The 1850 House is part of the Louisiana State Museum and it is an important stop on any tour of New Orleans.& The museum is located on St. Ann Street in historic
Jackson Square in the
French Quarter of New Orleans.
As the name suggests, the building was built in 1850. It was built by the Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba. The row houses built on St. Ann and St. Peter streets by the Baroness served as elegant residences and fine shops for the people of New Orleans during the middle part of the 19th century.
Today, the house represents the illustrious Antebellum period in New Orleans. It is decorated with furnishings and art from the 1850 period. Specifically, it shows visitors a glimpse of middle class life during a very prosperous time for the city. You can see the upstairs quarters where the middle class owners lived in comfort and the downstairs quarters where the servants lived.
Visitors can take tours of the home with a docent or curator or they can take self guided tours. There are fact sheets that people can use on the self guided tours to learn as much as possible about this special property. The 1850 House is part of the larger Louisiana State Museum that operates many properties and exhibits in New Orleans and throughout the state of Louisiana. All of the properties of the Louisiana State Museum are worth taking in to learn more about this unique state. The Louisiana State Museum's gift shop is located in the 1850 House.
