Historic New Orleans Collection announces $35 million project to reimagine original Royal Street campus

Written by Alicia Vial

Transformative project will restore seven buildings and five courtyards anchored at 533 Royal St.

NEW ORLEANS – Following its “Cheers to 60 Years!” celebration, the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) is launching the public phase of a $35 million capital campaign to restore, renew and reimagine its original campus at 533 Royal St. The project marks a new chapter for the institution and reinforces its role as a cultural anchor in the French Quarter.

The reimagined 533 Royal St. will transform HNOC’s original campus into a world-class museum, restoring seven historic buildings and five courtyards while integrating new galleries, interactive displays, educational spaces, areas for public programming and events and a historic house museum. Previously, the majority of the complex was dedicated to back-of-house uses such as office space, workshops and collections storage; the renovation will make the entire site accessible to the public for the first time, while expanding the institution’s capacity to welcome visitors, students and the community.

Since its founding in 1966, HNOC has grown from a small reading room at 533 Royal St. into an institution that houses the world’s largest collection of materials relating to the history and culture of New Orleans. The buildings of the Royal Street complex, which front both Royal and Toulouse Streets, are among HNOC’s most significant historic holdings, and their preservation reflects the institution’s commitment to protecting the French Quarter’s cultural heritage and supporting the city’s future.

“533 Royal is where HNOC began, and bringing new life to this campus is about more than renovating historic buildings,” said Daniel Hammer, HNOC’s president and CEO. “It is about ensuring that the French Quarter remains a place where history is preserved, culture is experienced and people from New Orleans and around the world can come together. This $35 million project is an investment in HNOC, but, more than that, it is an investment in the future of the French Quarter and the city we serve.”

The project will significantly expand HNOC’s capacity for exhibitions, educational programming and public events, with a goal of welcoming 300,000-plus visitors annually. HNOC’s investment will also contribute to a broader vision of attracting one million visitors to French Quarter museums each year.

“The Historic New Orleans Collection was built on a belief that the stories and objects of this place are worth preserving, and our original campus is both the foundation and the key to our future,” said HNOC board chair Bonnie Boyd. “Over the next three years, we will restore these historic structures, renew the visitor experience and reimagine what HNOC can mean for New Orleans and for everyone who comes here to learn about this extraordinary city.”

One of the new exhibition spaces will be home to Watershed, a groundbreaking exhibition examining New Orleans as fundamental to the story of the United States. Featuring more than 130 original artifacts spanning three centuries, the exhibition will explore subjects ranging from the Louisiana Purchase and Reconstruction to jazz and the climate crisis, inviting visitors to consider the city’s continuing role in shaping America’s future.

“New Orleans is often understood through its European, African and Caribbean influences, but its influence on the United States is just as profound,” said Erin M. Greenwald, HNOC’s deputy director. “The new gallery spaces give us an opportunity to use HNOC’s extraordinary holdings to tell that story in a way that is immersive, accessible and meaningful to both our community and visitors from around the world. This is a chance to show why New Orleans is essential to understanding the American experience.”

Ryan Gootee General Contractors is leading construction, with Trapolin-Peer Architects and Hartman-Cox Architects serving as the project architects and Metcalfe Architecture and Design providing exhibition design services. The renovated campus is expected to open to the public in 2029.

To date, HNOC has successfully secured $30 million towards the 533 Royal St. project, including more than $11 million in philanthropic private giving from donors. For more information about the capital campaign and the campus transformation visit hnoc.org.

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Historic New Orleans Collection:
Home to the world's largest collection of materials related to the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South, the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) is a nonprofit institution dedicated to preserving the region's distinctive heritage. Established in 1966 through the Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation, HNOC functions as a free museum, research center and publisher, spread across more than 14 historic buildings in the heart of the French Quarter. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org.                                            

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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