corner whispers, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, cher.” A must-visit for anyone who likes their museums with a side of mojo and a dash of...