NOMA anchors the 1,300-acre City Park with a collection spanning 5,000 years — French, American, African, and contemporary art. The adjacent Besthoff Sculpture Garden is one of the best outdoor sculpture collections in the South, free to enter, with works by Henry Moore, Louise Bourgeois, and others set among live oaks and lagoons.
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Start with the Sculpture Garden (free, separate entrance) — walk the paths among 90+ sculptures under live oaks. Then enter NOMA for the permanent collection: the French and European galleries are strong, as is the photography collection. The third floor African art gallery is excellent. Allocate 2-3 hours for both.
Weekday mornings for the museum. The Sculpture Garden is best in late afternoon light or early morning. City Park surrounds NOMA with botanical gardens, lagoons, and walking paths if you want to extend the visit. The Canal Street streetcar runs directly to the park entrance.
NOMA opened in 1911 as the Delgado Museum of Art. The building is neoclassical with a modern glass atrium added in 1993. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden opened in 2003 and expanded in 2019 — it is genuinely one of the best outdoor sculpture experiences in the United States. Free admission to the Sculpture Garden. NOMA admission is modest. City Park itself is one of the oldest urban parks in the country, 50% larger than Central Park.