Located on Royal street in the French Quarter this place is an amazing art gallery so if you're in the area add this to your itinerary. The staff are extremely friendly, polite and welcoming and the best part is admission is free to the public! There are 3 stories of fine art, expensive jewelry, antique furnitures and timeless pieces with high end art pieces like Picasso, Monet and Norman Rockwell displayed to view up close. Did you know Frank Sinatra made art too? Yes, you'll see his many pieces. A lot of the art are priced to purchase if you have a $100k-$1M ready to burn. The vintage Tiffany jewelry and collections are incredible and stunning. This gallery is impressive and adds to the NOLA experience. read more

See all

Great gallery about 4.5 stars. It is free to public. You may need about 1.5 hours to visit. Their collection is available to purchase. Some arts are from ancient famous artists. You can imagine the price is a few million. This art gallery has three floor. I would suggest take the elevator top floor and work it down. The art collection includes kitchen wear, furniture, painting, rare stone, jewelry, coin, and more. The rare stone is beautiful. Third floor and second floor has paintings collectible item. It was great to visit. read more

See all

This antique shop on Royal St is more like a museum, and I think it's an absolute must visit. I had to do a bit of research to discover this spot, so I do feel that it's very underrated. The works of art on display are very expensive and opulent. There are all sorts of things from jewelry to musical automata to fancy clocks and paintings and Japanese armor. It's almost as amusing to look at the price tag for these items as it is to look at the art itself. We were dressed very casually and clearly not in the same tax bracket as the people who can afford this stuff, but we were not made to feel unwelcome. There are many tourists who are also casual perusers, so we didn't feel out of place. If you're into antiquing, this is a must-visit spot. Even if you're not into antiquing, I'd highly recommend it. read more

See all

Amazing, An incredible experience. Must see in N.O. The art displayed are as impressive as anywhere in the world. read more

Beautiful, unique items. Knowledgeable staff Very client friendly. The items are amazing

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

The place is amazing. One of the better places to enjoy art, antiques and collectibles. If you're lucky you'll get a knowledgeable escort that will make your visit extraordinary. As they advertise, the exhibits are for sale, but there's no entrance fee. read more

Stunning gallery, more beautiful than most museums if not all in New Orleans. Such a wonderful collection. I wish there were more Adolf William Bouguereau and William Goddard pieces. And maybe at some point there were pieces by Franz Xavier Winterhalter but I didn't find any. This is definitely a hidden gem with 3 different floors and the two separate wings of the most beautiful art in New Orleans. read more

Experienced, knowledgeable, intelligent support for a world class collection of the very best

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. read more

Exterior looks unassuming BUT take a look at works by Renoir, Rockwell, Winston Churchill, Tiffany etc. Really! Feels like you are at a mini art museum but with price tags! Art, antiques & jewelry suddenly got a lot more interesting! They have a 125% guarantee of their fine antiques! MS Rau has been in business since 1912, over 100 years, and run by 3rd generation owner William Rau, an expert in 18th & 19th European fine art and a member of the American Society of Appraisers. Located -on the east side of Royal St between Toulouse St & Peter St -1 block NW of the NW corner of Jackson Sq read more

See all

This is one of the most incredible galleries I've ever been too. There are things here that you truly can't find anywhere else. From mesmerizing self playing violins, to gorgeous priceless art, this place has it all. read more

See all

A museum experience without the admission. Chagall, Picasso, Rockwell and other great works abound. Exquisite jewelry and former King's furniture are a delight. Watch the video of the Italian iron safe or can you figure out how to open it without. A true collector's paradise - being those tech stock gains and see what might catch your fancy read more

MS Rau - Batmobile analog clock - Jewelry Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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! read more

I entered the store by accident one afternoon while with friends and I am so glad I did. I was too intimidated to go in on my own at first, but was so impressed not only with the incredible items on view, but the genuine warm welcome from the staff. I probably spent two hours by myself here. For any museum lover this is an absolute must see. read more

