Historic New Orleans Collection Launches $35M Campaign
The public phase of a fundraising drive will fund renovation of seven historic buildings and five courtyards on Royal Street in the French Quarter.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Home Renovation
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The Historic New Orleans Collection has launched the public phase of a $35 million capital campaign to renovate its 533 Royal St. campus. The institution has secured $30 million toward the project, leaving $5 million to raise.
Why it matters
The renovation will make the entire Royal Street complex accessible to the public for the first time and significantly expand space for exhibitions, educational programs and community events in New Orleans. The project aims to draw more than 300,000 visitors annually to the French Quarter institution.
The campaign has secured $30 million of its $35 million goal, including more than $11 million in private philanthropic gifts, leaving $5 million still to be raised. Details on the timing of the remaining funds were not provided.
The players
Historic New Orleans Collection
A museum and research institution in the French Quarter that offers free admission and is leading the renovation and fundraising effort.
Ryan Gootee General Contractors
The construction firm leading the renovation work on the Royal Street campus.
The details
The renovation adds new exhibition galleries, interactive displays, educational facilities, public event spaces and a historic house museum across seven historic buildings and five courtyards. Trapolin-Peer Architects and Hartman-Cox Architects are serving as project architects, Metcalfe Architecture and Design is overseeing exhibition design, and Ryan Gootee General Contractors is leading construction.
Timeline
1966: The Historic New Orleans Collection was founded through the Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation.
Nov. 2, 2026: The public phase of the $35 million capital campaign was launched.
Over the next three years: Restoration and redevelopment work will take place.
2029: The renovated campus is expected to open.
Legacy Expansion
Founded in 1966 by the Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation, the Historic New Orleans Collection is now extending that original mission by opening its full Royal Street complex to the public for the first time. The project marks a significant expansion of a French Quarter institution built around preserving the city's history.
Visitors will gain free access to new exhibition galleries, interactive displays and a historic house museum across the Royal Street complex once it opens. Residents and visitors can expect expanded educational programs and community event spaces in the French Quarter.
The takeaway
Historic preservation projects like this one depend on combining large private philanthropy with public access goals, and the campaign's remaining $5 million will show how close the institution is to fully funding its plan. Readers interested in historic home or building restoration can watch how the project progresses toward its 2029 opening.
What happens next
The renovated campus is expected to open in 2029, with restoration and redevelopment work scheduled over the next three years.
Further reading
Explore more on Home Renovation for context on how historic building restorations are planned and funded.
More information
Learn more about the project on the Historic New Orleans Collection website.
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