The Pitot House Museum

The Pitot House Museum is a Creole colonial country home on Bayou St. John in New Orleans, at 1440 Moss St. Built in 1799, it is the only example of Colonial West Indies architecture in the city that is open to the public. A guided tour takes you through rooms furnished with period antiques and explains the house’s architecture, early New Orleans life and the bayou’s place in the city’s history. The Louisiana Landmarks Society restored the house in the 1960s and now uses it as its headquarters.

A home on Bayou St. John

Built in 1799, the Pitot House is a Creole colonial country home on Bayou St. John. The waterway was an important route into New Orleans in the 18th century, and the house tells the story of life along its banks. It is the only Creole colonial country house open to the public in New Orleans, and the only Colonial West Indies-style home in the city that can be toured.

The house was originally built elsewhere and later moved a few hundred feet to its present site to avoid demolition. Its history includes ownership by James Pitot, New Orleans’ first mayor, as well as other affluent residents. The Louisiana Landmarks Society restored it in the 1960s and now operates the museum from the house, which also serves as the society’s headquarters.

Inside the house and grounds

A guided visit takes you through a preserved interior with antiques and furnishings from the mid-19th century. The tour covers the house’s West Indies architecture, the realities of daily life and the wider history of early New Orleans. Its green shutters, wrap-around porch and wood fence are among the details to look for from outside.

The grounds include a large side yard and a butterfly garden. The yard is also used for weddings and other events, so the museum offers a view of the property in a setting that remains part of its present-day use.