Exploring New Orleans with Kids

The Louisiana Children's Museum in the Arts District/Convention Center is a playful and educational place for children and their families to enjoy hands-on, interactive exhibits that encourage learning through play.

Located in the Arts District/Convention Center, the museum boasts 30,000 square feet of immersive exhibitions that explore art, music, science, math, and health.

Exhibits include the Little Port of New Orleans, which teaches children all about life in a ship; Eye to Eye which boasts a kid-sized eye clinic where children can pretend to be ophthalmologists or patients and learn about the eye’s anatomy and functions; and a pint-sized grocery store and café, where children can pretend to shop and be a chef in a five-star restaurant.

The Louisiana Children’s Museum is on the first floor and sells a variety of playthings and toys, from games and puzzles to science kits and party tricks.

15 Henry Thomas Dr, New Orleans, LA 70124, Phone: 504-523-1357

The French Quarter (le Vieux Carré), also known as ‘The Quarter,’ is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans and steeped in history and heritage.

Dating back to 1718, the district was established by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville and grew around the central square of the Vieux Carré. The French Quarter is home to magnificent historic buildings, cathedrals, and famous jazz clubs.

Overlooking the Mississippi River, the square is surrounded by famous old buildings, including the St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and The Cabildo museums.

Formerly known as "Place d'Armes" in the 18th century and later renamed as Jackson Square in honor Andrew Jackson who was a hero in the Battle of New Orleans, the historic Jackson Square is a beautiful space and popular tourist attraction in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Facing the Mississippi River and surrounded by historic buildings, including the Louisiana State Museums of the Cabildo and the Presbytere, and the magnificent St. Louis Cathedral, this famous landmark is packed with things to see and do.

A favorite site for visitors and locals, the Square has shops, restaurants, cafés and coffee shops, galleries, museums and more, along with a renowned open-air artist colony who has been displaying their work on the square's iron fence for more than 50 years.

Jackson Square is open seven days a week during daylight hours.

French Quarter, New Orleans

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is dedicated to exploring the showcasing the visual arts and culture of the American South. Located next to Harmony Circle (formerly Lee Circle (video)) in the Central Business District, the museum is associated with the University of New Orleans and features a collection of works from 1733 to the present by artists from or associated with fifteen southern American states, and the District of Columbia.

The collection features over 4,000 works of all materials ranging from paintings, watercolors, drawings, and prints to photographs, sculpture, wood, and crafts, and notable artists include Benny Andrews, Ida Kohlmeyer, Walter Andrews, Hunt Slonem, Clementine Hunter, William Dunlap, and George Ohr.

The museum is also home to the Center for Southern Craft and Design, the Stephen Goldring Hall, the Clementine Hunter Education Wing and the Henry Hobson Richardson-designed Patrick F. Taylor Library.

925 Camp St, New Orleans, LA 70130, Phone: 504-539-9650

The Audubon Zoo is a 58-acre zoo that forms part of the Audubon Nature Institute which also manages the Aquarium of the Americas and Audubon Park.

Named in honor of naturalist John James Audubon, the zoo is located in a section of Audubon Park on the shores of the Mississippi River in Uptown New Orleans and is home to 2,000 animals. Notable exhibits at the zoo include the Louisiana exhibit which features a rare white alligator with blue eyes, the swamp exhibit which is home to animals native to southern Louisiana such as black bears, river otters, raccoons, and nutria.

The zoo is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday and Monday through Sunday in the spring and summer.

6500 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70118, Phone: 504-861-2537

Educational New Orleans Attractions for Kids:

Established as the Delgado Museum of Art in 1911, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is the oldest fine arts museum in the city. It's a fun place to visit with curious explorers.

Situated in City Park, the Museum is home to a renowned sculpture garden and a magnificent permanent collection of almost 40,000 art objects. The collection, which has a distinct focus on French and American art, is made up of paintings, including works by masters of the School of Paris such as Picasso, Braque, Dufy and Miro, drawings, photography, glass, and African and Japanese works.

The five-acre Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden features over 60 sculptures dotted around a beautifully landscaped site and surrounded by winding footpaths, ancient oak trees, and pedestrian bridges, is one of the most important sculpture installations in the United States.

One Collins C. Diboll Circle, City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana 70124, Phone: 504-658-4100

Located in the Old New Orleans Customs House in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium is an insectarium and entomology museum that is devoted to all tiny things that crawl, fly and walk.

Based on the historical, white-marble columned structure on Canal Street, the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium span 23,000 square feet and features over 900,000 examples of known insect species and their relatives.

Visitors can explore the museum’s outstanding exhibits and displays and learn more about the insect world and their role on earth.

The museum boasts a variety of presentations, including live insects and mounted specimens, as well as interactive experiences and hands-on displays, and trained, expert staff, are on hand to interpret and answer any questions.

423 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130, Phone: 504-524-2847

Kids can run around the City Park, a 1,300-acre municipal park and urban oasis that has enchanted New Orleanians since 1854.

One of the nation’s oldest urban parks and the 87th largest urban public park in the country, City Park features huge historical oak trees and picturesque moss canopies, sprawling green lawns and several walking, jogging, and biking paths.

There are also 26 tennis courts and a new 18-hole links golf course within the park, as well as a beautifully maintained botanical garden and the open-air Besthoff Sculpture Garden which features an array of artworks and sculptures. Families can enjoy a wide range of activities, including the one-of-a-kind antique wooden carousel in the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, which has been a family favorite for nearly a century.

1 Palm Dr, New Orleans, LA 70124, Phone: 504-482-4888

Mardi Gras World Tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of Mardi Gras on a fantastic one-day tour of the Kern Studios, which is world-renowned for building magnificent parade floats for Mardi Gras and other parades all over the world.

Knowledgeable guides lead visitors through the large studios, sharing the history of the unique and festive tradition of Mardi Gras, as well as providing a better understanding of the planning and work that goes into the annual parade. Visitors get to see how the massive floats and props are built and can explore the art behind the costume making before enjoying a complimentary slice of King Cake.

Tours are offered seven days a week and run every 30 minutes.

1380 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, LA 70130, Phone: 504-507-9319