Most amazing store where it is possible to acquire museum items. The staff willing shares the stories of how items were acquired along with the former ownership. Once in a lifetime opportunity to see these items up close.

Absolutely Amazing!! M.S. Rau has been completely renovated since the pandemic. In addition to all the incredible antiques and jewelry, they have upgraded their 2nd and 3rd floors into THE most incredible exhibition of fine paintings that Ive ever seen. Their new state of the art lighting highlights each painting with an eye popping presentation, the likes of which Ive never seen even in the top museums of the world. This is a best kept secret for those who want to experience the richness of Magritte, Renoir, Manet, Picasso, Matisse, Norman Rockwell and many other superstar artists. Check it out! (Ludovic Rousset gave us a great tour!)

Absolutely unique experience! It’s like a museum of incredibly beautiful and unique things that you can touch, and buy. Of course the price is not affordable for people from the street but you see the real price of each item. It’s so unusual. At the same time you can make pictures and film everything.Even my 8 year olds that were really tired during our visit, told that it was the best place they ever seen.Thank you to the owner and team for making this collection available to see for regular people not collectors and millioneres. And personel was incredibly friendly and willingly shared a lot of information! Absolutely must see place in New Orleans for adults and kids of any age.This place made my day in New Orleans!

We are both art and antique lovers. The new remodel is fantastic. The upstairs art gallery is first rate.

Magnificent selection of important and fascinating antiques. Definitely worth a visit. The employees are knowledgeable and helpful and the spaces are a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of the French quarter.

Interesting place you can actually cause you up to some very famous multi-million dollar paintings and actually touch them great atmosphere has lots of furniture that are antiques a nice place to visit if you want to get away from tourist places

I make it a point to visit this AMAZING antique store everytime we visit New Orleans. The staff is amazing and so hospitable. They make sure to take time to answer any of your questions no matter how crazy. The first time I visited I asked what was the oldest piece they had and they did not hesitate to stay it was a piece of a meteorite. Special thanks to Cole and George. They truly show pride in their job and make us feel comfortable around such exquisite and priceless pieces.

Unbelievable collection of fine art and masters paintings, furniture and a myriad of rare collectibles.

What a wonderful gallery and a quite impressive collection. A great change of pace from the hustle and bustle of New Orleans. Staff was welcoming and professional.

Not expecting the level of refinement in this remarkable establishment. Museum-quality display and lighting, especially upstairs. Formal continental decorative arts of highest order for - though they did point out the customer base is quite diverse these days. A well-oiled machine that knows what theyre doing.

Great classy spot to escape the otherwise not so classy French Quarter crowd. Any art of history lover will enjoy this place. Also want to call out how friendly and welcoming the staff is. While we could afford many of the items being sold in there, I dress very casually and probably don’t look like their typical buyer. But the staff immediately treated us as they probably would their typical clientele. Really appreciated feeling welcome.

Incredible spot, so happy to have stumbled upon it. more like a museum, outstanding pieces of art and other antiques. and it’s huge! great place to explore and get a break from the NOLA heat

This place is insane! More like a museum than an antique mall. The perfect place to explore on a drizzly day. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable with a good sense of humor. They let us interact with the pieces and try on a $10M wedding ring.

Very cool shop!! Extremely nice items for sale! Especially the 2 million dollar chess set! The love chair is a not-miss-it item as well!! Haha! All the staff was very attentive & helpful! Well done, M.S. Rau... very well done! And, hopefully Ill be making a purchase, soon! :-)

This place was so cool. They had some amazing historical pieces and they are totally cool with you looking around with no intention of buying anything. It was almost like a museum!

Lots to see in here

Place is based on the Haves not the Have Nots. People are hungry and homless yet these peoples morals and priorities are skewed. Great selection of things 99% of us cant afford.

This is a great place to wander around to escape the hustle and bustle of the quarter. DO NOT TAKE YOUR SMALL CHILDREN INSIDE THIS STORE. This is not a small child friendly place. The staff is super nice and willing to talk about any piece on display. Its like a museum where you can buy the items if you have the dough to spare. Go here. Its really cool.

Ok full disclosure I have no idea what this place is. Is it a museum? Is it a jewelry store? Is it an antique shop? Probably all of the above. There is no way I could afford the least expensive thing in this place, but it was cool to see it. There was a $2M chess set, yes that is not a typo. $400k armoire, $250k grandfather clocks, all one of a kind, all very old. Oh my the opulence in this place, I actually started speaking with a high faluting accent by the time I left!! Believe it or not?!?!

Stunning collection of antiques and art. Some of the most fascinating pieces Ive had the pleasure of viewing. Staff are helpful and polite. Thoroughly enjoyable place.

