The Presbytere

Gilberto Guillemard designed it in 1791 to mirror the Cabildo on the cathedral's other side — same roofline, same mansard tower — but it took decades to finish. By 1798 only the first floor stood. The second floor wasn't complete until 1813. Built on the site of the Capuchin friars' former residence, it was called the Casa Curial and intended to house clergy. It never did. The building went commercial until 1834, when the Louisiana Supreme Court moved in. Cathedral officials sold it to the city in 1853. The city sold it to the state in 1908. It became part of the Louisiana State Museum in 1911. A mansard roof was added in 1847. The cupola vanished in the 1915 hurricane and was restored in 2005, ninety years later. The first floor now holds a comprehensive Mardi Gras exhibition with a full-size krewe float you can climb into. The second floor is 'Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond,' one of the most powerful museum exhibitions in the South. The Katrina exhibit includes a rebuilt attic replicating the conditions residents faced while awaiting rescue. Go stand in that room. You'll understand why New Orleans is the way it is. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10am to 4:30pm. Admission charged; combo ticket available with the Cabildo.