Mardi Gras World Museum in New Orleans

Mardi Gras is a colossal carnival that takes place annually in Louisiana. The last season's parade featured 54 processions and presented 1,061 moving platforms, 588 bands, and over 135,000 participants. The route spanned a total of 301 miles, with the procession taking to the streets for 204 hours. And naturally, the emergence of a museum dedicated to the festival was only a matter of time.

Museum Description

One thing to know in advance: this is not a museum — it's a warehouse workshop where floats are in the process of being completed and old props are stored. Take a tour through a labyrinth of props or visit a multimedia presentation to learn more about the festival's history. You can also watch artists diligently working on creating costumes. Before the tour, visitors are offered to try on authentic outfits. After the tour, guests are treated to a slice of king cake.

Mardi Gras World offers a glimpse at some of the vibrant floats and costumes used during New Orleans' famous celebration. The ticket purchase also includes a free shuttle from several locations downtown and in the French Quarter. There's no set pick-up time, so you'll need to call the museum when you're at one of the shuttle's meeting spots, and the bus will meet you there.

The History of the Mardi Gras Museum

Local artist Roy Kern spent years painting logos on cargo ships and barges, making a living during the challenging times of the Great Depression. Later on, he and his son Blaine built their first parade float for the Mardi Gras festival. When Blaine was unable to afford his mother's medical bills, he offered to paint a mural in the hospital. It caught the eye of a surgeon who was also a Mardi Gras enthusiast. The surgeon invited Blaine to design and build a parade float, which led to the official foundation of Kern Studios in 1947. One float led to another, and soon Blaine became the city's leading parade designer.

Blaine Kern played a pivotal role in the evolving parades of New Orleans. After numerous requests from the public, Kern decided to open his working studio to visitors. In 1984, the Mardi Gras World museum was created as a tourist attraction in New Orleans to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process. Today, the venue attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world each year.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Kern Studios and Mardi Gras World suffered significant wind damage. The Red Cross and the Salvation Army used the warehouse as a base to assist others who were more severely affected.

Tours of the Carnival Museum

A tour of Mardi Gras World gives you a firsthand look at what it takes to bring Mardi Gras to life year after year. You'll go through the hard work of planning the festival and visit Blaine Kern Studios — the workshop that has been creating breathtaking parade floats since 1947 for the festival and other parades around the world.

On the tour, you will be paired with a guide who will lead you through the vast studio where artists and architects work. You will learn about the history of this unique festive tradition to gain a deeper understanding of the real magic of Mardi Gras.

This New Orleans tour is an unforgettable experience. There are plenty of opportunities to take photos in front of the floats, with props, or in traditional Mardi Gras costumes, so don't forget to bring your camera and try the special king cake — a rare find in such places.