House of Dance and Feathers

Mr. Lewis is the most humble and gracious man you could want to talk to. His knowledge of the Mardi Gras Indians is first hand. He’ll answer all your questions and share and endless collection of stories. The collection is incredible. I bought his book and love it! Go see the House of Dance and Feathers, have a sit down with Mr. Lewis, and enjoy the learning experience!

WOW… this is an amazing place! My group came as part of a bike tour and I would have to say, this place and Mr. Lewis was the highlight of the whole bike tour. Talking to him was like talking to an old grandfather or uncle or elder. He had stories and wisdom that if your open to you can just soak up like a sponge. His museum though small gave me a birds eye view of the Mardi Gras Indians and the VERY RICH history behind them. His stories allowed me to really get a sense of what was lost due to Katrina and makes me worry about the longevity of a culture that is loosing its youth due to lack of hope many youths have for New Orleans. They need jobs, so families can stay and the history can be passed down as it always has been from generation to generation.
One of the most important facts I learned was that 95% of families in the 9^th ward owned their homes. BLACK HOME OWNERSHIP at that rate is amazing… Katrina washed a lot of that away. There is so much to the 9^th ward… Mr. Lewis and his museum is just the start.

Came here as part of the Ninth Ward Rebirth Bike Tour. We bought our po boys from Cajun Joe’s and had a nice lunch on picnic tables in Ronald Lewis’ back yard. Mr. Lewis, the «mayor of the Ninth Ward» came out to lead us into his small museum to check out his huge collection of Mardi Gras costumes and memorabilia. Mr. Lewis entertains visitors with lots of stories about New Orleans and Katrina.

It’s really difficult to put into words just how cool this place is. Not only can you learn about the culture of the Mardi Gras Indians and African American Social Clubs, but you get to learn the history of the Lower Ninth community pre and post Katrina. Ronald has story upon story and is willing to share each and everyone. He’s been a community activist in the Lower Ninth for 30+ year. The museum is a little eclectic, as it’s just a building in his yard chalked full of pictures, clippings, and memorabilia that was collected and/​or donated throughout the years. Ronald truly is a great man all around and I appreciate him opening his place up to us!

Ronald Lewis is an absolute treasure. We truly enjoyed talking with him and learning about the history of the real Mardi Gras and seeing all the beautiful costumes he has made. He is a wealth of information and a true gentleman. Give him a call and set up an appointment with him. We took an Über from our downtown hotel. He greeted us on his porch and gave us a one hour personalized experience. His book was also worth buying and a great memory to bring home.

We were visiting our friends in New Orleans earlier this month and one of our friends is writing a book about different neighborhoods in New Orleans. She has done extensive research for this and in doing so she met Ron Lewis. He is an incredible man who has lived through quite a bit in New Orleans. Our friends took us to Ron’s home in the 9^th ward and it was one of the best experiences in New Orleans that we had. His collection of costumes and artifacts from the Mardi Gras Indians almost rivaled the stories he had to tell. My friends and I stayed for about an hour listening to Ron talk about his years being a Mardi Gras Indian, his involvement in different social and pleasure clubs (past and current), and his life in general. His passion and excitement about New Orleans and it’s unique culture is palpable. I highly recommend coming here. This was one of the most unique experiences we had in New Orleans. There is no fee but donations are accepted. His book costs $ 30 and is well worth the buy.

Listening to Mr Lewis is a pleasure. He is open, friendly and has a ton of great stories to share.

The pride felt here and throughout the community is immense. In this little backyard museum, the history of New Orleans is shown at an entirely different angle. This place has a colorful history and visiting here is was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

The highlight of our week in New Orleans was a visit to Ronald Lewis’ backyard museum. Knowing that Mr. Lewis is a celebrity now (honored by the President for his work in preserving and and promoting the Mardi Gras Indians and second lining; featured in the book and musical play, «Nine Lives») we phoned him hoping he might find time during the week to let us see the museum. What we didn’t expect was the warm, enthusiastic welcome («Can you come right now?») as if we were long-​lost cousins. He and his best friend Pete Alexander (a Big Chief of the Choctaw Hunters) were hard at work on their suits for a Big Nine Social and Pleasure Club second line, but both gentlemen set aside their work to talk with us about life and friendship, family and community and the power of tradition. As boys, Ron and Pete were separated by Hurricane Betsy, the first disaster that nearly wiped their neighborhood off the map. As men, they survived Katrina, lost their homes and possessions a second time, were separated and found their way back to the Lower Ninth Ward, their friendship, and second lining.
On a sunny and cool afternoon, these friends welcomed a pair of strangers into their lives and their joy. Ultimate survivors, they radiate optimism. It’s contagious. Catch it.

