Williams Research Center
Explore centuries of Gulf South culture with unparalleled access to rare documents, art, and historic treasures.
Plan Your Visit
Hours & Location
410 Chartres Street
Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday
Admission
Free and open to the public.
Appointments are recommended but not required.
Contact Us
To make an appointment or to correspond with a reference associate about your research topic, email reference@hnoc.org or call (504) 598-7171.
What to Expect
Frequently Asked Questions
New to the WRC reading room? Check out our FAQ for information on policies, resources, and everything else you need to know about visiting the research center.
Ask a Librarian
Our expert reference staff is available to help with questions big or small.
Rights & Reproductions
HNOC provides reproduction images of collection materials for a fee, subject to US copyright law. Scans may be requested for study purposes or for use in publications, exhibitions, or motion pictures.
Ask a Librarian
Have a question about our holdings, or need more information about visiting the Williams Research Center? Our reference staff wants to hear from you.
Getting Here
HNOC’s museum is located at 520 Royal Street in the French Quarter, on Royal Street between Toulouse and St. Louis. Our Williams Research Center is located at 410 Chartres Street.
Online Catalog
Search or browse through HNOC’s vast collections of manuscripts, artifacts, books, artwork, and more in our online catalog.
Collection Highlights
Get a glimpse of the objects and collections preserved by HNOC
Research Tools
Genealogy Resources
Our experts at the Williams Research Center are available to help you dive into your family history.
Tennessee Williams Studies
HNOC is one of four main repositories of the playwright’s work. We produce an annual scholarly journal and conference devoted to Williams, among other research tools, articles, and exhibitions.
Research Pathfinders
Subject-based guides to primary and secondary sources in our holdings
Vieux Carré Survey
Begun in 1960 to bolster local historic preservation efforts, the survey contains detailed property data about every building and lot in the French Quarter from the French colonial period to the present.
Oral History
HNOC’s oral history program preserves diverse personal narratives, fostering a richer collective memory through interviews and vignettes.
Lost Friends Database
A database of more than 2,500 advertisements placed in the decades following the Civil War chronicles individuals searching for loved ones lost in slavery.
Decorative Arts of the Gulf South
HNOC’s ongoing research project dedicated to the material culture of the Gulf South
New Orleans Cemetery Database
Explore data contained in the Survey of Historic New Orleans Cemeteries, which covers St. Louis No. 1 and St. Louis No. 2 in New Orleans.
Research Pathfinders
Delve into popular research topics through detailed guides to our holdings.
Battle of New Orleans Research Pathfinder
Browse HNOC’s unparalleled wealth of research materials relating to the Battle of New Orleans and the War of 1812 in the South, including personal and official records.
Tennessee Williams Research Pathfinder
View our guide to HNOC’s extensive holdings about the famous playwright, including a summary of previously unpublished works found in the Tennessee Williams Annual Review.
Oral History
HNOC’s oral history program preserves diverse personal narratives, fostering a richer collective memory through interviews and vignettes.
Viet Chronicle
An oral history project that documents New Orleans’s Vietnamese American community, which continues to profoundly influence the city and its culture.
NOLA Resistance
Explore our oral history project featuring testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976.
New Orleans Life Story Project
Narratives of people who have shaped the neighborhoods, politics, and culture of the city.
Prizes & Fellowships
Supporting new historical research through funded scholarships and awards
Woest Fellowships
Fostering new scholarship on Louisiana and Gulf South history through funded research residencies, offered annually.
Williams Prize
Awarded annually by HNOC and the Louisiana Historical Association, the Kemper and Leila Williams Prize in Louisiana History highlights excellence in research and writing on Louisiana history.
Internships
Intern at the WRC
Get on-the-job training in collections management, research, and library science through the WRC’s internship programs.
Loan Requests
Learn about how HNOC loans materials from its permanent collection to other museums and institutions.
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