Louisiana State Museum-Cabildo

Located in Jackson Square adjacent to the St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo was built by the Spanish government between 1795 and 1799 to house offices of the town council. It is here where the history-making transfer papers for the Louisiana Purchase were signed in 1803. Today the Cabildo is Louisiana state museum housing a diverse collection of artifacts including one of the four original death masks made of Napoleon in 1821. The building was transferred over to the Louisiana State Museum in 1908 and has served to educate the public about Louisiana history since. Unfortunately, in 1988 the Cabildo was severely damaged by fire. Over the next five years, the landmark was authentically restored using 600-year-old French timber framing technology. It reopened to the public in 1994 with a comprehensive exhibit focusing on Louisiana's early history.