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February 2024 by Dawn M.
You can spend 15 minutes or 2 hours admiring wonderful art, fancy jewelry or amazingly crafted furniture all owned by a piece of history. I loved all the Churchill pieces during this visit. Skipped the jewelry but enjoyed watching the video on how to unlock a secret safe from the 17th century. What I like the most is that all the items are constantly being sold and rotated out. One piece you admire in that moment may be being sold or being moved to an auction somewhere else. Fun and FREE. So if you are walking and shopping on Royal, in the French Quarter stop in.
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January 2024 by Christina M.
Jesse was amazing!! They let my friend and I try on some rings and it was such an amazing experience! Jesse had so much knowledge about so many pieces, I could listen to them talk all day!! Thank you for a great time!
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October 2023 by Meredith B.
To anyone who hesitates to set foot here because they can't afford it, I invite you to view the gallery as a museum to be admired. Please go inside, it is absolutely worth it, and the staff will be unfailingly polite and helpful regardless of whether you have any intention of buying things. The gallery is a three-floor collection of high-end jewelry, decorative arts, paintings, statuary, and impressive furniture. Whether you would like to look at glittering gems, a desk full of secret cubbies, colorful glass, or the room full of walking canes, there is something there to delight almost anyone. Even better, they have a small gallery on a separate section of the second floor with rotating exhibits, currently occupied with a truly impressive number of pieces by Erte. The cool rooms are a quiet oasis in the midst of the bustle that is royal street, and you feel rather as though you have stepped into a different world while you wander through the displays. As it is in fact a place one can purchase these beautiful artifacts, there are prices, but they are a subtle addition to the cards accompanying each piece. It is easy to admire terracotta camels, silver repousse, and Picassos without feeling any sort of weight or pressure of expectation. So go, gawk at aquamarines the size of quail eggs, gleaming skeleton clocks, and wall-sized paintings of dancing princesses (One of my favorite fairy tales as a child) and carry home memories of the beautiful things human hands can make. And if you can afford something? Know it is something precious.
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October 2023 by Kyle Kimber
Have you ever been in a museum where you could buy the pieces? This is what it feels like. Definitely one of my favorite places in New Orleans. I’ll never be able to afford anything they sell, but it’s still wonderful to admire special, historically unique, museum quality pieces on a lazy Sunday.
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October 2023 by Andrew Nicholas
Incredible private collection! Free admission, museum quality antiques and art. The staff are all very friendly, and will offer explanations of items if requested. Excellent place to go see if you're in the French Quarter!
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October 2023 by Alexander Spitzer
This place is amazing, to say the least. Picassos, Van Goghs, Rockwells, all just out in the open. Antiques that cost millions. Desks and Safes with hidden compartments. A large assortment of weapon canes. Everything is so cool.
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July 2023 by Louis and Elaine
For years we walked by this place without much notice. After seeing it we realize it’s far more than an antique store. Rather it’s a magnificent collection of super high end paintings, jewelry and antiques. MS Rau is more like a museum where everything is for sale. Three floors of beautiful objects of art and original paintings. M. S. Rau is really something to see
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July 2023 by Naomi Sprung
First class antiques: furniture, paintings. Jewellery and fine goods. There is so much history encapsulated in this giant amazing store! They have art by Picasso, Pissarro, Renoir and even paintings done by Frank Sinatra! I have never seen full sets of Tiffany flatware that are so huge, it takes a special gorgeous wooden cabinet built to hold them in 7 different drawers! The gems and Hewlett-Packard us incredible and they have sets of duelling pistols. There are huge paintings and sculptures and silver and every kind of bejewelled object. Totally astounding! Laid out so beautifully, and they are very helpful and answer all questions this is a real landmark store!!! Please stop by- you will be amazed!
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June 2023 by Eileen H.
This was my second visit to NOLA and my second visit here! This is like a museum but everything is for sale! You better have deep pockets though! You can tell they deal with a lot of high-end buyers, but what I liked about the staff here was that they were very friendly and helpful and never came off as snobby. They have some excellent, unique pieces here -- art, jewelry, furniture of royals and more that are all showcased at this store. I highly recommend a visit here -- read the history of the pieces -- so interesting!
