HNOC Closes amid Coronavirus Outbreak

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and for the safety of our community, the Historic New Orleans Collection will close temporarily starting Saturday, March 14. This closure includes Café Cour and the Shop at the Collection.

In light of state and national declarations of emergency, and out of a desire to actively help with containment of the coronavirus, we have taken this step out of civic duty. In addition, all public events for the month of March have been canceled or postponed. This includes the following activities:

• All class visits and field trips
• Group tours
• The Williams Lecture scheduled for Saturday, March 14
• Master classes, the Tennessee Williams Scholars Conference, and other events connected with the  2020 Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival (Click here for details about the festival’s cancelation.)

Like you, we are monitoring the updates from governmental public health officials and adhering to their recommendations.

For now, no changes have been made to HNOC’s public events scheduled for the month of April and beyond. Please continue to visit our website regularly, stay tuned to HNOC’s social media feeds (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), and look for emails from us with further updates.

While our physical spaces are unavailable for exploration, you can stay connected with HNOC online and enjoy historical content across our digital media platforms. Here are some of the ways you can interact with our resources from home:

• Research your interests and explore our digital holdings on HNOC’s online catalog. Staff will be responding to research queries as they are able.
• Read the latest stories from HNOC’s digital publication First Draft.
• Watch previous lectures and performances on HNOC’s YouTube Channel, including this talk from April 2018 on the archaeology research conducted at 520 Royal Street.
• Explore some of HNOC’s virtual exhibitions, including “Shout, Sister, Shout! The Boswell Sisters of New Orleans” and “Purchased Lives: New Orleans and the Domestic Slave Trade.”
• Discover HNOC’s extensive oral history collections. Hear firsthand accounts from those who participated in New Orleans’ civil rights movement, lived in the French Quarter before it was a top tourist destination, came to the city’s aid as first responders in the aftermath of  Hurricane Katrina, and more in our diverse oral history collections.
• Follow HNOC on social media. Our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds not only provide the latest institutional news during these unusual times, but also feature historical images, trivia, and videos.

This is a fluid and rapidly changing situation. We will communicate additional adjustments to our services and offerings as quickly as possible. Follow HNOC’s email, social media, and website postings for the latest information.

Sincerely,

Daniel Hammer
President and CEO
The Historic New Orleans Collection