At 514 Chartres Street in the French Quarter, the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum occupies the former shop of Louis J. Dufilho Jr., the first licensed pharmacist in the United States. Its two floors trace changing ideas about medicine through apothecary bottles, surgical instruments, patent remedies and other objects from earlier healthcare. A guided tour adds stories that connect the displays; you can also explore at your own pace. The courtyard preserves a quieter part of the historic site, with a garden of botanical and herbal plants.
The apothecary on Chartres Street
The museum is housed in the French Quarter building where Louis J. Dufilho Jr. ran his apothecary. He became the first pharmacist in the United States to pass a licensing examination after Louisiana required pharmacists to qualify. The shop opened in 1823, and the historic building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The rooms preserve the character of a 19th-century pharmacy. Bottles, jars and other objects fill the shelves, giving the exhibits a close connection to the work carried out here. The collection documents how pharmacy and healthcare changed in Louisiana, as well as the remedies and practices people relied on before modern medicine.
Objects from earlier medicine
The displays include apothecary bottles, pharmaceutical preparations, patent medicines, perfumes and cosmetics. Medical and surgical instruments sit alongside prosthetic devices, old wheelchairs and other equipment. Some remedies and treatments are unsettling by modern standards, but the objects show what people used and believed at the time.
Exhibits also address folk remedies and potions associated with Voodoo practices, along with the history of midwives and African American pharmacy. An original soda fountain recalls the role such counters played in pharmacies. Read the labels as you move through the rooms: they help explain what each object was for and how medical knowledge shaped its use.
Tours and exploring the building
A guided tour can bring the exhibits together through accounts of early pharmacists, medical ideas and the development of healthcare. The museum also allows visitors to explore independently, with information accompanying the objects. If you prefer to take your time reading the displays, a self-guided visit gives you control over the pace.
The museum occupies two floors, with exhibits arranged through the historic building. Set aside at least two hours if you want to see both levels and spend time in the courtyard. There, a garden of botanical and herbal plants recalls ingredients used in earlier remedies. Tour schedules can vary, so check availability before planning your visit around a guided tour.
Preguntas frecuentes
Where is the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum?
It is at 514 Chartres Street in the French Quarter.
How long should I spend at the museum?
Allow at least two hours to explore both floors and the courtyard.
Can I take a guided tour?
Yes. Guided tours are available, but schedules can be limited on some days, so check availability before visiting.
What can you see inside the museum?
Exhibits include apothecary bottles, patent medicines, medical and surgical instruments, pharmacy objects and an original soda fountain.