This is genuinely one of the most incredible places I've ever stepped into. Everything is displayed so incredibly. The jewelry gleams in the lighting and the art room on the second floor transports you into every painting. The staff were very friendly and I highly suggest following their social media as well as they post a lot of informative and interesting things about their fine art and antiques. I don't intend to purchase from them (it is a very, very high end place.) however it is still extremely welcome to anyone and everyone to come in and explore and admire! read more

This place is like a museum. You think this is just one of those antique stores but when you arrive, you are mistaken because the space is vast, takes up multiple floors and best of all, you can buy anything you see. There are so many unique things here, you have to stop in and allow ample time to explore, if you are into historic pieces that you could take home. There were so many paintings and sculptures by famous artists on display. Definitely stop in and check it out while you're here. read more

MS Rau - Jewelry Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Astounding. I tried to think of one word that describes this collection and astounding is the only word that will fit. When my husband suggested that we visit this "antique store" I was completely blown away because those are not his forte! When I walked to the store front my first thought was "these people will be able to smell that I do not belong here." This was due to the multi-million dollar collection of jewelry, gems, art, and other artifacts. BUT, I was so wrong! The staff at M.S. Rau are magical. I really believe that I should have had to pay to enter this establishment but they were very clear that they were more than happy to show off their collection, explain and describe their items, and that EVERYTHING was for sale. I am a gem and diamond girl and spent a significant amount of time checking out the most expensive jewelry collection I have ever seen! I thought for sure that was the coolest collection that they had to offer.... not even close! This collection is three stories and is organized by jewelry, collection items, and pieces of art. I think the most magical experience for me was the gallery floors. The walls hold some of the most amazing works of art by Dali, Warhol, and, at one point, Van Gogh! Please do not miss this stop when you are in New Orleans. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my 100th review than documenting my M.S. Rau experience. read more

See all

No doubt, one of the nicest inventories of antiques and decorative art's in the World! I my self have been in the antique Business for 40 years, with a pretty extensive research background, values, auction records, brokering to auction houses. The retail prices on most of these items, are ridiculously inflated. Actually all of them would be WORLD RECORDS, for price realized For that item! Whatever reasoning they have for pricing on so high, is confusing? so if you are one of these lucky individuals, that can drop Great amount of money on over inflated prices, so be it! One needs to be an educated buyer, but the buyer needs to have a educated seller, that is not Greedy, read more

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! read more

This store was more interesting than the majority of museums we've visited. The staff was very polite and helpful. If we ever visit New Orleans again it will definitely be at the very top of places to revisit. read more

Attention: you've hit the motherload of magnificence here. You know how it is, when you're at a museum and you're kind of like, speechless? Only all of this stuff at MS Rau's is *for sale.* And there's just enough to fill the Frick, at the very least. I think I was more immersed in the wonder of that than I could fully appreciate the sheer magnitude of the utterly priceless merchandise coming at me from every angle. (side note: if there's actually a "Ms" Rau, then I imagine her to be very similar to the eccentric Luisa Casati, Man Ray muse and Countessa). So, words, they kind of fail me here. Do you know how often it is that I'm rendered speechless? Surely you can imagine that it's rare. Why not play a little make believe here, why don't we? A virtual shopping trip that goes something like this: Gee, there's an entire case of walking sticks there, some of which are actual weapons so you pull some Jack the Ripper shit on someone's ass. I'll take one of those! Preferably with a non-ivory handle, because that would be just wrong. That giant bear skeleton would look SO Fabulous in my library. Speaking of my library, I'll take a dozen or so of those first edition books that are over there. Really, any would do. That million dollar bed that was made for King uh (?) of France is just what I was looking for and since it was made a couple hundred years ago, I don't have to worry that it's an *actual King-sized bed... so it'll fit in my small bedroom quite well. And a snuff box. I need one of those. Holy shit, is that a LEECH jar? *WANT* And some of those Rembrandt sketches, why not. Would go great above that chair straight outta Versailles. You get the picture. This store is likely out of your league, too, but you can go and indulge in some imaginings... read more

