The first phase of The Historic New Orleans Collection’s reopening will launch Tuesday, June 16, with new interpretative displays in its courtyards. This informative outdoor experience is offered in addition to its free downloadable app French Quarter Tours, which allows visitors to explore the history, people, and architecture of the city’s oldest neighborhood, the Vieux Carré, from the convenience of their own mobile devices.

“The French Quarter street grid is New Orleans’s original historical artifact,” said THNOC President and CEO Daniel Hammer. “And it’s seldom been more accessible for local residents wishing to explore the stories it tells. Our courtyards, rich in history themselves, are a perfect place to dive in.”

Café Cour, THNOC's museum café, will also be open at 520 Royal Street with a limited menu during the same hours.

Both the courtyard experiences—featuring new explanatory displays detailing each space’s history—and the app are free and available to the public. All staff and guests are required to wear masks on the premises and remain six feet apart to maintain social distancing. Similar safety measures will be in place when the other aspects of the museum reopen to the public. No tickets are required.