 There are endless exciting sights, sounds and family fun in New Orleans. From arts and culture to sports and theme parks – this city has it all!
Major sightseeing attractions for families can be found at: http://www.neworleansonline.com/tours-attractions/family.
These are highly recommended:
Tour the city by Streetcar: The city of New Orleans offers a great public transportation in the form of the classic New Orleans streetcar. The Regional Transit Authority in the area offers three different streetcar lines, the Canal, St. Charles and the Riverfront line. The Canal Street line takes you up and down the famous Canal Street with stops all along the way, St. Charles takes you through the Garden District one of the most beautiful New Orleans routes and the Riverfront line has stops such as the French Quarter and Riverwalk all for just $1.25 one way! http://www.neworleansonline.com/tours-attractions/tours/streetcars.html
Audubon Zoo: This zoo has almost 1500 animals representing over 300 species. Visit Monkey Hill, or Jaguar Jungle or take a Safari Simulator Ride. Whatever you do this is sure to be a day well spent!
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: Named one of the top five aquariums in the country this place of watery wonder is home to one million gallons of fresh and saltwater exhibits. It has over 530 species all in replications of their natural habitats.
Audubon Louisiana Nature Center: An interactive center that helps kids and adults alike discover the natural world. Visitors can become face to face with the local environment through hands-on exhibits, programs and forest trails.
Entergy IMAX Theater: The six-story screen and digital sound system places each viewer in the movie. Visitors can see Into the Deep, Ocean Wonderland, take the wheel in NASCAR 3D, or enter the world of Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The films run daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Six Flags New Orleans: One of America’s newest theme parks this exciting family destination in New Orleans East offers roller coasters, Zydeco Scream and Batman the Ride, for the strong-hearted and Spongebob Squarepants: the ride for those that seek a calmer approach to life.
Louisiana Children’s Museum: With hands-on learning this Louisiana favorite is sure to be a treat. Explore New Orleans as a port city, raise a turtle and step into eyeballs. The museum also has a special play area for infants and toddlers.
City Park: Over 1300 acres of greenery this place offers several things for families to take part in. Hines Carousel Gardens has one of the last antique wood carousels for children to enjoy along with a ferris wheel and other amusement park rides. Nearby is the Storyland playground where kids can play with pieces straight out of fiction!
D-day Museum: As the national World War II Museum, the D-day Museum of New Orleans tells the story from the American perspective of one of the biggest wars in our world history. Read how the Americans prepared for the invasion and the sacrifices they made until the end.
Presbytere: Learn about the history of Mardi Gras and see floats come to life at the Friends of the Cabildo Museum. It is a great way to keep Mardi Gras in your life even if it has passed for yet another year.
Riverboats and Day Cruises: Take a nice leisurely riverboat ride down the Mississippi. There are several steamboat options, whether you would like a dinner or lunch cruise or to combine it with your day at Audubon Zoo and Aquarium. For more information, please visit: http://www.neworleansonline.com/tours-attractions/tours/daycruises.html.
Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World: Take a tour and see “where Mardi Gras is made.” This museum of sorts shows the visitor just how Mardi Gras is created and made better year after year.
Broadway Shows, Family Concerts, Plays and Productions
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
(504) 523-6530
New Orleans Opera Association
(504) 529-2278
Orpheum Theatre
(504) 524-3285
Saenger Theatre
(504) 524-1052
New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
(504) 582-8100
For more theatre listings, please visit: www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/arts/theater.html
Nature and Wildlife tours:
New Orleans Swamp Tours
(504) 236-3143
(800) 445-4109
Cajun Encounters
(504) 2356-0898
Kliebert Alligator and Turtle Tour
(504) 345-3617
(800) 455-4109
Louisiana Swamp Tours
(504) 689-3599
(800) 30-SWAMP
For more information on swamp tours in New Orleans, please visit: http://www.neworleansonline.com/tours-attractions/sports/swamptourguide.html
There are over 40 museums that cater to a myriad of interest. For more information, please visit: www.NewOrleansMuseums.com.
You may want to check out these cultural and historical attractions with the family
Louisiana State Museum
(504) 568-6968
(800) 568-6968
The State Museum preserves Louisiana’s rich legacy of historical events and fascinating traditions in its landmark properties: the Cabildo, Presbytere, Old Mind, 1850 House and Madame John’s Legacy.
Historic New Orleans Collection
(504) 523-4662
This museum is a spectacular showcase of Louisiana and local history.
New Orleans African American Museum of Art, Culture and History
(504) 565-7497
Visit historic court yards, lush gardens, 18th Century Creole architecture and folk art galleries.
New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park
(504) 589-4806
This national park features history of the people and places that have shaped the development and progression of jazz.
Los Islenos Heritage and Cultural Museum
(504) 682-0862
The only Canarian Museum in the U.S. dedicated to the preservation of the heritage and culture of the Canary Islanders who settled in the St. Bernard Parish.
German American Cultural Center
(504) 363-4202
Learn about the contributions people of Germanic decent have made in the Lower Mississippi River Delta.
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
(504) 565-8027
The museum is a living legacy to the fields of pharmacy and medicine.
Confederate Museum
(504) 523-4522
See civil war memorabilia on exhibit; weapons, medical instruments and personal effects of southern leaders on display.
Jackson Barracks Military Museum
(504) 278-8242
The museum features artifacts, weapon and memorabilia from the American Revolution through recent Middle Eastern conflicts.
