In New Orleans we often take pains to point out what makes us different from other places. It’s pretty common to hear comments like, “We’re not like the rest of the country” and “We’re not like the rest of the South.” So it’s ironic that two of New Orleans’ newest icons are representative of The South, and the rest of the country.  And they’re just a few blocks away from each other: The World War II Museum and The Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

The World War 2 Museum was declared America’s official national World War 2 Museum  by an act of Congress. In 2014 Traveler’s Choice named it as the 11^th best museum in the world. And by 2017 its economic impact on the city is projected to reach a billion dollars. By any standards the World War 2 museum is a big deal.

The museum’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Watson, joins Peter on this edition of Out to Lunch. 

Locally, we refer to The Ogden Museum of Southern Art as “The Ogden.” The museum takes the abbreviation a step further, referring to itself as “The O.” The Museum holds the largest collection of Southern art in the world and is the leading resource and authority on the culture of the South.

The Director of The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, William Andrews, is Peter’s lunch guest on this look at New Orelans’ newest national icons.

Although we’ll never totally grow out of being known as the home of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street, The Ogden and the WWII Museum are tipping the balance, giving New Orleans something we never dreamed of as a city: intellectual credibility. 

Photos at Commander’s Palace by Cheryl DalPozzal.