Yes, this store collects antique one-of-a-kind artifacts displaying the absolute pinnacle of opulence and high class, and yes you will be absolutely astounded by what you view you, but don't get any ideas of being treated like a human being. Their inventory will always be more important than anyone that walks in the door. It's really cool walking around this HUGE 'store', I prefer the term 'free museum', but as I said before, the staff is unfriendly and super pompous. I mean come on, how many people actually come in with the intention to buy? I had so many questions regarding the history of some of their items and no a single person would acknowledge my existence. Yelpers and some locals have often said that you can ask to view the private gallery in the back, good luck. We were laughed at when we asked and I found this horribly offensive. If you don't want people back there, then just say it's currently closed. I'm not sure what Rau Antiques goals are but they should definitely start with some form of customer service if they are going to display themselves as a store with price tags and such. Hit and a miss in my book. read more

If I get an extra million dollars I'm going shopping here. The antiques here are some of the highest quality that I have ever seen. They are near mint condition museum pieces. They range from the 1600's to present and some can be older. Beautiful silver pieces, paintings, furniture, jewelry (like royalty and the Pope wears) ...... Literally, I went to the jewelry section and they had an emerald and diamond cross with ring from tbe Pope for 2 million dollars!!!!!! Embarrassingly, I asked if that or other items were for sale as I thought I might mistakenly might have been in a museum or private auction. The attendant joking stated, "Yes, It's 2 million dollars." .... I said "Oh" .... and she goes, "Not in your budget today?" ... and I was thinking "Surely you jest? read more

MS Rau - The Pope's emerald and diamond cross for 2 million dollars - Jewelry Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Yeah, this is the kind of place that I will shop one day when I am a multi-millionaire. Everything here is incredible and gorgeous. Not only that, but I happen to know the person who photographs all of this good stuff for the sale catalog, so I get to see all these wonderful things up close on instagram every now and then. This is a fantastic antique shop that sells fancy, intricate clocks, gorgeous furniture and even statues. All of it looks like it belongs in one of those mansions on St. Charles Avenue. Even if the stuff is out of your price range, it's worth stopping in and seeing what they have because everything here is just gorgeous and perfect. read more

There are so many incredible things in this store, I really don't even know where to start. The sales people were so kind, and more than willing to answer any questions about any of the pieces, especially Ludovic. My husband and I love antiques, because unlike new furniture, antiques hide a story. I like wondering what kinds of life someone or something has witnessed. So if you're like me, this place will blow your mind. Sure you can go to a museum and see really old furniture, but there they have a little placard with some series of dates and facts, blah blah...not to mention, you can never dream of owning it. But here, you can sit at a table, or dream of owning an armoire that has overheard things like: Did you hear the colonist threw three shiploads of tea into Boston Harbor last night! Darling, I will soon be leaving to fight with George Washington and the Continental Army. Where is my musket? Did you polish my boot buckles? President Lincoln has been shot, they are almost certain he will die. Have you heard that the worlds fair will be in St. Louis? If that kind of thing is appealing to you in the least bit, then this store is so very worth a visit. I couldn't afford a thing in it - but that didn't even matter. However, if you are in a position to buy, and you're looking for a piece of furniture that speaks of more than a factory in Japan, Rau Antiques should be your first stop. read more

MS Rau - Victorian Rosewood Sideboard - Jewelry Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

An overall great experience for all with hundreds of amazing items but if you want to buy something I would recommend that you have lots of spare money :) still we appreciated the wonderfully welcome staff who took the time to tell the story of Napoleons desk. read more

This is an absolutely amazing place to visit. I'd been going to New Orleans for years before I discovered it, and now I try to stop in any time I'm in town. There's nothing like it anywhere else, so far as I know. read more