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June 2023 by Stew Cohen
How would the Masters react seeing their artwork in M.S. Rau on Royal Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans? Van Gogh or Monet or Renoir might marvel at how loving and meticulous the curators are at handling these extraordinary paintings and marvel at the lights illuminating their work. I’ve never seen such lighting in any gallery or art museum match what I saw at M.S. Rau. It’s like you’re watching the art come to life because of the lighting. I always marvel at the fact that I can stand in front of a Master artist’s work and see the finished piece as he or she did one hundred or two hundred years ago. What I know would surprise them are the prices for these works. But to truly understand, you need to see M.S. Rau yourself where fine art, antiques, and jewels await a visit. Maybe you’ll find the piece that you must own. I found a few pieces but I unfortunately don’t have the money necessary to own an incredible grandfather clock, fabulous silverware or a Monet. I saw many of the pieces on the first and second floors but didn’t have time for the third floor. Maybe a return trip is possible because the galleries keep changing as more pieces are purchased.
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May 2023 by Gary Belanger
An extraordinary blend of a museum and a high-end art store, this place offers a captivating visit filled with awe-inspiring art and fascinating historical pieces. An absolute must-visit for lovers of art and history.
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May 2023 by Pierre Guerrero
Incredibly well-diversified collection all for sale. Make sure to see the upper floors and library.
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May 2023 by Eric Walton
A stunningly beautiful curated collection of rare goods, art, and collectables reminds visitors that not everything old in New Orleans falls apart.The collection is diverse and will hold the attention of even the most jaded traveler.Beware the library; it is inviting and begs you to spend a rainy afternoon there at the expense of more tawdry delights available elsewhere in the Quarter.The staff is approachable, knowledgeable, and passionate but carry the ease of New Orleanians who, while appreciative and reverent to the works they sell, realize that the true value they offer is enriching visitors' lives through the memories of a mercurial moment in New Orleans that these objects rekindel once woven into your life's tapestry.Their bathroom are really nice also.Eric ;-)
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April 2023 by David Seltzer
What can I say except you have to visit. It is an art gallery and museum. No fee to entee. Filled with all kinds of unique mechanical pieces. Clocks, self playing violin machine, etc. Artwork that is hard to believe is for sale in the middle of the French Quarter. Van Gogh (although the one they had just sold). Dali, Picasso, Matisse........ The jewelry is amazing. Beautiful display and so cool. We bring all of our out of town guests and they are always impressed.
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April 2023 by Helene S.
These are a few of my favorite things...Have you ever walked into a museum and thought, how much does that painting cost? At MS Rau, the art, the jewelry and the antiques are all actually for sale with price tags and an explanation listed on the wall next to the piece. Even though MS Rau looks like a world class art museum, it is actually a gallery where you can freely explore three floors of exquisite treasures and if you are lucky, and have the means, can take one or more home to enjoy. So interesting to hear how MS Rau was founded over a hundred years ago as an antique shop in the French Quarter. Max Rau opened the first shop in 1912 with an investment of $250. His store specialized in Victorian furniture, cut glass and decorative ironwork. Over the years, the business has faced challenges such as Hurricane Katrina, World Wars and a global pandemic. Interesting to hear how his son, Elias, worked at the Higgins Shipyard helping to build the boats that would storm the beaches at Normandy during WWII. After Katrina, MS Rau had a temporary showroom in NYC as the business and employees rebuilt after the devastating storm. They added masterpieces by Vincent can Gogh, Claude Monet and Edgar Degas to their offerings as MS Rau became a recognized art dealer. Loved exploring the three floors and enjoying the art, antiques and beautiful jewelry. Favorites included "Danseuse au double profil vert" by Marc Chagall which was recently sold almost $4 million dollars. The oil and tempura on canvas was so vibrant and iconic of Chagall's dreamlike images. Want to own an original Picasso drawing or painting, portrait by Renoir, or the Last Supper by Warhol, they are all available. I did not know that singer Frank Sinatra also painted, but there are several of his works in the collection as well. The special Patrick Hughes exhibit was so interesting. The composition of his three-dimensional sculpted planes create an optical illusion that the painting is moving as you walk past the pieces. Love how he incorporates other artist's works, like Robert Indiana's LOVE, Magritte's surrealism, or a Moulin Rouge poster by Henri-Toulouse Lautrec, into his artwork. So whimsical. From jewelry laden with rubies, emeralds and diamonds to complete sets of Tiffany flatware, antique orchestra organs to Napoleon's footbath, and an exquisite Battle of Issus Chess set created with 14 K gold, enamel and semiprecious stones (with an almost 2-million-dollar price tag), MS Rau is a very unique gallery full of history. Definitely worth a stop along Royal Street in the French Quarter. Note: even if you aren't buying anything, they were still so kind and willing to share their knowledge.
