Old Ursuline Convent Museum

A museum in the French Quarter housed in an 18th-century former convent, presenting the history of New Orleans and the Catholic Church.

1112 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 70116 · New Orleans, LA

About Old Ursuline Convent Museum

The museum occupies a building that was finished in the 1750s and is described as the oldest structure in the Mississippi River Valley. It was built for the Ursuline nuns, who used it as a convent, orphanage, and girls' school until 1824. Over time the building also served as a meeting place for the Louisiana Legislature, a residence for archbishops, and an archdiocesan archive. Visitors can explore permanent and rotating exhibits on the city's history and the role of the Catholic Church, and can take self-guided or docent-led tours. The building is part of the Catholic Cultural Center of New Orleans.

#French Quarter
#colonial architecture
#Catholic history
#Ursuline nuns
#self-guided tours

What's around here?

The closest stops to Old Ursuline Convent Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Tours
Outdoor Adventure
Cajun Encounters Swamp Tours
$25–$50
Swamp boat tours near New Orleans with sightings of alligators and cypress forest wildlife.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Right next doorSwitch it up: Tours
Shopping
Iconic
French Market
No admission fee
Browse the flea market, craft stalls and food stands of a French Quarter market district that dates to 1791.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Right next doorSwitch it up: Shopping
Eat & Drink
Foodie Favorite
Central Grocery
Under $25
An old-fashioned French Quarter Italian grocery where you order the original muffuletta at the back counter or take olive salad home.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Steps awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink
Museums
Madame John's Legacy
Check prices
An 1788 French colonial house in the French Quarter, operated as a house museum by the Louisiana State Museum.
Steps awayMore like this
Museums
Quirky Fun
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
Under $25
Step into two dim French Quarter rooms crowded with altars, gris-gris and Haitian sequin flags, or join a walking tour to Congo Square and Marie Laveau sites.
Steps awayMore like this
Museums
Quirky Fun
New Orleans Storyville Museum
$25–$50
French Quarter museum with immersive exhibits on New Orleans vice history and the Storyville red-light district.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.6 mi awayMore like this