Marquis de Lafayette
After Jean Antoine Houdon, 1790
Bronze
Gift of Federal Hall Memorial Association, 1949
Louisiana State Museums 12922

“The Nation’s Guest. In Commemoration of the Magnanimous and Illustrious LAFAYETTE’S Visit to the United States of North America in the Forty-Ninth Year of Her Independence.” Joseph Perkins after Ary Scheffer, 1825. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

“The Nation’s Guest.”
Engraving
Joseph Perkins after Ary Scheffer
Courtesy of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette
Charles Wilson Peale, 1779
Oil on canvas
Washington and Lee University
Washington-Custis-Lee Collection, Lexington

Bienvenue Lafayette

Thu, April 10, 2025 - Sun, January 18, 2026

Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Visit to Louisiana

In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette, a key figure in the American Revolution, embarked on a grand tour of the United States at the invitation of President James Monroe and Congress. The tour, celebrating the nation's 50th anniversary of independence, lasted into 1825. Lafayette, known as the "hero of two worlds" for his role in securing French support for the American cause, was welcomed with enthusiasm across all 24 states. His visit reaffirmed the enduring Franco-American alliance and celebrated shared ideals of liberty and democracy.

Lafayette's tour was marked by public celebrations, music, and the creation of commemorative items, making him a precursor to modern celebrity. One notable stop was his five-day visit to New Orleans in April 1825, where city officials spared no expense, spending the equivalent of $450,000 to transform the Cabildo into lavish accommodations for Lafayette, symbolizing the city's growing significance in the United States.

To commemorate the bicentennial of Lafayette's tour, the Louisiana State Museum presents Bienvenue Lafayette from April 10, 2025, to January 18, 2026, opening on the exact 200th anniversary of his arrival in New Orleans. The exhibition features artifacts, documents, and works of art from local and national collections, and offers visitors insight into Lafayette's legacy as a champion of liberty, democracy, and the abolition of slavery. This exhibition deepens the public's understanding of Lafayette's impact on both the United States and France and highlights New Orleans' role in the broader historical narrative.

Spirit of ’76 Chapter