Originally built in 1826 for auctioneer Joseph LeCarpentier, Beauregard-Keyes House was built in grand Federal style, with a raised main floor. Inside, note both Creole and American influences along with period furniture and decorative touches. Outside, there’s a formal garden with box hedges. The house is a regular stop on walking tours of New Orleans and the French Quarter.
General Beauregard moved into the property in 1866 while working as president of the New Orleans Railroad. The Beauregard Chamber in the house displays some original furnishings from this era. In 1950, 85 years later, renowned author Frances Keyes purchased the home and spent the next 20 years using it as her winter residence. She wrote several of her best-loved works at the home, includingThe Chess Players,Blue Camellia, andDinner at Antoine’s. Keyes’ collection of antique dolls and teapots are displayed at the house.
Visits to the museum are by guided tour only.
Tours begin on the hour, every hour until 3pm.
There’s an admission charge to enter the museum, with reduced prices for students, seniors, and active military. Children under 6 go free.
The house is located in the French Quarter, at 1113 Chartres Street. The Ursulines stop on the Riverfront Streetcar Line is a short walk away, and the house is easily accessible on foot from other locations in the French Quarter and via walking tours of the city. There is free street parking nearby.
Beauregard-Keyes House is open Monday–Saturday from 10am–3pm. The final tour of the day starts at 3pm. Afternoons are the busiest time, so consider planning your visit before lunch.
Just five minutes’ walk away from Frances Keyes’ house is the former home of another literary great, William Faulkner. Tucked away in Pirate’s Alley, down the side of St. Louis Cathedral off Jackson Square, you’ll find William Faulkner House, where the author lived in 1924. The ground floor is now a bookshop selling works by Faulkner and other authors.
