A group of people examine the Audubon Folio, a large book of artworks depicting birds, on view at the "A Vanishing Bounty" exhibition at HNOC.

Coastal Crossroads

Take a tour of our A Vanishing Bounty exhibition and explore the beauty and fragility of Louisiana’s coastlines.

Duration: Approximately 35 minutes

Explore the beauty and fragility of Louisiana’s disappearing coastlines on this guided tour of our exhibition, A Vanishing Bounty: Louisiana’s Coastal Environment and Culture. On this tour, you’ll discover:

A woman reads display, part of the "A Vanishing Bounty" exhibition at the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Coastal abundance

Explore the rich ecosystems and bountiful natural resources that have sustained life and culture along Louisiana's coast for centuries.

A sepia-toned illustration depicts an 18th-century indigenous village by a river. Teepees and thatched huts are surrounded by trees. A person paddles a canoe in the river. A decorative plaque with text and a legend is on the right.

Human connections

Learn about the resilient Indigenous, African, European, and Asian communities who have shaped distinct traditions, languages, and foodways in harmony with their environment.

An aerial photo shows navigation channels near Golden Meadow leave a spiderweb of remaining marshland, with open water dominating the landscape into the distant horizon.

The vanishing landscape

Confront the urgent threats facing our region, including the impacts of land loss, climate change, and human activities on both nature and Louisiana culture.

HNOC © Ben Depp, 2024.0025.11

Visitors view photographs on view at HNOC.

A call to action

Learn about ongoing efforts to preserve Louisiana’s natural beauty and cultural heritage for future generations, and find out how you can get involved.

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Group Request Form

Contact our Visitor Services staff to reserve your group outing today.

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A group of people gathered in a room, some wearing hats, listening to a speaker holding a book. They stand on wooden flooring with bright natural light coming through large arched windows. Posters adorn the walls. The mood appears attentive and engaging.

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Group Experiences

Discover the rich history and culture of New Orleans with a private group outing from the Historic New Orleans Collection.

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A group of people in a gallery observes a woman explaining a large artwork displayed on the wall. The room has wooden walls, and a woman in a wheelchair holds a cane. Various people wear suits, dresses, and casual attire.

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Getting Here

HNOC’s museum is located at 520 Royal Street in the French Quarter, on Royal Street between Toulouse and St. Louis. Our Williams Research Center is located at 410 Chartres Street.

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Children in red shirts walk past and enter The Historic New Orleans Collection building on a sunny street. The group is accompanied by adults. The street features historic architecture with iron balconies.

Aerial view of a lush green marshland with winding waterways creating intricate patterns at Fort St. Phillip, Louisiana. The landscape features patches of dark mud and dense vegetation, capturing the organic texture and flow of the wetland ecosystem.

Related Exhibitions

Exhibitions

A Vanishing Bounty: Louisiana’s Coastal Environment and Culture

Ongoing

Discover the beauty and history of Louisiana’s natural environment—as well as the threats to its continued existence.

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Illustration of a brown pelican perched on a branch with green leaves in the background. The bird has a long beak and distinctive brown, white, and yellow plumage. The botanical details add a naturalistic setting.

Related Collection Highlights

Audubon’s “Birds of America”

John James Audubon’s masterpiece of naturalist art is on display in a double-elephant folio as part of HNOC’s ongoing exhibition A Vanishing Bounty.

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An artistic print shows a silhouetted figure holding a bright orange torch walks through a dense, swamp-like forest with tangled branches and hanging moss.

Zanatta Editions Environmental Art Prints

A collection of prints by Jacqueline Bishop and Douglas Bourgeois, donated by art publisher Zanatta Editions, probes the complex relationship between humans and the natural environment.

Learn More