It's raining in New Orleans. Go to a museum, eat a long lunch, dig through some records or ride the streetcar and watch the city get wet through the window. And whatever you do, don't drive into a flooded street.
Rain here isn't a polite drizzle. A summer storm can come out of a clear sky, dump a couple of inches in an hour and leave just as fast. We've watched plenty of visitors stand under the awning outside our Chartres Street shop, staring at the gutters like they've never seen water move that fast. They probably haven't. Here's how locals spend a wet afternoon.
First, a Word About Flooded Streets
This is the one part of the post we're serious about. Heavy rain can flood low streets quickly, and the water hides potholes, open drains and the occasional curb that used to be a curb. The city's NOLA Ready flooding page says it plainly: don't drive through floodwater, and don't walk through it either, because standing water can carry current from downed lines.
If you have a rental car, park it somewhere high before the storm hits. During major flooding, the city sometimes lifts parking restrictions on the neutral grounds so people can get cars out of the water. Only do it when the city has announced it, and don't block intersections or streetcar tracks.
Then get inside somewhere good. (For the rest of the weather survival basics, from humidity to hurricane season, see what not to do in New Orleans.)
The National WWII Museum
If you only pick one rainy day New Orleans museum, a lot of people pick this one. The National WWII Museum on Magazine Street in the Warehouse District is huge, and it's easy to lose half a day there without noticing the weather. Buy tickets online and give yourself more time than you think you need.
NOMA in City Park
The New Orleans Museum of Art sits inside City Park, and on a gray day it's a quiet, beautiful place to wander. As of January 2026, admission is $23 for visitors and $18 for Louisiana residents. Anyone 19 and under gets in free, and Louisiana residents are free on Wednesdays.
If the rain breaks, step outside to the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which is free. Wet sculptures under the oaks are their own kind of pretty.
The Cabildo and the French Quarter Museums
On Jackson Square, the Cabildo is where Spanish colonial government once sat and where the Louisiana Purchase was formalized in 1803. It's part of the Louisiana State Museum, and it's a good way to learn the city's history while staying dry.
A few blocks away, The Historic New Orleans Collection on Royal Street has galleries that are free with a ticket. Duck in and come back out when the gutters calm down.
Backstreet Cultural Museum
Founded in 1999 in Treme, the Backstreet Cultural Museum keeps the history of the city's Black street culture: the suits of Black Masking Indians, the traditions of social aid and pleasure clubs, second lines and the jazz funeral. These are traditions built by Black New Orleanians, and the museum exists to keep that history in community hands. It moved to a new space on St. Philip Street, so check the hours before you go.
If you're visiting in spring, our piece on Super Sunday gives you some context for what you'll see inside.
The Long Lunch
Rain is the best excuse in the world for a three-hour lunch. Find a table near a window, order something fried and then something with gravy, and let the afternoon go. Nobody here will rush you, and the storm will probably be gone by the time the bread pudding shows up.
If you want a lunch that doesn't need a reservation, a po-boy counter works just as well. Our local's guide to po-boys will point you in the right direction.
Dig Through Records
Few things beat flipping through bins while it pours outside. Louisiana Music Factory on Frenchmen Street has been selling local music for decades, and they're one of the best places in town to find New Orleans records you won't see anywhere else. Ask the person behind the counter what they've been listening to.
Back at the hotel, put WWOZ on. The city's community radio station has been playing New Orleans music since 1980, and it sounds best with rain on the window.
Ride the Streetcar in the Rain
The St. Charles line runs through some of the prettiest blocks in the city, and the windows on the old green cars open. On a rainy afternoon you can ride it Uptown, watch the oaks drip and get off when it clears up. It's cheap and it's dry, which on a day like this is all you need.
Wear the Right Hat
Locals don't carry umbrellas as much as you'd think. The wind usually wins anyway. A good hat helps, and ours has the city's unofficial motto across the front: the Strange Things Happen Below Sea Level Hat, made with Freddy Tyler Paul. Nothing explains a flooded street at 3 p.m. on a sunny day quite like it.
If the rain sets in for the night, a deck of our New Orleans Playing Cards makes a hotel room feel a little more like a porch.
And when you get home and miss the smell of coffee and powdered sugar on a wet morning, our Coffee & Beignet Candle gets close.
Rainy Day New Orleans: FAQ
What is there to do in New Orleans when it rains?
The National WWII Museum, NOMA, the Cabildo and the free Historic New Orleans Collection galleries are all good rainy-day picks. So is a long lunch, or a slow ride on the St. Charles streetcar.
Does New Orleans flood when it rains?
Low streets can flood during heavy storms, sometimes within an hour. The city advises against driving or walking through floodwater, so wait it out indoors and move cars to higher ground.
What is the rainiest month in New Orleans?
July is usually the wettest month, according to WeatherSpark's climate averages, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms through the summer.
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