Backstreet Cultural Museum – New Orleans, Louisiana - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

Backstreet Cultural Museum

New Orleans, Louisiana

The greatest collection of New Orleans masking and processional traditions covering everything from Baby Dolls to Skull and Bone gangs.  

View all photos
Courtesy of Backstreet Cultural Museum
Courtesy of Backstreet Cultural Museum
Courtesy of New Orleans & Company
Courtesy of Backstreet Cultural Museum
Courtesy of New Orleans & Company
Courtesy of New Orleans & Company
Courtesy of New Orleans & Company
Courtesy of New Orleans & Company
368
1380
Top Places in New Orleans
at night
The New Orleans Treehouse
New Orleans, Louisiana
House of Broel
New Orleans, Louisiana
Ruins of Fort Macomb
New Orleans, Louisiana
 See All

The Backstreet Cultural Museum holds the world’s most comprehensive collection related to New Orleans’ Black community-based masking and processional traditions, including the Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals, social aid and pleasure clubs, Baby Dolls, and Skull and Bone gangs.

The museum’s filmed records of over 500 events constitute the most cohesive archive documenting these cultural traditions. In addition to its permanent exhibits, the Backstreet Cultural Museum hosts public performances of music and dance, provides outreach programs, and creates an annual book, Keeping Jazz Funerals Alive, that chronicles the year’s jazz funerals. 

Overall, this is a great place to learn more about the Black community in New Orleans and their celebration traditions, including the Second Line, jazz funerals and Mardi Gras organizations.

 

Know Before You Go

The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10.00.

jazz black history museums and collections
Nearby
Treme's Petit Jazz Museum
0.14 miles
Wooden Quilt Doors
0.16 miles
Tomb of the Unknown Slave
0.23 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
New Orleans, Louisiana

Treme's Petit Jazz Museum

This museum tells a lively, personal, and wide-ranging history of jazz music.
A decorated entryway.
New Orleans, Louisiana

Wooden Quilt Doors

An artist weaves "wooden quilts" with scraps salvaged from his Katrina-damaged home in Tremé.
Tomb of the Unknown Slave
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tomb of the Unknown Slave

Made of giant chains and hung with shackles, this iron cross honors those unknowns who perished under American slavery.
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Faerie Playhouse

A pink cottage covered in hearts served as a haven and a resting place for LGBTQ activists.
Related Places
Georgetown, South Carolina

Gullah Museum

A unique museum that uses visual art and storytelling to reveal the hidden history of the Gullah Geechee and their African ancestors.
Kansas City, Missouri

Mutual Musicians Foundation

Soak in the soul of Kansas City at the oldest continually-operating jazz club in the country.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Site of Charlie’s Place

Once a safe haven for Black patrons and performers—including Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington—during the Jim Crow era, portions of this nightclub and motel have been restored to welcome a new kind of visitor.
Tacoma, Washington

Buffalo Soldiers Museum

Sharing the often-overlooked story of America's Black soldiers.
Appears in 1 List
Mardi Gras World
List

9 Places To Find Wonder And Whimsy In New Orleans

A family-friendly tour of marvelous and magical Crescent City culture.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web