Museum of Death New Orleans
4.1(7.6K)google
3.2(442)yelp
QuirkyIndoorEerie & Haunted
Overview
Museum of Death is a museum with locations on Selma Ave in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. It was established in June 1995 by J. D. Healy and Catherine Shultz with the museum's stated goal being "to make people happy to be alive." Originally founded in San Diego, the museum began as a hobby of Healy and Shultz in a building claimed to be the city's first mortuary. They would write to serial killers they were interested in, and then show off the artwork their pen pals had created once a year at a specialist show.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration1-2 hours
Best TimeGreat year-round, highly recommending weekday afternoons (1:00 PM - 3:50 PM), Monday through Thursday. As a highly macabre museum museum tracking true-crime relics, serial killer artwork, and antique autopsy instruments, space inside the atmospheric galleries is compact. Weekday visits ensure you avoid the large weekend tourist crush.
Getting ThereSituated at 227 Dauphine Street, just off Canal Street on the French Quarter fringe. Drivers must rely on paid commercial garages lining Canal Street. The optimal transit route is taking the Canal Streetcar directly to the Canal at Dauphine station, stepping off, and walking north on Dauphine Street for less than half a block (under 1 minute).
Travel Tips
- This private true-crime gallery exhibits authentic serial killer artifacts and graphic autopsy photos; unescorted minors under 16 are barred from entry.
- The museum operates strictly as a cashless business; entrance tickers must be purchased on-site via major credit/debit cards or tap payments.
- The layout features narrow, dim, audio-heavy corridors; a strict 100% no-photography rule is active, and lifting a camera triggers immediate physical ejection.
Reviews
Positive
- An absolute paradise for true-crime and macabre enthusiasts! It houses a vast collection of real serial killer letters, actual autopsy photos, and antique funeral tools, packing an intense visual punch.
- The documentation holds massive information depth, covering everything from ancient cannibalism to modern cult histories, revealing the history of death from a highly unique edge perspective.
- The location is fantastic, situated right in the French Quarter core for seamless walking access; its dark storefront is highly recognizable, perfect for a refreshing change of pace.
- The gift shop is brilliant, selling bizarre macabre-themed novelties, death-row art prints, and skull trinkets that you won't find anywhere else, making for highly unique tokens.
Heads up
- A severe warning is warranted: some of the graphic true-crime scene and autopsy photos are brutally bloody and stomach-churning, entirely unfriendly to kids or sensitive guests.
- Admission is quite pricey relative to the compact footprint; the layout consists of just a few narrow, interconnected rooms, and a casual walkthrough takes under 30 minutes, hurting its value.
- Due to copyright and privacy constraints, photography and video recording are strictly banned inside, which feels rigid and disappointing for tourists seeking holiday photos.
- The historic interior layout makes aisles narrow and cramped without accessible features; peak weekend crowds cause heavy congestion, leaving it stuffy with zero rest benches.