Adult Resources

The museum offers a wide range of live programs and classes, as well as virtual tours and activities for visitors of all ages. Find more information about upcoming programs and online resources below.

Virtual Exhibition Tours

In these virtual tours, museum curators and local artists will take you behind the scenes of current and past exhibitions at the Louisiana State Museum! You’ll learn more about the artifacts on display and hear from experts Louisiana history and culture. You can find more virtual field trips designed specifically for students on the Students and Teachers page.

Le Ker Creole Exhibit

Le Ker Creole: Runaway Slaves, Music and Memory in Louisiana

This tour with guest curators Rachel Breunlin and Bruce Sunpie Barnes takes viewers through the recent exhibition Le Kèr Creole (The Creole Heart): Runaway Slaves, Music, and Memory in Louisiana, which was on display at the Cabildo through Fall 2020.

Beading with the Big Chief Exhibit on display

Beading with the Big Chief

Big Chief Darryl Montana takes viewers through the recent exhibition, Beading with the Big Chief, which was on display at the Cabildo through Fall 2020. This exhibition showcased student work from our recent beading course for adults over the age of 55+ taught by the Big Chief.

Drumsville on display

Drumsville!: Evolution of the New Orleans Beat

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes tour of Drumsville!: Evolution of the New Orleans Beat at the New Orleans Jazz Museum with music curator David Kunian and master drummer Luther Gray! Learn more about the roots of drumming in Congo Square to contemporary jazz and funk.

Grand Illusions on Display

Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival in New Orleans

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes tour of Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival in New Orleans with curator Wayne Phillips! Learn more about the rich history of gay krewes and elaborate costumes on display and see historic footage of past carnival balls.

Programs & Events

The Museum offers regular public programs that highlight the history, art, and culture of Louisiana, including lectures, performances, tours, and artmaking. For safety reasons, these programs are currently offered in virtual formats. Find more information about upcoming programs on the museum’s Event Calendar. For information about programs offered through Friends of the Cabildo, visit FriendsoftheCabildo.org and to view past programs check out the links below.

Creole Genealogies Logo

Creole Genealogies: Critical Histories and Art Practices, August 20, 2020

In conjunction with recent exhibition Le Kèr Creole (The Creole Heart): Runaway Slaves, Music, and Memory in Louisiana, cocurator Rachel Breunlin hosted a virtual evening of art, music, and poetry with artists and scholars.

Jockomo Logo

Second Thursday Lecture: Jockomo: The Native Roots of Mardi Gras Indians, November 12, 2020

Author Shane Lief and photographer John McCusker discussed their recent book, Jockomo: The Native Roots of Mardi Gras Indians, which celebrates the transcendent experience of Mardi Gras, encompassing both ancient and current traditions of New Orleans.

Spiritualism in Nineteenth Century New Orleans book cover

Second Thursday Lecture: Spiritualism in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans, October 8, 2020

Author Melissa Daggett discussed her book, Spiritualism in Nineteenth Century New Orleans: The Life and Times of Henry Louis Rey, which explores the legacy of Spiritualism in New Orleans and specifically of Rey, as Creole of color who was a key civil rights activist, author, and Civil War and Reconstruction leader.

Virtual Evening with Sarah M Broom Book cover

Virtual Evening with Sarah M. Broom, Author of The Yellow House, September 24, 2020

During this program, author Sarah M. Broom discussed her award-winning book The Yellow House with historian Leslie M. Harris. The Yellow House centers around Broom’s childhood home, a yellow shotgun house in New Orleans East.

Words Whispered in Water Book cover

Second Thursday Lecture: Words Whispered in Water with Sandy Rosenthal, September 10, 2020

Sandy Rosenthal, founder of Levees.og, discussed her recent book, Words Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke During Hurricane Katrina. As a citizen investigator in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, she set out to expose the preexisting failures in the levees system.

Walking Raddy book cover

Second Thursday Lecture: Walking Raddy with Kim Vaz-Deville August 13, 2020

Kim Vaz-Dille, joined by Merline Kimble and Cinnamon Black, discussed her recent book, Walking Raddy: the Baby Dolls of New Orleans, which highlights the lasting and evolving of Baby Dolls on the cultural landscape of New Orleans.

Classes

The museum offers multi-session courses in art making, such as beading, drumming, and printmaking, for adults. Through Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums grant, funded by Aroha Philanthropies, we offer 8+ week long, free courses for adults over the age of 55. Find out more about upcoming classes on the Events Calendar. For more information on classes offered through Friends of the Cabildo, please visit Friendsofthecabildo.org.

Find more activities for all ages on our family page!