Flooded House Museum

In this 2016 photo, Sandy Rosenthal stands next to future Flooded House Museum. Photo/Joan Judycki

4918 Warrington Drive
New Orleans, LA 70122

Levees.org converted a once-flooded residence 400 feet from the London Avenue Canal east breach site into an educational memorial.

The Flooded House Museum is a unique project that required a special permit from the New Orleans City Planning Commission.

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

Like a diorama, the exhibit is visible through the windows.

Volunteer contractors then installed walls, a doorway and a foyer to give dimension to the flooded remains. After that, volunteer artists staged the room using donated furniture and items from dozens of Levees.org supporters.

In Phase One, starting on August 22, 2018, visitors viewed the artistic rendering of a typical family room in New Orleans – filled with music and love – the day before the levees broke.

Staged living room before flooding. Photo/Pat Garin

In Phase Two, starting after Labor Day, artists “distressed” the staged exhibit to create a flooded replica effect using theater art and scenic design techniques.

Staged flooded living room using theater art techniques, Photo/Pat Garin

The final exhibit replicates 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.

Visitors and press at Levees.org’s Unveiling Ceremony of Phase 1 Flooded House Museum. Photo/Pat Garin

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 took place March 23, 2019.