As of July 8, the Museum at the Old Ursuline Convent, the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley, has reopened its doors since being closed due to the pandemic. Constructed by French colonial engineers under the auspices of the crown, the convent was designed in 1745 and completed in 1752-1753. Over the centuries, this building has been a convent for the Ursuline nuns, a school, an archbishop’s residence, the archdiocesan central office, and a meeting place for the Louisiana legislature. Later, it served as a residence for priests, serving mainly the Italian community, and then housed the Archdiocesan Archives. Today, together with the St. Louis Cathedral and St. Mary’s Church, it forms the Catholic Cultural Heritage Center of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

According to the National Park Service, “This is the finest surviving example of French Colonial public architecture in the country, Louis XV in style, formal and symmetrical, with restrained ornament. It was constructed between 1748 and 1752 for nuns whose mission was to nurse the poor and teach young girls.”

The museum, located at 1112 Chartres Street (at the corner of Chartres and Ursulines) is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with the last admission at 1:15 p.m. General admission is $8 and $7 for seniors. There is a small discount for students and military. For more information, visit here.