A copy of the New Orleans Times-Picayune sits on a coffee table in this replica of a family home the day before the levees broke. Photo/Pat Garin

Viewing for the popular Phase 1 of Levees.org’s Flooded House Museum at 4918 Warrington Drive in New Orleans has been extended.

Until October 31, visitors can view the artistic rendering of a typical family room the day before the levees broke.

The exhibit is visible through the windows, like a diorama.

After October 31, set designers and scenic artists Ken Conner and Aaron Angelo will “distress” the staged exhibit to create a flooded replica effect using theater art and scenic design techniques.

The educational memorial in the Filmore Gardens neighborhood is steps away from the London Avenue Canal east breach site.

In 2016, Levees.org purchased the gutted house, and in partnership with the neighborhood residents, obtained special permitting for the project.

The family room exhibit was staged using donated furniture, fixtures and accessories from many dozens of Levees.org supporters.

Prior to the distress, photographer Pat Garin will capture shots from different angles in the interior and also from the exterior. These photos will be installed on the house’s outside columns so that visitors can see a visceral “before the flood” look.

The intent of the final exhibit is to replicate what homes in the neighborhood may have looked like after the Army Corps of Engineers’ floodwall failed and homeowners returned from their flood-imposed exile.

This one-of-a-kind project is due to the hard work, time and talent of scores of volunteers in the fields of history, art, civil engineering, construction, photography and more.

The ribbon cutting for the completed Flooded House Museum will take place in March 2019.

Those wishing to contribute to maintaining the exhibit (electricity and water for gardens) may do so here: https://levees.org/donate/