New Orleans Festivals
New Orleans is famous for festivals, and there are five major festivals and dozens smaller ones. The first is the French Quarter Festival, which usually takes place in early April. This free festival is a favorite with locals from the usual shorts-and-sandals crowd to those who work in the Central Business District, escaping their downtown offices for some good music and eats. The streets of the historic Vieux Carre are transformed into a huge concert, with 13 stages featuring traditional and contemporary jazz, rhythm & blues, Cajun & zydeco, New Orleans funk, classical, swing, rock, international and the many diverse sounds that are part of the city's rich cultural gumbo. Jackson Square and Woldenberg Riverfront Park also serve as the site of the “World's Largest Jazz Brunch” with nearly 60 booths serving a variety of beverages and specialties from well-known New Orleans restaurants.
 The granddaddy of jazz festivals is the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. This event started small over 30 years ago in Armstrong Park and ultimately moved to the New Orleans Fairgrounds Racetrack to accommodate audiences that now number more than 500,000 over a 12-day period. Jazz Fest is distinct from other music festivals in its breadth and diversity. Twelve different stages and tents offer continuous all-day music of almost every imaginable genre: traditional jazz, Dixieland, brass, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, and rhythm & blues. The festival also offers contemporary and traditional crafts from the region and around the world, and mouth-watering Louisiana cuisine like the famous Crawfish Monica.
New Orleans has been home to the Essence Music Festival since its inception in 1995. The event is usually scheduled over the July 4th weekend. Organizers call the festival event a “party with a purpose,” with over 195,000 participants gathering for empowerment seminars as well as a soul-stirring celebration of music, culture, and heritage. The Louisiana Superdome hosts diverse concerts by some of the best R & B, jazz, classic soul, world-beat and neo-soul artists like Patti LaBelle, Teena Marie, Destiny's Child and Jill Scott. Empowerment seminars take place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center with renowned speakers, authors, and leaders such as Bishop T.D. Jakes, Iyanla Vanzant, and Yolanda Adams. The center also houses the Essence Marketplace, featuring down-home food, gifts and souvenirs, and a book fair with author signings.
Satchmo Summerfest is one of New Orleans' newest traditions. Established in 2001 in honor of native Louis Armstrong's 100th birthday this festival takes place in early August. Satchmo's birthday is a platform for celebrating all facets of local heritage and tradition. The festival is a tribute not only to music but also food, art, literature, and architecture.
The Crescent City comes alive during an entire month-long celebration, December 1-31, for Christmas New Orleans Style with twinkling lights all over the city, Christmas decorations on anything that will stand still – and some things that don’t, like the Streetcars, and plenty of visitors enjoying the lowest hotel rates of the year!
During Christmas New Orleans Style, the city’s best chefs share their secrets at free cooking demonstrations all around town. New Orleans finest restaurants serve up delicious traditional Reveillon dinners. Top local jazz musicians share their talents at nightly concerts in the majestic St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States - admission is free. Make a holiday memory by attending one of these magical musical moments at Christmas New Orleans Style.
Celebration in the Oaks, New Orleans’ premiere Christmas attraction, adds sparkle to the holidays. Here revelers take a two-mile driving tour through the hundred-year-old oak trees, all dressed up in two million sparkling lights. Visitors might choose to walk through the 12-acre Botanical Gardens, amusement park and fairy tale theme park. Celebrate Christmas - New Orleans Style - amid the glorious settings, and let the holiday spirit surround you.
There are dozens of other Festivals that celebrate the food, history and heritage of New Orleans and the south. For more information and dates for these festivals, please visit: http://www.neworleansonline.com/tours-attractions/festivals
Sporting Events
Whether you are visiting in the fall when the New Orleans Saints are in play, or the spring when the New Orleans Hornet’s basketball season is in the air, during the summer when the New Orleans Zephyr’s season is in full swing – there’s always action in Sportsman’s Paradise. From professional football, basketball and baseball to horseracing, here are the venues to catch all your favorite sporting events:
The Louisiana Superdome, 1500 Poydras St., (504) 587-3663
The New Orleans Sports Arena, 1501 Girod St., (504) 587-3663
Zephyr Stadium, 6000 Airline Dr., (504) 734-5155
New Orleans Fairgrounds, 1751 Gentilly Blvd., (504) 944-5515
UNO Lakefront Arena, 6801 Franklin Ave., (504) 280-7171
Top Ten List of Family Activities
New Orleans is the perfect place for fun, affordable family vacations. Here is just a small sample of the family activities that await your next family vacation!
1. Six Flags New Orleans, America's newest theme park.
2. Audubon Institute Zoo, one of America's top zoos.
3. Audubon Institute Aquarium of the Americas, one of America's top aquariums and Audubon Institute Nature Center, one of America's top urban nature centers.
4. Ride the Streetcar up and down historic St. Charles Avenue or ride the new Canal Streetcar from the Mississippi River to majestic City Park.
5. Louisiana Children's Museum, named New Orleans “#1 Attraction for Child Appeal” and the “Top-Rated Children’s Museum” by the 2004 Zagat Survey, U.S. Family Travel Guide.
6. The Cabildo, one of America's most important museums, and site of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
7. Visit City Park and find the new miniature train garden in the Botanical Gardens, Storyland, lagoons with paddleboats, and a delightful amusement park amid 1300 acres to run and play that features one of America's oldest and most beautifully restored carousels.
8. Learn about the heroes of the 20th century at The National D-Day Museum, America’s official World War II museum.
9. The Riverboat Cruises on the Mississippi River, a uniquely American experience.
10. The portrait artists at Jackson Square, who provide a lasting memory of each child's trip to New Orleans. |
