It’s fun to show groups around the Cabildo and tell stories.
Cabildo Docent Tours
It’s a busy week for showing off the Cabildo. I’m scheduled to lead three tours of the museum. So, I thought I’d turn my prep for those tours into a blog post.
Booking a tour
While Cabildo docents are happy to offer tours, they’re booked through the Louisiana State Museum. They operate the place, after all. There’s no extra charge for a docent-led tour beyond your museum admission. Talk to the Cabildo staff and they’ll sort it out. Once that’s done, and you’re scheduled, my colleagues and I get set up for the tours.
My itinerary
There’s no fixed plan/script for your tour. Each docent has their own tour. They’re not all that different, of course, so here’s mine.
Once your group checks in, we gather in the courtyard between the Cabildo and Arsenal buildings. We give some brief background history on the building, how the Cabildo was actually the name of the town council, and the building was called the “Casa Capitular.” The francophone populace of New Orleans didn’t get “Casa Capitular,” so what happened sort of went like this:
You, to someone you encounter as you walk towards the Place d’Armes: “Good morning, my friend!”
Friend: “Good morning! Where are you off to?”
You: “I have business with the Cabildo today…”
Over time, having business with the Cabildo morphed into going to the Cabildo. It stuck.
City Hall
The current Cabildo building opened in 1799, after four years of construction. It replaced the building that originally held the French government offices. That building burned in the 1788 fire. Replacing it encountered a speed bump with the 1794 fire. We introduce Andres Almonaster, the Spanish Crown Notary for Louisiana. Andres made a lot of money from notarial fees and investments. He donated the cash for rebuilding both the Cabildo and the church next door.
While in the courtyard, we introduce the Arsenal building behind the Cabildo. The Americans built the Arsenal in 1839. We talk about how New Orleanians love our courtyards.
Second floor
Now we head into the Cabildo, going up the main staircase (or the elevator). Once on the second floor, we gather in the “Hall of Flags,” the gallery at the front. In the hall, the docent explains the original uses of the rooms on the second floor. On the “upriver” side are the Sala Capitular, the Cabildo’s meeting room, and the Treasury office. After the Americans took over, the Sala Capitular became the city council’s chamber. The Treasury room housed the business office. If you needed a license, or had to pay a fee, etc., those transactions took place there. The Sala Capitular currently houses the exhibit marking the bicentennial of the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825. The Treasury room now features the history of the “Glorious 8th of January, 1815,” the Battle of New Orleans.
Mayors
On the other side of the stairs are the three rooms used by the American mayors. We walk through them, pointing out the portraits of Andres Almonaster y Rojas, and his daughter, Micaela Leonarda Antonia de Almonester Rojas y de la Ronde, Baroness de Pontalba. After the secretary’s reception area, we go into the mayor’s office, talking about the law enforcement history of the building. The third room, at the cathedral end of the building, is the Mayor’s Parlor. It features items from the Reconstruction period, as well as a video about the fire that burned the building’s roof and cupola in 1988. From here, we return to the Hall of Flags. At some point in the gallery, we run down the flags that flew over New Orleans through the city’s history.
Wandering around
We wrap up the talking with a preview of the exhibits on the first and third floors. The docent doesn’t usually bring the tour to those exhibits, since they change periodically. We stick to the Louisiana history stuff. (I have done a tour that focused on the Rodrigue exhibit on the third floor, since a group requested it.) So, the history walk takes 30-40 minutes, leaving 20 or so minutes for the group to walk around unstructured.
Take the tour! We’d love to have you.
Four Ways to Support NOLA History Guy
- Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
- Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
- Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
- Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
Recent Comments