My wife and I were glad we made the trip to meet Mr. Lewis and see his tiny but densely packed museum commemorating the culture and people of New Orleans.
Be sure and call ahead, because he takes loose appointments since he is the sole operator. And come with questions about New Orleans culture. He was knowledgeable and happy to talk on a number of subjects (the Black Indians, the Skull and Bones Gangs, the Baby Dolls, the parades, the touristy aspects of New Orleans relative to the rest of it, the relationship of the African American and Native American communities in the area).
Google Maps made using the bus system a piece of cake. We were staying in that gaudy Hyatt in the Commercial District, so we just hopped an 88 bus. We got off at Tupelo and his address was a three minute walk down Tupelo. Afterward, the 88 picked us up at the same stop (it turns around for its return trip just a few blocks up) and we were back to our hotel in 45 minutes. And hey, if you’re a nervous person of privilege (it happens to all of us), just be friendly. We’re all neighbors. :)
Oh, and he’s asking $ 30 for his book. I brought cash because I have no idea if he’s rocking Square on an iPad somewhere. It’s coffee-​table-​book size, and a beautiful publication, which he’ll inscribe to you for you. (
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The House of Dance and Feathers is housed in a small building behind Director Ronald Lewis’ house in the Lower 9^th Ward. It may not look like much on the outside, but the collection of costumes and artifacts from Mardi Gras Indians and various Social Pleasure Clubs is a real treat to see. Mr. Lewis lost a great deal of his collection to Katrina, but there’s still quite a bit of material crammed into a small space to keep you busy. Like the Backstreet Cultural Museum (a great complement to the House of Dance and Feathers), these are not replicas or recreations, these are actual artifacts donated to or collected by Mr. Lewis.
As others have noted, the artifacts are great, but it’s spending time with Mr. Lewis that makes this such a great experience. Born, raised, and still residing int he 9^th Ward, Mr. Lewis has been active in these traditions for much of his life, and you’ll get a lot of great stories and information just from listening to him. You kind of get the feeling that he’s happy to talk all day if you have the time. In fact, I anticipated this being maybe a 45 minute visit, but ended up staying much longer because we were having such great conversation.
You can also by Mr. Lewis’ book (also titled House of Dance and Feathers) — a 200 page book explaining the various traditions of Mardi Gras Indians, Social Pleasure Clubs, Bone Gangs, etc. — along with many wonderful full color photos. You can find it all around town, but it’s always a bit special to buy these kinds of things directly from the creators (and he’ll happily inscribe it for you).
If you aren’t a local, I do have one piece of advice — getting a cab here and back was a bit of a hassle. I was to be at the House around noon, but was 45 minutes late, despite having called a cab. A similar scenario on the way back. Despite being late, Mr. Lewis was happy to let me in; and when he came out to sit on his porch following our time in the museum, he yelled out «Come on up on the porch, there’s no need to be standing in that sun today!» So the upshot of my cab being horrendously late was that I got to spend more time with Mr. Lewis talking about the museum, his family, the neighborhood, New Orleans politics, music, and more. I found it incredibly hospitable and well above the call of duty.
But back to my point — in our porch time, Mr. Lewis mentioned that most cab companies will not come out to the 9^th Ward. If you can arrange alternate transportation, I would recommend that. United did take me out and back, but I had to call them two or three times on both sides of my visit to make it happen. Drive yourself if you can (or have a friend do it). If you do get a cab, you might want to make pickup arrangements with the driver before he drops you off.
Through the course of our conversation, Mr. Lewis said, «That’s what I try to be, is a hub of information for the community.» In addition to the traditions documented in his museum, Mr. Lewis’ passion for his community is evident, making this place all the more valuable. This is not a cash in, this is a native working had to preserve history and enrich his community. Highly recommended! There is no admission fee per se, but they do accept donations (and they very much deserve them). Sales from the book also support the museum’s upkeep and educational programming.

Learned a lot here! Ronald was very friendly and answered our questions. The best way to experience this museum is to just look at stuff and ask questions.

Visited Amb. Ronald W. Lewis, custodian and founder, and learned a lot. Buy the book, too!

Just recently returned from New Orleans. Ronald Lewis’s collection of Mardi Gras costume and bead work is a fraction of what remains after his place was hit by Katrina. His little museum located in the ninth ward is jam packed with all kinds of interesting stuff so plan on spending a little time looking around and asking questions. Listen to Ronald’s stories, he is an important citizen of the culture there and his place is well worth the trip.

David Freedman the Gen. Manager of WWOZ radio told me if there was 1 thing not to miss this is it. He was on to the most unusual museum and living legend. Ron Wilson creator, restorer, historian, survivor of Katrina, kind and charming.raconteur. There you can pick up his book about this amazing heartfelt experience. I donated an art book of my experience of the French Quarter festival and I am honored to be amongst the incredible collection. I cannot wait to see Ron next year. The House of Dance & F. is featured as the highlight of this year in my 2013 book.