This is more museum than antique store. The amazing array of antiques spans many genres and eras. The collection includes fine art, jewlery, and other museum quality pieces. Currently early 2018 it is also home to an exhibit for The triennial Prospect 4. This installation is well worth your time even if you arent into antiques.

Very pleasant place to visit, the staff was lovely. When I entered the lovely lady in the frontwas so welcoming. She took her time to show me this beautiful chess piece, a must see. Its is gorgeous. Then another gentleman took played this oversized music box anther must see. I am in live with this gallery and again the staff was so pleasant. Ty

One of the most opulent galleries Ive ever browsed

There are so many reasons to love this antique store, most importantly, the staff was as impeccable as the antiques. We were on our way back to the car and passed by this antique shop/museum. The armoire near the entrance is so striking that we had to stop to look at it through the glass. However, the sliding doors opened to our surprise and the staff welcomed us in. We initially wanted to admire the armoire only, but the staffs attentiveness and knowledge was so engaging that we decided to look around. The staff told us the history of so many pieces. It was an exciting experience. What was most impressive was the fact that they were close to closing and we had no idea. We were not treated like we needed to leave or that we didnt belong in a shop with such expensive items. We did leave before they closed, but they were attentive and didnt rush us at all. It was obvious that they enjoy their job. I will definitely go back, as I need more time to engage with the entire antique shop/museum. I could have easily spent two hours at minimum in M.S.Rau.

There are antique shops and then there is M.S. Rau. Unlike the many kitschy antique shops scattered about New Orleans, Rau is more like the child of the Louvre Museum and Willy Wonkas Chocolate factory. The third and soon to be fourth generation family business has on display a player piano that also contains a set of three (player?) violins, a real bear skeleton from the ice age, and currently the only Van Gogh for sale in the world. If you are lucky enough, Coles will give you a tour of the secret back area with three floors filled with the most prized pieces in the store which can only be accessed through a hidden door. Despite walking in off the street wearing sandals, shorts, and carrying a plastic bag full of Cajun Seafood leftovers, Coles gave us an amazing tour for about half an hour showing us all the most interesting items and sharing their stories. It was easy to forget that everything is actually for sale from the $800,000 gold encrusted Steinway piano we played to the $10,000,000 Magritte painting in the back. Dont let the name fool you, this is an experience closer to a private museum tour where you can touch the artwork and is entirely free of charge, unless of course you are interested in buying...

This place is better than most art museums. Looking at 2 floors of artwork in the dark was so relaxing. Each artifact was so interesting.

Priceless pieces! A joy to see.

Beautiful place to visit

Absolutely fantastic exhibits, and friendly staff. This gem is a must see of New Orleans to capture the Royal street antique experience

Stumbled upon this gem of a store! If youre into history, gems, and antiques, you cant go wrong here.

Incredible collection of fine art, collectibles, jewelry, antiques and more. Danielle did a fantastic job showing and answering our questions.

Fascinating, varied, highest quality antiques. Definitely worth a visit.

I have viewed their website over the last few years and my husband and I were in town for a funeral. This was one of the places I had in mind when we arrived. My husband saw the staff by the entry with their suits and ties and felt a little underdressed so he was hesitant to go inside. We looked through the windows instead but I really did want to go inside and see the beautiful Tiffany ‘Chrysanthemum’ silverware, the priceless art, Napoleon’s desk from St Helena. An extremely distant relative in the Spanish branch of the extended Kirkpatrick family had a connection with Napoleon so I was especially interested in seeing the desk in person.This place is a treasure for New Orleans and the USA in general. I can’t think of any other antique store that sells museum-quality artifacts with such a large quantity. You folks truly have a world-class establishment there! 👍🏼

This place is amazing and has some of the most amazing artifacts. It was pretty amazing seeing some of the pieces you normally only see behind glass in a museum.

Such an amazing experience. The pieces are out of this world. A nice stop if youre in New Orleans.

Some of the most interesting things Ive ever seen in an antique shop

Exquisite antiques. Enjoyed looking at their unique collection.This place is pretty much a museum but free.

The friendly and knowledge staff, the historical furniture collection, the curiosities, the fine art housed behind a “secret” door—these are all some of the reasons to wander through this wonderful gem.

This is a must see while in new orleans, the antiques are amazing you will think you are in a museum.

Absolutely gorgeous. And the staff is so nice. Does not matter if you are there to purchase or not. A gallery to rival public collections.

This place feels truly like a museum than an antique store. Its a must see if youre visiting New Orleans. The antique pieces are certainly an attraction, but the true gem of this store is the fine arts display on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The display and ambiance is perfectly set up so that a visitor can truly take in the beauty of the art without the noise and distraction of the outside world.

