A brief history of our
bed and breakfast in New Orleans
A family business for four decades
My mother Ruth Bodenheimer ran the Lanaux Mansion as a living museum and popular New Orleans bed and breakfast for nearly 35 years. When she passed away in 2019, my husband Nik and I decided to carry on her legacy by reopening her home to lovers of music, food, history, and the uniquely good times only New Orleans can offer.
Mom and I shared the same vision for the Lanaux: To keep its architecture and historic details intact while gracefully weaving in the modern comforts guests rely on in their daily lives — A/C, wi-fi, smart TVs, coffee makers, and more. By getting the balance just right, I hope to give you a perfect French Quarter experience.
I grew up here in the Big Easy, partly right here in this house. And although I’ve lived in other great cities such as Tokyo, Paris, and San Francisco, nothing beats coming home to our family’s bed and breakfast in New Orleans. I hope you’ll enjoy being here as much as I do. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay unforgettable.
A New Orleans landmark since 1879
The mansion was built after the Civil War by Charles Andrew Johnson, a wealthy Connecticut attorney. With no children of his own, he left it to his goddaughter, Marie Andry. When Marie married local businessman George Lanaux, it became known as the Lanaux Mansion.
Prior to its construction, the area where it now stands was a major center of the American slave trade. The movie 12 Years a Slave chronicles the fate of Solomon Northup, who was kidnapped and sold at auction just steps from here in 1841.
The house has appeared in the films Cat People starring Natassja Kinski in 1982 and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt in 2008; cooking shows and dinner parties hosted by celebrity chefs John Folse and Paul Prudhomme; the show If Walls Could Talk on HGTV; and even a paranormal ghost-hunting show or two. Oh, and we’re also listed in the Ghost Hunter’s Guide to New Orleans and on several of those “Most Haunted Places” lists as well, but don’t let that scare you away.
