Norton Botanical Gardens to Reopen Saturday, 16 May 

In an eager and grateful affirmation of Governor Edwards’s announcement Monday, the R. W. Norton Art Gallery is re-opening its botanical gardens Saturday, 16 May. For those of you who are long-term visitors, there will be a drastic change in our operating hours due to reduced staffing. The new hours are:

Summer Hours:

Monday - Thursday:  4:00pm - 8:30pm

Friday - Sunday:        6:30am - 8:30pm

We must emphasize that Monday - Thursday, unlike our old operating hours, the gardens are closed to the public during the day until 4:00pm. In addition, the fenced gardens will be accessed solely through the main service gate on the south end of the building at Creswell Ave., with the north gate at Thora Blvd. serving as an exit only. 

None of the above restrictions apply to the garden area west of Creswell Ave. or the “island” in front of the museum’s main entrance, both of which will be open dawn until dusk, year round.

As to the museum, there are no plans in the near future for a general, walk-in-off-the-street-anytime-you-want public re-opening. This does NOT mean we are out of business or going out of business; it only means that we, too, are adjusting to the new reality of staff and public health and safety measures and must formulate a new way of servicing the community. So, please bear with us and keep checking our social media sites for updates. 

Please be respectful of your fellow visitor by maintaining the approved social distance. We are looking forward to having you back and thank you for your patience. 

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE R.W. NORTON ART GALLERY

There are no plans in the near future to open the museum to the general public. This does NOT mean we are out of business; it only means that we, too, are adjusting to the new reality of staff and public health and safety measures and must formulate a new way of servicing the community. So, please bear with us and keep checking our website and social media for updates. 

 

  

Welcome To Our Museum

History Of Our Museum

The R.W. Norton Art Gallery houses an exceptional collection of art spanning more than four millennia.   Since its opening in 1966, the museum has become particularly well-known around the country for its impressive collections of works by those titans of western art, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell.   The R.W. Norton Art Gallery is a teaching museum that uses the art to encourage community participation in thoughtful interpretations and discussions.

In the early 1920's, Richard W. Norton (1886-1940) became one of the discoverers of the Rodessa Oil Field in north Louisiana. Over time, Mr. Norton's wife and son began to amass a significant collection of fine art. In 1946, to honor Mr. Norton and for the benefit of the community, Richard W. Norton, Jr. (1919-1974) and his mother, Mrs. Richard W. Norton (1886-1975) created the R.W. Norton Art Foundation. In turn, the Foundation eventually established the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, basing its initial collection upon donations from the acquisitions of the Nortons. Today, due to the on-going efforts of the Board of Control and the Foundation's work, the R.W. Norton Art Gallery's offerings continue to expand, grow, and contribute to their community.