I really enjoyed browsing their selection of curios and artwork

Possibly the coolest shop in the Quarter. Its like a museum where you can buy stuff if you happen to be fabulously wealthy. Seriously though, a beautifully curated antique store with a wonderful staff and some of the coolest antiques Ive ever seen.

A very cool place with lots of antique items from 18th Century France. The staff will chat with you if you have questions but its also a nice place to wander because they wont bombard you with facts. It makes you nervous to toucu anything because everything is so valuable, but it was great! A museum in and of its own at no charge!

The Most Beautiful antique store I ever been to. Wow! I Was speechless. The artifacts were Museum Quality. I spend about an hour there. Highly recommend you stop there when in New Orleans.

WOW. I was absolutely blown away with this antique shop. It was beautiful, huge and had some of the most amazing pieces in it. I could have spent all day here🤩

If you are lucky.... you will be able to catch a tour of their back room. Probably the worst kept secret in New Orleans.I snuck in one that was already in motion. To my untrained eye thought their Picasso and Rockwell were the two most intriguing.

My absolute favorite store in the world! Its like walking into a museum, except everything has a price tag and is for sale. Theyll have everything from the desk of Napoleon to pool tables used by royalty--and the jewelry is fit for a queen, a must-see. The selection and history of the pieces available is unparalleled. I make a point of visiting every time that Im in town. The sales associates/consultants are also very friendly and inviting. I could maybe afford to buy an umbrella in there, and they still treat me like Im going to buy a Norman Rockwell painting in there. If I ever win the lottery, Im heading down south ;)You dont want to miss this!

It is always a joy to spend time in this hidden gem, within the quarter. If youve passed it up in the past, dont make the same mistake again

Finest presentation and collection of antiques Ive seen.

Always a must see. Museum quality pieces, knowledgeable staff. A feast for the eyes.

Definitely worth a visit..

One of the coolest places in the French quarter, a museum in its own right that you can go into for free.

This is a MUST SEE if you are visiting New Orleans. Half of the stuff in this store should be in a museum, but thats part of what makes it so cool. You can stand in front of the literal Napoleon Bonapartes drawing desk and theres not even a velvet rope keeping you back. Its basically a free museum, but better. I wish I had a couple million dollars burning a hole in my pocket so I could spend it here.

The best fine art, antiques and fine estate jewelry gallery in America and possibly the world.

Very entertaining. Obviously couldnt afford anything, but the artwork and antiques were breathtaking.

Are you kidding???! An amazing Haley filled with multi million dollar works of art by the Masters. They let me play their hundred grand piano!

Best store ever!

Visited the store today and it was great!! The employees are so warm and friendly. They let me try on a $9.8 million dollar ring!! So much fun. Lee took us to the secret room. The art was amazing, but not as amazing as Lee. He was wonderful and you can tell he really enjoys his job! Visiting Rau Antiques is always a highlight when we go to New Orleans!

A place for the finest of tastes..... Only if you knew about the secrets this place has hidden in plain sight.... The book shelf from ceiling to floor has secrets only the wealthiest can afford.... Breathtaking say the least..... A must visit place while in The Big Easy.....

Oh my, when you hear about the antique shops on Royal, this is the shop that sets the bar. We went for the free to the public art gallery upstairs, 200 Years of American Paintings. Phenomenal. We learned later they had sold 30 of the paintings already. We inquired about a small portrait of Alexander Hamilton. A smidge under 600k. It was an experience just seeing such exceptional art in one place. The shop is kept nice and cold on a very hot summer day in NOLA.

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This is like a museum of wonderful things. There was a HUGH pool table used by royalty. Abraham Lincolns Opera glasses. Tiffany silverware sets and so much more. And its all for sale (well most of it) And so worth taking an hour or two to see.

This is a museum quality antique store. You will see things here that you may never see again. Everything is beautifully curated and displayed. And they are happy to have people walk through.

This is a fascinating gallery of art and antiques from around the world. More extensive than it at first appears, take a stroll all the way to the back where a concealed door reveals even more renowned pieces (that were unfortunately out on exhibition when I visited).

I knew nothing about this amazing hidden treasure till I just walked by and stepped in. There are dozens of typical antique shops in the French Quarter. This is NOT typical. It is a magical experience. A true treasure!

Amazing antiques. Very helpful staff. Worth visit even if items are out of your budget

Great place. The most amazing stuff you will ever see.

Youd have to be a millionaire to shop here but its an amazing store to browse. Incredible historical artifacts!

This place is better than many a museum. There are not just antiques but actual artifacts here. Items from 1st Century BCE, Napoleons death mask, and if you ask, you can see the paintings in the back by Monet, Churchill, Norman Rockwell and many others. There are fantastic automated music machines like a three violin / player piano that operates on pneumatic pressure. So fascinating.

