In celebration of the grand opening of its new $38 million exhibition center at 520 Royal Street, as well as International Museum Day 2019, The Historic New Orleans Collection will host a block party with live music, food and beverage vendors, and more on Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The block party also coincides with New Orleans’s hosting the American Alliance of Museums annual conference, which is expected to bring 4,000 visitors to the city.

The event will feature performances from local favorite the Tin Men, Latin band Javier Olondo & AsheSon, traditional brass band the Storyville Stompers, the children’s band Confetti Park Players, and trad jazz band the Detroit Brooks Trio. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from local bars and restaurants including Café Cour—THNOC’s new museum café—Country Flame, Kingfish, Longway Tavern, Manolito, and Meauxbar. All food and drink vendors will be operating on a cash-only basis.

THNOC’s first major exhibition at 520 Royal Street, “Art of the City: Postmodern to Post-Katrina,” presented by The Helis Foundation, will be open, as well as a continuing exhibition on the history of the French Quarter. Visitors will be able to engage with the center’s dynamic digital interactive displays and hands-on educational space for all ages and visit the larger footprint for THNOC’s museum shop.

THNOC’s original location at 533 Royal Street will also be open, where visitors can tour the Louisiana History Galleries free of charge.

Admission to both THNOC’s sites and the block party is free, and registration is not required. The new exhibition center was made possible in part through generous donations from the institution’s local, national and international supporters. The block party is made possible with major support from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and additional support from Waggonner and Ball and Gambel Communications.