James Gallier, Jr. (it's pronounced Gaul-ee-er, by the way; he was Irish, not French), designed and built the Gallier House Museum as his residence in 1857. Because it sustained no damage in Hurricane Katrina, it was able to reopen in early December 2005. Anne Rice fans will want to at least walk by -- this is the house she was thinking of when she described Louis and Lestat's New Orleans residence in Interview with the Vampire. Gallier and his father were leading New Orleans architects -- they also designed the old French Opera House, the original St. Charles Exchange Hotel, Municipality Hall (now Gallier Hall), and the Pontalba Buildings. This carefully restored town house contains an early working bathroom, a passive ventilation system, and furnishings of the period. Leaders of local ghost tours swear that Gallier haunts the place. Inquire about seasonal special programs. Combination tickets with the Hermann-Grima House are available for an additional $4.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New Orleans 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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