Fun to browse... employees are super friendly... Inventory is amazing.

Rau Antiques is a gorgeous store filled with an array of items and history. I absolutely adored the library more than anything!!!Definitely a go-to for antique lovers.

How many replies does it take to take me off of your email list? You are the absolute worst type of business for buying a list of emails and spamming me with your products. I had never heard of you until your junk mail started reaching me every week, so dont try to tell me I signed up somewhere or someone gave you my contact information thinking Id be interested.Id have to imagine if youll buy lists of emails to spam your content to, youre also happy to buy an abundance of 5 star reviews. Youre aware most of them read exactly like an ad, right?

The shop was full of interesting and beautiful things to see. Staff was fabulous. Incredibly nice and welcoming and knowledgeable. I had a wonderful time!

Amazing collection. Wonderful free exhibition. Upstairs. Lovely thing is, you can purchase these things! Thank you!

The most beautiful and impressive antique store I have ever seen. A museum with price tags. The staff could not be more approachable. Must see!

One of the greatest antique stores in the country. World class items. If you can spare an hour you really should have a look. Dont be deceived by the small storefront, its HUGE inside.

Very nice store with friendly staff with one of the kind antiques. Prices are very high. And shipping some of these items might cost you an arm and a leg also. But you will never see these items again. Fun place to look

Some of the most exquisite antiques you will ever imagine or see - Its like a museum - I could spend HOURS in this store. Even if you arent in the market for antiques, it is a MUST to visit. dont forget to check out their BEAUTIFUL jewelry. THIS PLACE IS A TRUE TREASURE!

Unless you have the same kind of money that the royal family has, you probably wont find anything here. This place is more like a museum than like a store, but having said that they have some of the most interesting items Ive ever seen in my life. The people are very nice and they know their products well. Go in and take a look around, youll be amazed

Dont be intimidated by the high price tags, this place is a museum with some of the most rare artifacts inn the world. Go upstairs and see everything, and make sure you ask for a tour of the secret room, plus ask to try on any jewelry you like! Truly a unique experience.

We really had fun looking around in this store. They had so many interesting things to look at, very high end.

We went in September. What caught my eye was the pre-Revolutionary Czarist silverware set in the display window. The place is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! We took a tour of the art gallery upstairs, as well, and were extremely impressed. Highly, highly recommend.

Amazing shop! They have beautiful, one of a kind antiques from all over the world. Their customer service is top notch and total experts in their field. Make time for this during your stay, you will enjoy it.

Interesting to see if you like fancy antiques and see stuff you could possibly never afford.

Beautiful gallery with gorgeous antiques. The real thing. I wish we had more time, but we had to leave for our flight. It is a lot bigger than it seems with a giant showroom spanning in the back. Makes you wish you were old money. Definitely a must visit, regardless.

The best antique shop in the United States. Better than 7/8s of museums.

Amazing. Well worth a visit. Beautifully displayed art.

Amazing place. Museum quality art, jewelry, etc. All for sale, IF we mere mortals could afford it. Looking is however free.

Wow! Stop by and check out the amazing antiques, gorgeous jewelry and world-class paintings. Superb!

Outstanding establishment and as many reviewers note, better than many museums. Theres a mix of antiques from 1700-1900s. All are in exceptional condition and theres something for everyone.

I actually recommend tourists to visit Rau’s in leu of a museum. Stunning, well chosen pieces! The staff makes everyone at ease, be they rich or poor. Highly recommended.

I love this place. Best antiques in America. I bought 2 things and they are pieces of history. Its like a museum with price tags. A lot is expensive but there are affordable things too. You gotta see it to believe it. Everything from dinosaur skeletons to original art by Claude Monet.

This place should be a museum. Worth checking while in New Orleans. If you got the money and want the best this is the place to go.

Back passages, secret rooms, and wings still being built offer priceless antiques at an affordable price.

More like a museum. Super friendly staff. A must see esp if you have a few hundred thousand burning a hole in your pocket. Go for the cave bear skeleton and ask to see the degas monets and rockwells.

Amazing place to go. Wonderful antiques and art.

This is by far the most exquisite antique store I have ever visited. I felt as if I were in a museum, only I could purchase anything inside. Furthermore, the staff was beyond excellent. We had someone with us the entire time we were there and they provided us with a wealth of knowledge. If you want the best, go to this antique store!

A dream to go to! Excellent staff! My name was on file! Catalogs are a inspiring and cherished! Then you walk in and all comes to life! I shopped entire store! I could stay all day!

Just about the most remarkable collection Ive ever seen.