The Louisiana Museum Foundation was founded in 1981 by a group of prominent citizens to provide financial support for the Louisiana State Museum. The Museum Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charitable organization whose mission is to administer funds and raise gifts, grants and contributions for the Museum. While the state of Louisiana pays for the Museum’s staffing and building maintenance, public programming — that key element which brings the collections and facilities alive — is primarily funded through efforts of the Foundation..
The Museum Foundation relies on memberships, events and grants to pay for our own expenses and to fund Museum programs and services such as exhibits; educational programs for school children, families and the general public; history workshops for teachers; concert, lecture and film series; museum receptions; programs to conserve and add to the Museum’s collections; and the Museum Endowment Fund. The Museum Foundation’s offices are in the heart of the French Quarter, in the historic Madame John’s Legacy.
The Louisiana State Museum was founded in 1906 by an act of the Louisiana State Legislature. It is a complex of national historic landmarks and newer facilities housing over a half million artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana’s legacy of historic events and cultural wealth. It is the largest caretaker and exhibitor of collections precious to Louisiana’s history and traditions.
The State Museum operates under the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. The State Museum maintains the following historic properties in New Orleans: The Cabildo; Presbytere; 1850 House; Old U.S. Mint; Lower Pontalba; Arsenal; Creole House; Jackson House; and Madame John’s Legacy. Five of these facilities are National Historic Landmarks. They are widely recognized historic treasures that are integral to Louisiana’s cultural heritage and identity. Outside of New Orleans and the French Quarter, the State Museum has the following properties: Louisiana State Museum-Baton Rouge; Louisiana State Museum – Patterson; and E. D. White Historic Site. The State Museum also has facilities in Thibodaux and Natchitoches.
The Louisiana Museum Foundation