New Orleans Pharmacy Museum Housed First US Pharmacist

Experience an authentic 1823 Creole apothecary shop at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum located at 514 Chartres Street and learn how New Orleans played an important role in establishing standards of competency for the pharmacy profession.The museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located within the Vieux Carre Historic District. In 1804 the State of Louisiana, represented by Governor Claiborne, passed a law requiring pharmacists to pass a licensing exam. Prior to this, pharmacists would apprentice for 6 months and then would compound their own medicines. In 1816 New Orleanian Louis Dufilho, Jr. was the first person to pass the three hour licensing exam and thereby became the first licensed pharmacist in the United States. When you visit the Museum, you will see an abundance of exhibits housed on two floors featuring artifacts such as hand-blown apothecary bottles with crude medicinal herbs, gris-gris potions used by Voodoo practitioners, and bloodletting instruments. Other exhibits include 19th century cosmetics, perfumes, a soda fountain, a collection of spectacles and much more.The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM till 4 PM and offers guided tours at 1 PM Tuesday through Friday. Admission is just $5 for adults and $4 for children and seniors. For additional information, please visit the website at: http://www.pharmacymuseum.org/.