The Cabildo New Orleans

One of the more interesting historic attractions in New Orleans is the site where the first Spanish Council, or Cabildo, met. The Cabildo, a building where the Spanish rulers gathered during their reign in the late 1700’s, has a distinctively Spanish colonial architecture. The premiere building in the history of New Orleans, it"s the location where the transfer of the Louisiana territory to the Americans took place in 1803 in a room overlooking the town square. One of the best historic attractions New Orleans offers, the Cabildo New Orleans is a great place to take the family to learn about Louisiana history.

The Cabildo New Orleans, situated in the French Quarter, later became a meeting place for the many changing city councils and eventually the seat of the Louisiana Supreme Court. Many battles over city politics and the handing down of legendary state supreme court cases happened here at the Cabildo New Orleans. In 1911 it became the home of the Louisiana State Museum, generally referred to as the Cabildo Museum.

The Cabildo Museum is one of the most interesting New Orleans attractions because of its collection of exhibits documenting the Native Americans who inhabited the region before the European Settlers arrived. You can find many fascinating illustrations and artifacts that outline the lives of these Louisiana ancestors. These artifacts of Native Americans in Louisiana make this one of the more special attractions New Orleans offers.

The next period the Cabildo Museum outlines is the Colonial period. This exhibit shows the time period covering the first European settlements in Louisiana. Here you will find the Iberville Stone, which marks the founding of the first French settlement in Louisiana, dated 1699. You can also find paintings of the explorer Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d"Iberville, who made the first settlement on the coast of Louisiana, as well as Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, the founder of New Orleans. Also on exhibit are the original plans for the building of the city of New Orleans.

The Cabildo New Orleans was the site of the signing of the Louisiana purchase and the room where this occurred has been reproduced, complete with paintings of those present and the furniture on display as it appeared on that day. One of the premiere historical attractions in New Orleans, a historical painting is on display, showing how the town square looked on the day the Americans raised their flag in 1803.

Other interesting exhibits of Louisiana history on display at the Cabildo Museum are artifacts from the Battle of New Orleans, where the Americans defeated the British, including the uniforms of Andrew Jackson’s troops. There is also information regarding the immigration of the many European nationalities like the Germans, the Irish and the freed black slaves from Santo Domingo in the late 1800’s. Other captivating artifacts show the trading of slaves, the victory of the Union, and the fall of slavery and the rise of prominent black leaders in New Orleans.

One of the better historical attractions in New Orleans, the Cabildo Museum is a place where you can find the history of Louisiana. No other attractions New Orleans boasts have such unusual artifacts on display like the blunderbuss, a popular form of musket from the 1700’s, along with a lock of Andrew Jackson’s hair and the death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte.