A Day Of Family Fun Is Always Welcome, Check Out These Things To Do In New Orleans With Kids!

Nicknamed the “Big Easy,” near the Gulf of Mexico, and on the Mississippi River, New Orleans is the place in Louisiana to visit. With its penchant for late nights, extremely good music, and annual festivities, it’s no wonder why this city is one of the country’s most famous. 

Now you may be asking yourself, “since New Orleans seems like such a ‘party town,’ what can I do with my kids there?” Well worry not! As we are here to bring you a list of things to do in New Orleans with kids that cover everything from your food and entertainment! Step back and relax as we take you through a list of truly wonderful spots to enjoy.

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Audubon Nature Institute

A non-profit zoo, aquarium, nature center, and park all wrapped in one!

Opportunities for fun AND learning for kids here! Image courtesy of the Audubon Institute Instagram page.

6500 Magazine St | New Orleans | audubonnatureinstitute.org 

There’s a whole category of fun activities to do at the Audubon Institute, ranging from their zoo, aquarium, nature center, planetarium, and four whole parks! Truly an institute full of places to see with the family.

Their zoo cares for animals from all around the globe, has educational programs, and hands-on activities. Includes their award-winning Louisiana Swamp, Jaguar Jungle Showcase, and daily animal presentations!

The nature center has trails, a botany center, and classroom pavilions. The planetarium is temporarily closed but it is reopening in 2022, make sure to check their website for details!

Their aquarium is consistently ranked as one of the top five aquariums in the USA Today “10 Best” poll. The aquarium transports visitors to the underwater world of the Caribbean, Amazon Rainforest, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico!

The Audubon Nature Institute also has four separate parks to walk through, including the main Audubon Park, Riverview Park, Woldenberg Park, and the Wilderness Park to enjoy the sights, or take a picnic with the family! 

“I think that this is one of the nicest parks that we have in the area. There are large  fields to picnic or do fun outdoor activities. There are multiple restroom areas, exercise equipment, benches, and there is a playground area for the kids. Great place to bring the family.” -Yelp Review

Carousel Gardens Amusement Park

A seasonally operated park with lots of rides and fun!

Twist, turns, and loopty loops ready to go! Image courtesy of the New Orleans City Park Instagram page.

7 Victory Ave | New Orleans | neworleanscitypark.com 

Not so long ago there were merry go rounds and carousels littered around the United States, today there are not that many left. However, that is not the case at the New Orleans City Park, since 1906 the “flying horses” have been delighting kids and people of all ages. It’s only one of hundred wooden carousels left in the country, and the only one left in Louisiana.

Now while you may enjoy the experience of going on one of the oldest wooden carousels, you can head on over to the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park connected to the New Orleans City Park. With rides that will have you spinning, twisting, turning, and whirling through some of their rides like Bumper Cars, Tilt-A-Whirl, 40-foot fun slide, Ferris Wheel, Umbrella Cars, Rockin’ Tug, and the Live Oak Lady Bug roller coaster! 

The Carousel Gardens Amusement Park is a place you can spend the whole day in, filled with fun new experiences and thrills for the whole family!

“Five stars for the retro style carousel! It's fairly grand compared to the newfangled smaller carousels these days (happy hollow in san jose for instance). Also this one's a little faster so there's a more exciting feel of wind and lights going by you. Ride tickets aren't cheap but it's definitely worth it for a bit of good nostalgia.” -Yelp Review

Louisiana Children’s Museum

Interactive, fun, and educational activities here at the museum!

These kids are growing with excitement at the Edible Garden! Image courtesy of the Louisiana Children’s Museum Instagram page.

15 Henry Thomas Dr | New Orleans | lcm.org

It’s in the name! The Louisiana Children’s Museum is definitely a fun filled activity to enjoy with your family, classroom peers, and/or friends! This museum is on a mission, and that is to make a child’s potential shine. They have created a space for kids to play, learn, have conversations, and connect to the people and world around them. A jumping off point for kids to learn who they are and what they have to offer in this world.

They have a “bajillion” paths to take through the museum, on their website and at the museum, they have different ways to make the most of your visit. By looking into their “experience types” you can choose literacy and explore their book nooks. The environment path that explores the outdoors, STEM, arts & cultures, that explores culinary and creativity through art.

They also have exhibits that relate to all of these extraordinary avenues for children to take, like the Dig Into Nature, Follow That Food, Move With The River, Make Your Mark, Outdoor Adventures, and more are offered at the Louisiana Children’s Museum!

“Wonderful place, a lot of different things to do with children. There are several different areas that provide a few hours of entertainment for children. My children really enjoyed the veterinary area, water play, and watering the gardens. We will definitely come back the next time we are in NOLA.” -Yelp Review

Streetcars in New Orleans

Charming and convenient to see the sights and experience something new!

A unique ride in the city with beautiful views! Image courtesy of BriYYZ on flickr.

St. Charles and Carrollton Ave | New Orleans | neworleans.com  

Have you ever wanted to see New Orleans in a fresh and interesting way that’s fun for the whole family involved? Let us introduce you to the Streetcars in New Orleans! They each start downtown, then take you through the French Quarter, and to other places you may not have been able to find if it weren’t for the street cars!

There are district lines that you can find and access these street cars, those being the Saint Charles Streetcar Line, The Canal Street Line, The Riverfront Line, the Loyola/UPT Line, and the Rampart/Saint Claude Streetcar Line!

Each of these lines offer something different to see, some through market districts, parks, museums, beautiful views, old architecture, restaurants and more! Take a look into researching each of the lines and see what they have to offer, or take a ride while you’re out on the town and see what you and your family can discover!

“When on the streetcar, overheard local people talk, "if you don't take St. Charles, you never come to the real New Orleans." The St. Charles Streetcar line is a historic scenic views line, which is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world since its operation started in 1835.” -Yelp Review

Storyland at City Park

A colorful outdoor spot full of imagination and storybook characters!

Classic characters greeting all visitors ready for a story! Image courtesy of the New Orleans City Park website.

5 Victory Ave | New Orleans | neworleanscitypark.com

It’s in the name and it certainly delivers! Storyland is the place for imagination, creativity, and the love of fairy tales! Face and climb aboard Captain Hook’s ship, look to the skies to see Mother Goose, spot all of your favorite storybook characters throughout the park, and slide down the breath of a dragon!

Storyland is the place for children to see their fairy tales go from being pictures and words on the page to being able to take a peek and walk through their world! Storyland hosts birthday parties and private events too!

“It's a cool park for younger kids. The park was cool but it's really only for young kids. Probably six maybe seven years and younger. They had sanitizer at the start and at the jack and beanstalk attraction. If you have little kids I recommend going there.” -Yelp Review

A French Quarter Carriage Ride

See the French Quarter in a narrative carriage ride throughout the town!

700 Decatur St | New Orleans | tripadvisor.com 

Hop aboard the narrated French Quarter Carriage Rides! Arrive at Jackson Square and then pick your carriage led by beautiful mules. You can then trot through the New Orleans streets learning about the city’s history, see the beautiful architecture, and pass by the people of New Orleans! 

Along with the Streetcars, the carriages are a perfect break from the regular transportation you might be taking while visiting the city, it also allows you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fresh air around you! 

“Katy and Moon made our tour a delight!  Such a lovely way to experience New Orleans! We enjoyed the "off the beaten track" frenetic hubbub of Bourbon Street and experienced some beautiful old architectural history.  Both were shared enthusiastically and uniquely by Katy!” -Yelp Review

Fat Boys Pizza

Hungry? Well this place specializes in BIG pizza pies!

Pizza bigger than you can imagine! Image courtesy of the Fat Boy’s Pizza Instagram page.

2565 Metairie Rd | Metairie | eatfatboyspizza.com 

Ever wanted a pizza slice bigger than your own head? Welcome to Fat Boy’s Pizza! Their large pies measure 30 inches across! Just seeing it in person, you won’t believe how big and how good it is! It’s a perfect family day out meal, with all of the activities available in New Orleans, you’ll probably work up an appetite, and this pizza is sure to help your hunger! 

Original cheese, pepperoni, triple cheese, BBQ chicken, tomato & basil, calzones, stromboli, wings, and more! It all sounds so good that you may even decide after trying it out to have them cater your events (which they do)! A great family meal for a great family time!

“INCREDIBLE!!!! As  NY / MIA Pizza lovers, this pizza hit all the spots!!! Delicious, quick, savory, and made with hard-work and love! The service was amazing despite the heavy volume of customers. Highly recommend the Skinny Boy Pizza!! I would give this place more stars if I could !!! Keep it up !!!!” -Yelp Review

Although these places don’t offer GiftYa opportunities yet, they are adding more places every day! So make sure to check back and see if you can get a virtual gift card to these things to do in New Orleans with kids soon!

Plenty of activities for all of the family to enjoy with this list, from museums, to parks, to carriage rides, New Orleans isn’t just for the adults, it’s a city that every member of the family can enjoy!