Old Ursuline Convent Museum
Photo: Photo by Infrogmation (talk) — CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Completed in 1752, the Old Ursuline Convent Museum showcases New Orleans’ rich history and the Catholic Church’s role, featuring permanent and changing exhibits.
Planning your visit
The Old Ursuline Convent, completed in 1752, is the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley and the only surviving structure from the French colonial period in New Orleans — it outlasted the fires of 1788 and 1794 that destroyed almost everything else in the Quarter.
The Ursuline sisters arrived in 1727 and ran the first school for girls in what became the United States, teaching enslaved and free women of colour alongside French colonists, and operating an orphanage and a hospital. That record is the museum's substance.
The building itself is the other half: French colonial construction, the cypress staircase salvaged from the earlier convent, and the formal garden.
St Mary's Church adjoins it, and the Archdiocesan collection of vestments, documents and religious art is displayed inside.
It stands on Chartres Street at the quieter end of the French Quarter. Allow an hour. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Old Ursuline Convent Museum?
Old Ursuline Convent Museum is in New Orleans, United States. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Old Ursuline Convent Museum?
Allow an hour. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Old Ursuline Convent Museum in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
