Welcome back to EA Tours’ educational travel blog!

On Friday, I briefly talked about a great little museum for that day’s photo. For today’s post, I’ll be sharing with you some more information on this museum and why it’s a good place to stop at on any educational tour to the Big Easy.

Established in 1823, America’s first licensed pharmacist opened a drug store at 514 Chartres Street in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Louis J. Dufilho, Jr. resided and operated his business out of this classic Creole townhouse that was equipped with a botanical garden supplying him with medicinal herbs. The garden still exists and has been featured in the latest installment of American Horror Story: Coven as well as Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Since then, the museum has become a national historic landmark enticing visitors ever since.

Handmade apothecary jars containing crude drugs, herbs, chemicals, and voodoo powders are on display in hand-carved mahogany fixtures straight from Germany. There’s even a rare 1855 Italian black and rose marble soda fountain for nectar soda or fruit phosphates amongst all the jars! The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is truly significant not only for the care pharmacists provided patients but also for the architecture.

The soda fountain itself represented a sensation for it was during this time in America when the corner drug store was quickly becoming the social meeting spot for the neighborhood. Visitors are also encouraged to take a look at the exhibits on the 2nd floor which cover medicinal and surgical practices. Take a step back into history and learn why pharmacists provided leeches for patients to treat high blood pressure through “bloodletting.”

New Orleans is a popular city steeped in history making it the perfect place to visit on a student tour. Students and teachers alike will enjoy the exhibits displayed at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum as they are a living testament to the fields of pharmacy and medicine. I encourage you to visit this wonderful museum and think how far medicine has come since the 19th century.

-Kate.