Ogden Museum of Southern Art — Attraction in New Orleans

I LOVED my first visit to New Orleans Louisiana. It was everything they said it would be plus so much more. Although the vast of my experience was amazing, my trip to the Ogden Southern Art Museum was very disheartening and reminded me of the South long standing history with racism. We originally was going to attend the WWII museum but decided we would support the smaller museum since it was across the street and less ground to cover. Our LYFT driver warned us about "our kind "in that part of town but we did not heed the advice. As soon as we walked into the Art Museum we were greeted by the kind woman at the front desk 2/15/19 roughly around 2:30p and a security officer demanded our bags. We figured this was there company policy for some reason although the only bag I was carrying was my personal purse with my wallet, cell phone and personal items inside. I asked to retrieve my phone for photos and began checking out the art starting with the 5th Floor. I noticed instantly we were followed by security at EVERY TURN, on every floor it was very noticeable and uncomfortable. Here's the kicker!... I began to notice several other people walking around in peace without being followed with their HANDBAGS, BACKPACKS, PURSES etc. I asked my counterparts if they felt the negative energy surrounding us Black people simply attending a museum on their first trip to NOLA. By the 3rd floor, I walked downstairs requested my bags and we left. We did not view the entire museum because I refuse to feel like that on vacation. I mean what was we going to do? Killmonger the Art? Bottom line to my African American Readers, be mindful when visiting this place. Clearly the Southern Art museum isn't for our viewing and that's EXACTLY how left feeling.. UNWANTED. We spoke to the kind lady at the front desk, but it was clear she knew her role and stayed in "place" sort of speak. P.S I was AMAZED on how quickly security collected our personal items and then the same guard followed us to the 5th floor rooftop almost immediately. He was indeed the amazing spider man when we walked inside. Anyways please be mindful of this in the future. I will post the photos I took of people walking around with their belongings alongside the very small handbag I was...

While visiting New Orleans, my daughter and I stopped by the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and it was an absolute highlight of our trip. Staying at the Hilton Riverside, we found it an easy, flat, 20-minute walk to the museum.

The admission price was very reasonable at $15 for adults and just $7 for kids/teens up to 17. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, suggesting we start on the 5th floor and work our way down. This was great advice—giving us a wonderful perspective and made the experience feel cohesive and well-paced.

The exhibits were thoughtfully curated, showcasing a fantastic mix of Southern art, culture, and history and diverse exhibit showcasing everything from traditional paintings to modern art installations.

The architecture of the museum is stunning—bright, airy, and thoughtfully designed. The open layout, with views across all levels, added to the experience, making it both visually striking and easy to navigate.

Whether you’re an art enthusiast or just looking for something memorable to do in New Orleans, this museum is a must-visit....

It was a bit smaller than I was advertised. Claims to be the largest collection of Southern art. There are technically really 3 floors of art, as the 1st is not decked out artistically, & the 2nd is off-limits to non-staff.

My favorite floor was the 5th, which held the most whimsical & visually stunning art. Not much of the art had placards explaining the pieces so my time passed a lot faster than I would've liked. A few had placards talking about the artists' backgrounds, but I'm more interested in the art on display than the artists' schooling. Especially when it came to the abstract art - it was hard to place a feeling to untitled bits of wire.

I spent less than an hour there looking around. It's worth a glance, but like I've unfortunately discovered about most of New Orleans, doesn't really live up...