At the age of 71 Delgado, a wealthy sugar broker, wrote to the City Park Board about his intention to build an art museum in New Orleans.
"I have been led to believe that you would willingly donate in the park the site for a building I propose erecting to be known as the 'Isaac Delgado Museum of Art'.
The gated garden features over 90 modern and contemporary sculptures set among live oaks, pines, magnolias, camellias, lagoons, several bridges, and a walking trail.
Although City Park suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, the museum is elevated and located on relatively high ground.
[3] The permanent collection at the museum features more than 40,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of art, including the Italian Renaissance to the modern era.
focusing on pre-Lenten festivals across several European and American cultures (including Mardi Gras in New Orleans), and several anniversary exhibitions related to Hurricane Katrina.