Presbytere

The Presbytère was planned as housing for clergy but was never used for that purpose. It's now a museum with two terrific exhibits, one of which is a smashing Mardi Gras museum that does an excellent job of summing up the complex history of the city's major holiday, which is so much more than just rowdies displaying nekkid body parts. Five major themes trace the history of this high-profile but frankly little-understood annual event. The attention to detail covers everything from elaborate Mardi Gras Indian costumes to antique Rex Queen jewelry, and a re-creation of a float allows you to pretend you are throwing beads to a crowd (float aficionados should also check out Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World where the floats are designed and built).