We received tickets in exchange for honest opinions.
There are certain cities we have almost decided as a society are reserved for adult travel only. The first two that come to mind are Las Vegas and New Orleans. After our epic 4,000-mile road trip this past summer, we were ready to embark on a new adventure together as a family! This time, we decided to ring in the new year in New Orleans. Because New Orleans is stereotypically a party city, here are some ideas for sharing fun adventures with your family when you visit New Orleans with kids.
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
Our first stop in New Orleans was the Audubon Aquarium. This aquarium is located on the Mississippi River, adjacent to the French Quarter. Here were some of the highlights:
- Hand-feeding fish to the manta rays
- Viewing several animal habitats, like otters and penguins
- Feeding seeds to the parakeets in the aviary
- Stepping inside clear tubes that allow you to feel like part of the aquarium
The Audobon Zoo is located in the historic uptown area of New Orleans. Since the children were babies and we learned about the rare white alligators, we have traveled to different locations to see them. I believe there are 12 total from the same nest, and we have seen about half a dozen so far, at the Louisville Zoo, West Palm Beach Zoo, South Carolina Aquarium, Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Zoo (and I may be missing one or two we saw along the way). The children also loved seeing the big cats, monkeys/apes, birds, animals native to Louisiana, and the enormous tree they got to climb.
Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium
And the final Audubon location we visited – the Insectarium – located within the U.S. Custom House. The kids love butterflies, so the indoor butterfly garden was definitely the highlight, but they also enjoyed seeing many other insects, fish, and other fun critters. We even got to eat bugs, which was definitely a new experience.
City Park is a beautiful park located just a trolley ride away from the French Quarter. It contains several separate areas, including a sculpture garden, botanical garden, a lake, open green spaces, and Storyland Park {more info about this below}. It’s an incredible spot to explore nature and enjoy peaceful surroundings.
Storyland Park
Storyland Park is what early childhood dreams are made of! Located in New Orleans City Park, it’s a larger-than-life playground with multiple play areas featuring characters and settings form some of the most well-known fairytales and nursery rhymes. There is also an area with fair rides, but it was not open when we visited.
Visiting Cemeteries
To some this may be morbid, but I look at it as more of a celebration of the life that once was and a respect for the individuals’ passing. We talked about the history of the cemeteries we visited, many of which are located in the Garden District. We appreciated the architectural elements, like the stained glass windows and all of the differently-shaped structures. The kids actually enjoyed trying to find the oldest tombstone {I believe it dated back to a birth of around 1820}.
A few of our other favorites places to check out in New Orleans:
- French toast sticks for brunch at Ruby Slipper
- Hot dogs of all kinds {traditional, sausages, fish, hamburger, etc.} at Dat Dog
- Regular and chocolate beignets at New Orleans Coffee & Beignet Co.
- Watching the sun rise {through the fog} over the Mississippi River
- Coffee at PJ’s coffee
- Walk through the French Market
Any Comments?