THE CABILDO

This building was built between 1795 and 1799 according to the plans of Gilberto Guillemard, who also designed the St. Louis Cathedral and the Presbytery. For many years, this building was the seat of the colonial government of New Orleans until 1853 and then the seat of the Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana. Spanish and French legislators and governors made laws behind these thick stone walls. Cabildo is Spanish for "council". In the past, it was not only the name of the place but also the people who worked there. One of the historic moments that took place in this place was the signing of the Louisiana Purchase (the cession of Louisiana from France to the United States) in 1803. The Cabildo became a museum at the turn of the last century and presents exhibits about Louisiana on three floors through documents, paintings and 3D objects from its rich collection.

The Arsenal (615 St. Peters Street, accessible from the Cabildo). The former Spanish prison was transformed in 1803 by the Americans who had taken power. The Louisiana Legion, which brought together the sons of good American and Creole families, installed its arsenal there. You can see its crest, symbolized by two crossed cannons above a pile of cannonballs, and its monogram in the wrought iron balustrade. The second floor hosts programs for school groups while temporary exhibitions are presented on the second floor.