Octavia Art Gallery New Orleans, New Orleans, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Octavia Art Gallery is an art gallery at 700 Magazine Street in the Warehouse District of New Orleans, a neighbourhood of old brick buildings a short walk from the Mississippi River. It is a good place to pause and read the area: the streets around it grew up around the river trade that made the city.

The story behind it

New Orleans sits where it does because of the Mississippi. Ships could come up the river from the Gulf of Mexico, dock in the city and trade with merchants from all over the world. In the early 1800s the port grew fast, as goods such as cotton and sugar from the American South passed through on their way to distant markets.

All that cargo needed somewhere to wait, so the city filled with warehouses near the water. That is where the Warehouse District gets its name. Many of the sturdy brick buildings here have since found new lives as galleries, museums, offices and homes, and the gallery at this address is part of that change. Walking Magazine Street is a simple way to see how a working port turned into a creative quarter.

What to look for

• Look at the brick buildings along Magazine Street, with their thick walls and tall, wide openings that suit a building made for storing and moving goods.
• Notice how a former commercial building now serves as an art space, a small example of the district's shift from cargo to culture.
• Pay attention to the street grid and how close you are to the river, even when the water is out of sight.
• Compare the buildings from block to block, where restored warehouses stand next to newer construction.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 20 to 30 minutes for the gallery and the surrounding blocks, longer if you want to browse the art slowly.
• Check current opening hours before you go, as galleries often keep their own schedules.
• Morning and late afternoon are comfortable for walking in the warm months, and the light on the brick is at its best then.
• Other cultural stops are within walking distance, including the Contemporary Arts Center and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the riverfront is only a few blocks away.

See it on a quest

You can reach this spot on foot as one stop of Kid Quest: Solve the case of the lost senses in New Orleans, a self-guided walk made for young detectives and their families. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so the streets become something to explore rather than just pass through. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start any time, with no guide and no group to join.