Art and nature in harmony
NOMA is committed to the health and safety of our community. Please see safety guidelines below.
Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.
Open seven days a week
Summer Hours (April–September) 10 am–6 pm | Winter Hours (October–March) 10 am–5 pm
Wheelchairs may be used throughout our barrier-free property and are available upon request.
Image: Elyn Zimmerman’s Mississippi Meanders bridge is illuminated at dusk.
The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden occupies approximately eleven acres in City Park adjacent to the museum. Atypical of most sculpture gardens, this garden is located within a mature existing landscape of pines, magnolias, and live oaks surrounding two lagoons. The garden design creates outdoor viewing spaces within this picturesque landscape. Originally conceived in 2003, the Sculpture Garden doubled in size in 2019 and has grown to include more than 90 sculptures. READ MORE
Sydney and Walda Besthoff are the namesake visionary founders behind a world-renowned sculpture garden for New Orleans.
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Architects, landscape architects, lighting designers, and arborists were among the contractors who made it all possible.
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See highlights of the Sculpture Garden in a virtual tour produced in partnership with the Google Arts & Culture Initiative.
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You can play a role in the historic expansion of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden by making a gift to support the project.
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Relive the excitement of the grand opening of the Besthoff Sculpture Garden expansion in May 2019.
WATCH
Bronze
Pablo Casals’s Obelisk, a towering accumulation of welded bronze cellos, dominates the waters of a lagoon in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Standing over twenty feet tall, the Obelisk, built in homage to the world-renowned Spanish-Puerto Rican cellist and human rights activist Pablo Casals, is an imposing example of monumental sculpture by French-born artist Arman.
The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art offers detailed entries on 64 artworks in the original 2003 garden, as well as a bibliography and overview of the garden’s founding. 192 pages, hardcover. Edited by Miranda Lash. $49.95
NOMA membership: the gift for everyone on your list ✅️🏛️🎁
Did you know you can gift a NOMA membership? Our members get access to great benefits all year round, including:
🏛️ Free admission and access to @neworleansmuseumofart`s galleries and exhibitions throughout the year
🎟️ Discounted ticket prices for events and programs including LOVE in the Garden, the Producer`s Choice Film Series, NOMA at Night, Studio KIDS! workshops, wellness classes in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, and more
✨️ Access to members-only events such as exhibition previews, member mornings, and more
🛍️ A 10% discount in the NOMA Museum Shop online and in-person
Plus, members at certain levels receive reciprocal membership privileges at museums and art institutions across North America.
🔗 See all membership tiers and benefits, or gift a NOMA membership today at the link in our bio
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📸: @katkimballphoto
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Sag, it`s your season in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at @neworleansmuseumofart ♐️🏹❤️🔥
Welcome in a new season of optimism and curiosity now through December 21 with your fellow Sagittarians! Associated with the ancient Greek myth of Chiron`s wounding by Hercules`s poison arrow, the fire sign Sagittarius seeks unique solutions to any challenges set in their path, inspiring bravery and boldness within us as the winter months draw closer.
These freedom-loving warriors deserve a little treat—and what`s a better treat than an autumn stroll through our collection of 100 outdoor sculptures?
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📸: @dinojagger (slide 3); @bdclt (slide 4)
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Ever wondered what happens in the time between exhibitions in the Ella West Freeman gallery on @neworleansmuseumofart’s first floor?
This video shows just how much the gallery space was transformed between the exhibitions “New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations”and “Dawoud Bey: Elegy” this year.
From safely deinstalling artworks and display devices (including platforms), to repainting and reorganizing the gallery’s highly unique modular wall system, and much more, transitioning from one exhibition on view to the next is an intensive process that requires lots of coordination among the museum’s teams.
Next time you visit the museum, think of just how many Ella West Freeman gallery transformations you’ve seen! And be sure to check out the incredible exhibition “Elegy” before it leaves NOMA on January 4, 2026.
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MUSEUM STORE SUNDAY: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30th 🛍️🏛️🩵
On Sunday, 11/30, celebrate Museum Store Sunday at NOMA Museum Shop (@neworleansmuseumofart) and The Shop at The Collection (@shop_hnoc)! Both shops will be offering special discounts for shoppers, including:
➡️ The Shop at the Collection: 20% off ALL HNOC in-house publications (in-person and online)
➡️ NOMA Museum Shop: 15% off (20% for members) on ALL regular priced merchandise, FREE tote bag with purchases of $100+ (in-person only)
Museum store purchases directly support our museums by funding exhibitions, programming, and conservation efforts. Don`t miss out on this opportunity to shop great deals while supporting local arts institutions!
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Earlier this month, Susan M. Taylor, Montine McDaniel Freeman Director of @neworleansmuseumofart, was appointed to the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. This prestigious distinction recognizes her and the museum`s contributions to arts and culture, as well as their commitment to strengthening bonds with France 🇫🇷
Thank you to the Honorable Rodolphe Sambou, Consul General of France in Louisiana (@franceinlouisiana), for the presentation of this honor.
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📸: @wayanbarre
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THIS WEEK AT NOMA 🗞️🏛️💫
Check out some of this week`s upcoming programs and events at @neworleansmuseumofart:
➡️ Wed, 11/19 at 5:30 PM | Elders Sacred Talk Series, featuring Big Chief Tyrone Casby and Beverly Stanton McKenna
➡️ Thurs, 11/20 at 5 PM: | “Here in This Place”: Developing Place-Based Awareness through Land and Labor Acknowledgements conversation and Q&A with Sherry Parfait, Solomon Matthews, and Queen Mother Sula
➡️ Sat, 11/22 at 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM | Studio KIDS!: Painting Like Matisse youth art-making workshops (10:30 AM for ages 6-10; 12:30 PM for ages 11-14)
🔗 Sign up for regular updates and check out the full list of this week’s events at the links in our bio.
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We’re making continual changes to bring all of our engaging digital offerings to the forefront of our website. We invite you to keep coming back for new content and exciting updates!
Discover artworks, collections, and stories in a digital format from NOMA like never before.
