It’s Bizarre To Think That Louisiana Is Home To One Of The World’s Largest Collection Of Costumes, But It’s True

The Louisiana State Museum has 13 different museums and historic structures peppered around the state, and all of them preserve some part of Louisiana’s past. Out of all of the collections and exhibits, there’s one that may surprise you. The Louisiana State Museum is home to one of the largest collections of costumes in the United States. You may be thinking your own closet has the largest collection of costumes, after all, many Louisianians have a designated corner of their closet for costumes but trust us: this collection is second to none. While you may be thinking about Mardi Gras, think again. While the collection does include a wide range of Mardi Gras costumes, the collection also includes different textiles, including everyday clothing, bedding, and more.

There are over 15,000 objects within the collection, ranging from the 18th century to the present day.

It should be noted that the collection is not on display per se, but there are rotating exhibits where you can view some of them, and we’ll cover that in a minute. When you're housing one of the largest collections of costumes in the country, it's impossible to put *all* of it on display every day.

The collection is broken down into three categories: costumes and accessories, textiles, and carnival.

There’s also a fairly large documentary materials collection, which includes 19th-century fashion plates, magazines, and pattern books.

Textiles include everything from quilts to mosquito nets, and some of these artifacts date back to the early 1800s.

There are over 10,000 objects in the personal artifacts category, including jewelry, menswear, children’s christening gowns dating from 1840, and even some military uniforms.

Some of the artifacts preserved here have been worn by famous historic figures you may recognize.

Pictured above is President Zachary Taylor’s sombrero which he wore during the Mexican-American War.

The biggest collection is the Carnival collection, which includes both the costumes of kings and queens throughout the years, but also invitations, jewelry, and posters affiliated with Carnival season.

Both New Orleans Mardi Gras and Cajun Mardi Gras artifacts are represented here.

Check out this silk velvet robe worn by Howard Stringfellow, the King of Rex in 1881. It's the oldest costume in the collection and a fascinating lens to view how Carnival clothing has changed over the last 100+ years.

Speaking of Rex, one of the exhibits running in the Presbytere right now is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Rex. It will be on display until December 11, 2022.

Learn about all of the different museums and current exhibits at the Louisiana State Museum's website. Now that your brain is thinking about Mardi Gras, perhaps you'd like to learn about the history of Cajun Mardi Gras or brush up on some facts about Mardi Gras in New Orleans.