WOW are the three letters for this place. The most incredible store i've ever been to and I use to work for a billionare and see incredible things, but not like this place. Intelligent and very nice staff. Walked in with a friend from out of town and Susan started showing us all the great jewelry they had. She was so nice and enjoyed sharing her knowledge with us. I appreciate nice furniture and this place could register all their pieces in a museum. MUST visit while in NO! read more

If I won the lottery today, then tomorrow I would be on a flight to New Orleans to go pick something out at MS Rau. I'm not sure what I would purchase because there are many things to choose from. Their furniture selection is fantastic. I also love their many boxes of Tiffany silverware... by boxes, I mean specially constructed trunks to hold many settings of silverware. There's always the Paul Revere silver selection, although, I am more partial to Paul Storr. In all honesty, because I'm just weird, I would probably purchase a leech jar or a vampire killing kit. Or maybe just something sparkly from their jewelry selection. Anyways, you want to see amazing antiques... go here. If you have the checkbook to purchase something... I envy you. read more

If you want arrogance in rudeness this is the place for you. I collect antique canes and they have great selection. I dealt with them for years no problem. The person I usually dealt with went on vacation. Tried to make payment with their chief of staff and he insulted me. Then Deborah Choate called and I was told he was fired and it was my fault. Then I was accused of not wanted to really buy the cane so I caused everything. I had no idea of my importance. read more

Not that friendly and not helpful at all. Went with a small group to buy some Beautiful antiques. We were very disappointed with service and selection. read more

Super unique & one of a kind treasures! There were so many cool antiques & pieces of fine art. Loved the experience!

Very knowledgeable staff!heaven on earth if you love antiques.BEWARE your bank account could suffer..Incredible pieces .A must see if in Nola! read more

MS Rau - Jewelry Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Really lovely shop, reminds me more of a museum. I'm not a big fan of antiques...at least not to purchase, way outta my league. But I can appreciate an obviously beautiful painting, tea service, or bedroom set (owned by King Farouk). My oh my, do they have some spectacular items to ogle, even if you are just browsing. I was lucky enough to catch the Napoleon exhibit upstairs, not sure if it's there all the time or not, but really worth stopping by to check out. read more

MS Rau - Here to see the Napoleon exhibit. This pic does not do this diamond encrusted telescope justice - Jewelry Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

See all

This place is absolutely amazing. After living in the New Orleans area my entire life and being intrigued by their window displays, I decided to stop in with my girlfriend. Just WOW. This place features top-notch antiques across all cultures and centuries (I saw something circa 500 BC). Tiffany service sets; a Crimean war Russian mortar cannon; Sèvres and Limoges porcelain; automaton music machines; exquisite fine jewelry...just to name a sliver of their total collection which occupies a large showroom packed with history's finest objets d'art. Also, the people who work here could not have been more pleasant. I thought they would be a bit stuffy--given that the cheapest thing we saw was around $38,000--but I was so, so wrong. A woman personally showed me an object I was interested in and explained its history happily. Well knowing I was not a potential buyer, she was glad to share a piece of history with me. A must visit for locals and tourists. read more

Found the most amazing, unique, and beautiful pieces in this fantastic store. The staff was absolutely fabulous! SO helpful, knowledgeable and gracious. Purchased some incredible and unique pieces to be shipped home. Highly recommended...a must stop on your trip to New Orleans! read more

What a wonderful place for browsing and shopping. Knowledgeable and friendly staff who were willing to tell me all about a piece even though I expressed the fact that I was not capable of buying it. Nonetheless, they explained it to me to my heart's delight. Look forward to shopping with them for the rest of my life read more

MS Rau - Jewelry Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Okay, I admit I didn't shop here but if I had a serious lucky street at competition strip poker...I'd take my winnings here and blow it on cool, cool antiques. By the way, all of Royal Street is fantastic for antiques and window shopping and dreaming and photo ops. read more