New Orleans Attractions
New Orleans Attractions
 | Airboat Adventures New Orleans, LA • 888-467-9267 Considering an Airboat Adventure tour? Here's how it works: After you book, your family will get picked up directly from your hotel roughly an hour before your tour departure time. After about a 45-minute drive, you'll arrive in genuine Louisiana swampland. Climb aboard a small airboat and get ready to explore scenic (but steamy!) swamp waters, home to alligators and countless bird species. During the two-hour tour, your guide will regale your group with stories of all-things-alligators and the history of the swamp -- it's truly an unforgettable and one-of-a-kind Louisiana experience. Tour prices vary based on season and party size. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Audubon Aquarium of the Americas 1 Canal Street New Orleans, LA • 800-774-7394 A popular attraction for families visiting New Orleans, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is the perfect indoor attraction for rainy days in the Big Easy. But even if it doesn't rain on your parade, you still shouldn't miss the chance to explore this gem of a city aquarium, which is conveniently located near the French Quarter on the banks of the Mississippi River (if you're staying in the French Quarter, you're just a stroll away from the aquarium). Noteworthy aquarium attractions include daily penguin, sea otter and stingray feedings; and Caribbean Reef, a glass tunnel surrounded on all sides by exotic ocean creatures and colorful coral. Aquarium tickets, which cost $24 per adult and $14 per child (ages 2 to 12), also include admission to the adjacent Entergy IMAX Theater. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Audubon Insectarium 423 Canal Street New Orleans, LA • 504-581-4629 If your kids love spiders, butterflies and other creepy crawlies, they'll be fascinated by the Audubon Insectarium, the largest museum dedicated to insects in the country. This relatively new New Orleans attraction has an Asian garden brimming with beautiful butterflies, a Louisiana swamp exhibit that features local insects, plus a neat program that allows kids to actually touch some exotic insects (under the watchful eye of an entomologist, of course). Tickets cost $25 per adult and $10 per child (ages 2 to 12), but we recommend purchasing Audubon Experience Tickets, which include admission to three other family friendly attractions. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Audubon Nature Institute Nature Center Drive New Orleans, LA • 504-581-4629 Take a scenic trolley ride from downtown New Orleans and head uptown through the pretty Garden District, ending at the Audubon Nature Institute, the city's zoo. This historic zoo was established in what was originally Audubon Park, where John James Audubon painted his "Birds of America" in Louisiana. Parents will appreciate the zoo's impressive history, and kids will enjoy peering at the hundreds of animals that live at the zoo -- including jaguars, elephants, white alligators and orangutans. There's also a colorful carousel in the zoo (tickets cost $2 for non-members), as well as a fun Swamp Train that runs from the carousel to the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit (tickets cost $5 for non-members). Don't miss the scheduled alligator feedings that take place in the Swamp Exhibit. Tickets to the zoo cost $13.50 per adult and $8.50 per child (ages 2 to 12), but families can also purchase Audubon Experience Tickets, which include admission to the zoo, aquarium, IMAX theater and insectarium for $34.95 per adult and $19.95 per child. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World New Orleans, LA • 504-361-7821 Larger-than-life floats splashed with every color of the rainbow abound at Mardi Gras World, a unique attraction dedicated to New Orleans' most famous celebration. Mardi Gras World is a huge warehouse studio where artists create and store floats for New Orleans' annual Mardi Gras parade. Families can take a one-hour tour of the place, during which kids (and brave parents) get to try on silly costumes, watch artisans creating floats for the upcoming Mardi Gras festivities and learn about the history of Mardi Gras. Tours, which take place every 80 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the week, cost $18.50 for adults and $11.50 for kids ages 3 to 11. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Entergy IMAX Theatre 1 Canal Street New Orleans, LA • 800-774-7394 Find five-and-a-half-story screens at the IMAX theater near the Audubon Aquarium (aquarium tickets include admission to the IMAX show of your choice). It can get pretty hot in New Orleans -- especially during summer -- and a few hours in an air-conditioned theater with some ice-cold soda is a great way to cool off from the heat and humidity. Films are shown almost every hour between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | French QuarTour Kids New Orleans, LA • 504-975-5355 A tour company designed specifically for kids, enjoy an entertaining walk through the French Quarter. Learn about the cities past from the beginning of colonization through the Civil War, or go back in time to the Golden Era of the 1830s. Kids will love the stories of swamps flooding streets with alligators, pirates and children's lives in the 1830s. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Jackson Square New Orleans, LA Bustling Jackson Square is widely considered the heart of New Orleans. Jazz musicians and other street performers gather at this National Historic Landmark, where there's almost always something interesting going on. There are horse-drawn carriages lined up along the square, ready to take tourists on romantic rides through the city. Jackson Square is a great starting place from which it's easy to walk to a number of other New Orleans attractions, such as Cafe du Monde (a stone's throw away) and the St. Louis Cathedral, plus shopping and local restaurants. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | National WWII Museum 945 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA • 504-582-1944 Families can get a first-hand look at fascinating WWII artifacts and exhibits at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Exhibits from "Air and Sea," which visually displays the thousands of ships in Operation Neptune (the largest armada ever), to "America Goes to War," an exhibit that includes letters, photos and other mementos from real Americans involved in the war effort, bring American history to life. The museum also features regular events and workshops like free history lectures and scavenger hunts. Tickets to the museum cost $18 for adults and $8 for kids ages 5 to 12. Admission for kids under the age of 5 is free. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | St. Louis Cathedral New Orleans, LA • 504-525-9585 This is the iconic cathedral depicted in countless images of New Orleans -- and it's a classic must-visit New Orleans attraction (even if you go just to snap a photo of the family in front of the famous landmark). Both the interior and exterior of the 18th-century Spanish Colonial cathedral, with its elaborate stained glass windows and towering spires, are gorgeous. Interesting fact: It's the oldest continually used cathedral in the U.S. The St. Louis Cathedral is conveniently located in the French Quarter at Jackson Square, and admission is free. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Steamboat Natchez New Orleans, LA • 504-586-8777 It's impossible to miss the steamboat rolling down the river -- its louder-than-any-screaming-baby whistle alerts anyone within a stone's throw from the Mississippi of its arrival. Kids can get a glimpse into life on the Mississippi as depicted in their classic Mark Twain tales aboard this three-level steamship -- the only authentic steamboat in New Orleans -- that cruises up and down the Mississippi each afternoon for two hours. Or enjoy a dinner jazz cruise. Cruises are $24.50 for adults, $12.25 for children 6 to 12, and free for children under 6. Add another $10 per ticket for lunch ($8 for children under 6). Evening cruises are $40 for adults ($64.50 with dinner), $20 for children ($32.25 with dinner) and free for children under 6 ($12.25 for dinner). Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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