While you are visiting New Orleans there are many fun and exciting places where kids can learn and explore the native culture of this beautiful land.
The New Orleans City Park is 1500 acres of lagoon, forest, and parks. Small boats can be rented here to navigate around the lagoons. See huge Cypress and Live Oak trees many of them hundreds of years old and as big around as 30 to 40 feet. Watch ducks, geese, swans, and other wildlife in their natural habitats. Visit the Tad Gormley Stadium or the smaller Pan American Stadium for some football or soccer action. Take a stroll through the only botanical gardens in the state of Louisiana and see over 2,000 varieties of flowers and plants.
The New Orleans Museum of Art, a part of City Park, has on display fine art from the 16th to the 20th century as well as Asian, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American art. The museum can be rented for weddings, parties, or corporate functions.
Within City Park is a smaller park for young children. Story Land is a theme park with 26 fairy tale storybook exhibits for children to climb in or on.
For older children the Hines Carousel Gardens, also located in City Park, offers several amusement rides such as bumper cars, roller coasters, and an antique, restored, wooden carousel. A miniature train takes you for a ride through part of the park.
Children of all ages will enjoy a day at the New Orleans Audubon Zoo. The Audubon Zoo hosts several educational programs for children. The amphitheater is used for music concerts and as a place for personnel to teach visitors about the different animals in the zoo. Children can take Discovery Walks and have hands-on encounters with wild and domestic animals. The zoo has lush gardens and real habitat exhibits throughout the zoo. Witness white tigers, komodo dragons, gorillas, rhinos and more in their beautiful natural settings. The Louisiana Swamp exhibit includes a re-creation of an old swamp settlement, white alligators, native swamp plants, and much more. Experience the culture and cuisine of a Cajun village. Learn about the culture of the Mayan civilization in the Jaguar Jungle. In this jungle rainforest exhibit you will see storks, spider monkeys, sloths and, of course, Jaguars.
In the heart of the French quarter is Jackson Square. With a statue this Square is dedicated to Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans. Here you will find toy stores, gift shops, clothing stores, and ice cream parlors. Look up and you will see the St. Louis Cathedral built in 1794 and rebuilt in 1851. Another old building, the Cabildo, was built in 1799 and was once the seat of Spanish governors. You will also see the Presbytere, built in 1813 and once used as a courthouse.
Fontainbleau State Park is a 2800-acre park, named after a forest in Paris, that includes Lake Pontchartrain with multiple picnic sites, campground, a sandy beach, and lots of nature trails. Here you will find over 400 different species of birds and other animals. Camp in primitive campgrounds or make reservations for group campsites.
The Aquarium of the Americas is one of the top 5 aquariums in the country and children can get their fill of frogs, seahorses, jellyfish, sharks, threatened sea otters, and more. Around 530 species are exhibited in more than 1 million gallons of fresh and salt water habitats.
