Arsenal - Adjacent to the Cabildo, Jackson Square, 568-6968 - Permanent installation featuring ship models, paintings, photographs, navigational devices and artifacts from famous vessels. Open 9-5 Tue-Sun. Cabildo - Jackson Square, 568-6990 - The site of the Louisiana Purchase Transfer the museum houses a large permanent exhibition of Louisiana history through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Open 9-5 Tue-Sun.  Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum - 813 Bienville St., Arnaud's Restaurant, 523-5433 - Carnival costumes, vintage photographs and memorabilia from 1937-1968. Open 9-10 daily; 6a.m.-10 Sat. Musee Conti Wax Museum - 917 Conti St., 525-2605 - New Orleans and Louisiana legends wax figures include music greats such as Louis Armstrong, historical figures and more. Open 10 -5:30 Mon-Sat, noon-5:30 Sun.  Contemporary Arts Center – 900 Camp St, 523-1216, 528-3805 – Contemporary Art Gallery open 11-5 Tue-Sun; café open 9-5 Sun-Tue, 9-10 Wed-Sat.  Ogden Museum of Southern Art – 603 Julia St., 539-9600 – Art from throughout the South. Open10-5 Mon-Fri and by appointment.  New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum - 724 Dumaine St., 523-7685 - Artifacts and historic displays, psychic readings, a museum, walking tours, a gift shop and more devoted to the history of Voodoo in New Orleans. Open 10-8 daily.

THE FRENCH QUARTER & DOWNTOWN MUSEUMS & EXHIBITS The National D-Day Museum The National D-Day Museum – 945 Magazine St., 527-6012 Museum dedicated to World War II with a focus on the D-Day invasion and the Pacific Theatre. Exhibits include a reproduction of the Higgins boat (designed and built in New Orleans) that brought the troops ashore, artifacts, weapons, uniforms, interactive stations, and films such as D-Day Remembered. Open 9-5 daily, closed holidays. Aquarium of the Americas - 1 Canal St. at the Mississippi River, 861-2537 - Exhibits sharks, penguins and exotic fish.  Caribbean reef, sea otter gallery and more. Open 9:30-6 Sun-Thu, 9:30-7 Fri-Sat (last ticket sold one hour before closing)  Historic New Orleans Collection – 533 Royal St., 523-4662 – Permanent showcase of the city’s history. Open Tue-Sat 10-4:45. Entergy IMAX Theater - Canal St at Miss. River next to the Aquarium.  504-581-4629 Hours: Shows daily This  theater, with a screen 5-1/2 stories tall,.  shows nature films related to the earth, sea and space that provide wholesome family entertainment.

New Orleans Pharmacy Museum - 514 Chartres St., 565-8027 - Mid-1800s apothecary shop displays voodoo, medical and pharmaceutical cures and treatments throughout New Orleans history. Open 10-5 Tue-Sun. Old U.S. Mint - 400 Esplanade Ave., 568-6990 Exhibits of Confederate currency and coins, it also holds the  New Orleans Jazz Club collection of instruments used by the city's jazz legends. Open 9-5 Tue-Sun. The Presbytere -751 Chartres St., 568-6968 - A fascinating permanent Mardi Gras exhibit.  Part of Louisiana State Museum. Open 9-5 Tue-Sun. Williams Research Center - 410 Chartres St., 598-7171 - Historical collection of art, letters, maps, artifacts, documents and more detailing the history of Louisiana and surrounding areas. Open 10-4:30 Tue-Sat.  Louisiana Children’s Museum – 420 Julia St., 523-1357 – Interactive exhibits and hands-on learning about science, nature and everyday life. Open 9:30-4:30 Tue-Sat, noon-4:30 Sun, closed holidays.   Memorial Hall Foundation - Confederate Civil War Museum  -  929 Camp St. New Orleans, LA 70130; (504) 523-4522 Second largest collection of Confederate memorabilia in the world in the oldest continually operating museum in Louisiana.  10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sundays) Closed  holidays: