Pharmacy Museum
One of New Orleans’ best kept secrets is the Pharmacy Museum, centrally located and established by Louis J. Dufilho Jr. in 1816. As the first licensed pharmacist in the country, he was quick to claim that position after an 1804 law passed which required all pharmacists take exams. Visit the very first licensed apothecary in the country and check out the permanent exhibits on bloodletting, see original surgical tools and learn about former medical procedures that were questionable at best.
There are apothecary bottles hand-blown and still full of herbs and drugs. See the “gris-gris potions” crafted by local Voodoo practitioners, and explore the very rare medicines that reflect the mixture of medicine and superstition of the time. Admission is $5 for adults and the museum is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. with guided tours at 1 p.m. Tuesday – Friday.
The Dr. Will See You Now
On the first floor, visitors learn about administration methods, see real Voodoo potions, can check out original patents and even see the original soda fountain. Snow globes right alongside opium is the perfect reflection of this zany museum. If you fall in love with the establishment, you can even book a special wedding package and get hitched here!
The carriageway, loggia and courtyard are the perfect places to relax and discuss the early days of medicine. You can also head to the second floor for temporary exhibits, see the living quarters of the first pharmacist and take a peek at the suck room, physician’s office and massive spectacle collection.