Visiting With Voodoo: The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
Voodoo is a travelling spirituality: it goes where its practitioners are found, where voodoo and gris-gris will root themselves into the area’s culture. New Orleans is an exciting world famous voodoo hub, buzzing with culture and nightlife ... If you know just where to go!
The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is a must-visit historical and cultural destination for thousands who pass through and live in New Orleans.
Voodoo is a spiritual direction that could still use some understanding for many people: if you’ve just found this page and never heard the word “voodoo” out of Hollywood context before, there’s a lot of history and culture available to help you learn.
“Voodoo” is actually a religion - an amalgamation of African spiritual rites and Catholicism. From Britanica.com:
Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), mystè (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. All these spirits are believed to live in a mythic land called Ginen, a cosmic “Africa.” The God of the Christian Bible is understood to be the creator of both the universe and the spirits; the spirits were made by God to help him govern humanity and the natural world.
The primary goal and activity of Vodou is to sevi lwa (“serve the spirits”)—to offer prayers and perform various devotional rites directed at God and particular spirits in return for health, protection, and favour.
The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is an important part of preserving this history: research and learning are encouraged for everyone who stops by.
Would you like to stop by and pay homage to Baron Samedi or Maman Brigitte?
Is there something that you’d like to know from an expert voodoo practitioner?
Heading to New Orleans? The Museum is a Must-See
First opened its doors in 1972, the museum is located in New Orlean’s historic French Quarter. It was founded by local artist Charles Massicot Gandolfo with his brother Jerry. Charles passed on February 27, 2001. Many locals and stories still refer to him as “Voodoo Charlie”. (Unintentionally writing this on the anniversary of his death in 2023, the writer has to wonder if any of Voodoo Charlie’s lingering eccentricity might have had anything to do with this coincidence of a hat-tip.) Easily accessible by local streetcars, the museum remains one of the most popular destinations in the area.
The French Quarter of New Orleans is filled with art, architecture, food, and culture. The Historic Voodoo Museum is the site of original voodoo art (yes, including the sigils you might want to see the most), and packs a lot into its intimate two-room setup.
It’s not just for serious practitioners of the art either. Anyone with an academic or casual interest in voodoo is going to love the visit. Visitors are encouraged to take a self-guided tour and museum walk: wanting to know more is exactly why you’re there! From the website:
A permanent staple in New Orleans, and a “must do” for visitors since 1972, This tour of the museum is a great place to visit with family or friends to explore inside the museum and learn about the rich culture that shapes this unique city. Once inside you can see historic voodoo relics, paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts.
Museum attractions extend somewhat beyond the doors. Visitors can also book a 2 hour guided walking tour of the museum and local areas related to voodoo, including a visit to the famous voodoo priestess Marie Laveau’s gravesite.
Voodoo practitioners and consultants are located close to the museum. If there’s anything you would like to know from an expert in the field, you can have a look at the museum’s practitioner catalogue.
