SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2025
The Louisiana Museum Foundation will host a special event in partnership with The Louisiana State Museum | Cabildo to kick off French Quarter Fest in Jackson Square and to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to New Orleans.
Join Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser as he welcomes and introduces a historical re-enactment of Lafayette's Address by Mark Schneider of Colonial Williamsburg at French Quarter Fest Main Stage in Jackson Square.
THE LAFAYETTE LOUNGE
Opening at 11:30 AM on Saturday, April 12 the Lafayette Lounge inside The Cabildo, where Lafayette himself resided during his stay in New Orleans. The Lounge includes all-day access to the first and second floors of The Cabildo’s galleries inclusive of guided tours of the new Bienvenue Lafayette exhibition, two free drinks tickets, refreshments including complimentary food, clean bathrooms, air conditioning, and comfortable seating.
LAFAYETTE’S CONNECTION
During his grand tour of the United States, celebrating the nation's 50th Anniversary of Independence, Lafayette arrived in New Orleans amidst a grand procession of carriages, where the city’s mayor warmly welcomed him. Known as the "Hero of Two Worlds," Lafayette delivered his speech in the center of the square beneath the Arch of Triumph, which rose 68 feet high with a massive 40-foot arch, marking the occasion. The arch was adorned with colossal statues of Justice and Liberty, and 24 stones, each etched with a gilded bronze star, representing the twenty-four states of the Union at the time. On the structure's upper pedestal, an inscription in both English and French read: "A grateful republic dedicates this monument to La Fayette." During his stay in New Orleans, Lafayette resided at the Cabildo.