The Children's Museum in Indianapolis has opened 'Tiana's Joyful Celebration,' an exhibit detailing how Leah Chase, a renowned New Orleans chef, inspired Disney's Tiana from the 2009 film 'The Princess and the Frog.' The display highlights Chase's life, talents, and legacy as the 'Queen of Creole Cuisine.' It encourages visitors to engage in creative activities like cooking and costume design.
Leah Chase, who passed away in 2019 at age 96, served as the real-life muse for Tiana, Disney's first Black princess featured in the animated movie set in 1920s New Orleans. Chase, known for her expertise in Creole cuisine and her role in running Dooky Chase's Restaurant in the Treme neighborhood, was credited in the film's end credits, a moment her family cherished.
'The Princess and the Frog' draws from Chase's experiences as a chef, seamstress, and community leader. Born in rural Madisonville, Louisiana, with 10 siblings, Chase moved to New Orleans, married trumpeter Edgar 'Dooky' Chase Jr. in 1946, and became deeply involved in her family's restaurant, one of the first African American fine dining establishments in the country. She developed signature recipes, such as Gumbo Z'Herbes served on Holy Thursday, by drawing from over 200 cookbooks while adding her own 'special spice,' as her daughter Stella Chase Reese described it.
Chase Reese, 78, shared in an interview how her mother taught her and her siblings practical cooking skills and even sewed prom dresses during tight financial times, repurposing a bridesmaid's gown for one event. 'When we talk about Tiana's celebration, I'll look at it like that: how each child who comes in here can feel special, that special that I felt that day when my mother completed that dress just for me,' Reese said.
The exhibit, co-produced with Walt Disney Imagineering, runs from March 7, 2026, to January 3, 2027, at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, located at 3000 N. Meridian St. It features interactive elements like gardening for gumbo ingredients, making hot sauce, coloring murals, designing Mardi Gras costumes, and playing music. Reese emphasized its inspirational value: 'She felt great about seeing her name in the credits... that she was inspiration for a person that will impact... other children in that she could inspire them to be them.'
Dooky Chase's attracted notable figures, including the Jackson 5, Nat King Cole, writer James Baldwin, and civil rights leader John Lewis, who visited during Freedom Rides. The restaurant provided a welcoming space for strategizing over meals. 'Every time he was in New Orleans, he came to Dooky Chase's because that was the place he always felt welcome,' Reese recalled of Lewis.
After its Indianapolis run, the exhibit will travel to cities including Columbus, Ohio, and Atlanta.