The Battle for New Orleans…
When we decided to take this trip to New Orleans, I wanted to do this vacation right. My goal was to experence some of the city’s culture, and coming to House of Dance and Feathers was a huge notch on my NOLA belt!
It’s one thing to come down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and get crazy, but what many people miss out on is the meaning and traditions behind Carnival Time. Much of this history and tradition is found here.
Ronald K. Lewis is a citizen of the Lower Ninth Ward, an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. However, House of Dance and Feathers predates this disaster. Since 2000, Lewis has made it his goal to preserve the history of the Mardi Gras Indians, and his little shed in the backyard stands as a shrine to his work and an underappreciated tradition.
The different handmade costumes are displayed by Lewis with great pride. The scene is quite stunning. However, what’s truly moving is the conversation shared with Ronald. He represents a group of determined people that never gave up on the City that Care Forgot. Lewis doesn’t really benefit from his museum, aside from the few donations that he receives. Nonetheless, he sits there, soft spoken, and tells his story and the story of others.
Coming to Ronald can be a little intimidating. The Lower Ninth Ward seems heavy, but it’s definitely worth the trip.

I have been coming to New Orleans for many years for Jazzfest, but increasingly I have started steering away from the more commercialized NOLA towards the real neighborhood and local treasures that have built this culture I so love. Ronald Lewis and the House of Dance and Feathers is an excellent example.
I first heard of Lewis when I read the book Nine Lives by Dan Baum. There are nine New Orleans featured characters in the book and Lewis’s story (union organizer, streetcar worker, community leader in preserving traditions of Mardi Gras Indians and Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs, and… survivor. The book tells the story of how Lewis had gathered costumes for years and lost it all in Katrina. He has rebuilt and thru the generosity and love his community has for him now has a new backyard museum where visitors can come and look at the costumes and photos from New Orleans thru time. More importantly, they will meet a kind and gracious man who can answer almost any question thrown at him about New Orleans culture.
Ronald Lewis is recognized by his peers, in this city steeped in history, as a cultural ambassador. He is a gem. If you want to understand New Orleans more than HBO’s Treme, check this place out — and make sure to leave a generous donation. He does this out of love and being a cultural ambassador does not pay as well as you’d hope it might.

Ronald Lewis is a living treasure to the 9^th Ward. His museum and stories give great insight to the people and local history of the 9^th ward. It is something I will remember when coming home from my trip to New Orleans

To get a down to earth true ninth ward view of the Mardi Gras Indians and their history along with social and pleasure clubs of the lower ninth ward, you only need to stop at one place and this is it.
Ronald Lewis does an excellent job with this tiny museum located in his backyard on Tupelo street. He has history in there from before and after Katrina and a myriad of information to share about his experiences as well as what it takes to be a Mardi Gras Indian. You get a real feel for the culture in this place it is a homey small place but to be honest I would rather learn about our culture by going here rather than a large sterile museum.
You need to phone ahead to see his amazing personal collection of items and bring some cold water as you won’t find air conditioning here. What you will find is is years of New Orleans culture and get a closer look at what makes the Mardi Gras Indians so special.

Sometimes Unilocal makes me want to freaking bang my head, and not in a late 80s Twisted Sister good way.
Curious what other local Unilocalers think of the House of Dance and Feathers, a personal museum of Mardi Gras Indians and Ninth Ward social clubs and a testament to the local culture of that neighborhood that made rebuilding it so important, I find nothing.
If New Orleans had a Nobel Prize it would go to Ronald Lewis (He was the King of the 2008 Krewe de Vieux, which really is the same thing). Ronald is the curator and host at his own backyard museum. After being a parading Mardi Gras Indian through much of his adult life, he filled his house, like his life, with costumes and feathers, an amazing collection… which meant that since it was all on Tupelo Street, it all ended up under a lot of water. If you’ve ever left a peacock in 10 feet of sludge water for a month, you can imagine what happened.
Undeterred, not only to move back to the house and neighborhood that made him what he was, but to restart his museum, he got to collecting again, from scratch, from friends, neighbors, and a bunch of New Orleanians who knew how important his work was. Architectural students from around the country helped him rebuild not only the house, but a new and bigger showcase or his newly growing collection. And with an easy bike ride or car trip he will tell you all about it.
He is featured in Nine Lives (
) and his own book put out by the Neighborhood Story project (and best to buy personally from him on your visit). But a book is not the best way to get his take on his life, his neighborhood, and New Orleans, a visit and his irrepressible smile is.
Call first, so he can make sure he will be there to show you and tell you all about local history personally. Ronald Lewis is a local treasure, take a trip on out to learn real New Orleans history.