Visit the New Orleans Mint, also known as the Old U.S. Mint, to see the inside of one of New Orleans’ most notable historic buildings. See local history and culture brought to life through the varied exhibits housed within the museum here. Learn about the building’s past life as a mint.
Stand outside the mint and admire the elegant white columns that mark this out as a product of the early 19th-century trend for buildings designed in the Greek Revival style. The mint was completed in 1835 and was designed by architect William Strickland, who was one of the U.S. leaders of the Greek Revival movement. The building’s history would be stormy, and the Civil War era would see it passed from Union to Confederate hands, then back again. The building has been a museum since 1981, when it opened to the public for the first time.
Today, the museum’s exhibits are very diverse. Explore the New Orleans Jazz exhibit to discover the city’s fascinating relationship with this very distinctive music genre, which was born right here on the city streets. See instruments once owned by some of jazz’s biggest stars and imagine their performances with the help of the photo gallery featuring images of iconic jazz shows.
Admire the handiwork of local craftspeople and art students who create across a wide range of forms, including pottery, metalwork and painting, in the Newcomb Pottery and Crafts area. In another compelling area of the museum, see Mississippi’s role in U.S. history beautifully laid out through photographs taken by National Geographic photographer Sam Abell. The exhibition was inspired by the 2002 National Geographic book The Mississippi and the Making of a Nation. In addition to these permanent attractions, the mint also features a range of regularly rotating temporary exhibitions.
One of the great things about the New Orleans Mint is that admission is free, making its exhibits accessible to all. Make time to visit when you are in the French Quarter. Its central location makes it easy to incorporate into a trip around the sights of this beautiful part of the city.
