New Orleans is known as an adult playground, but it is also a great city for families! These family friendly activities in New Orleans are great for parents and kids of all ages. So, next time you are stumped for things to do with your kids refer to this list for inspiration.
City Park
Cafe du Monde
You don’t have to stand in line in the French Quarter to get Cafe du Monde beignets. The famous purveyor of those powered sugar covered delights has a location in New Orleans City Park! Cafe du Monde makes a great family friendly activity in New Orleans. Grab an order of beignets and cafe au lait (or hot chocolate for the kids) and stroll through the park. Weekend mornings often feature live music, and there is a play ground within a short walk.
The Big Lake
The Big Lake in City Park offers a number of family friendly activities. You can rent bikes to take around the park. Hop on a swan shaped paddle boat and ride around the lake, or feed the many native ducks and birds that gather around the lake. (Just be sure to feel them seed or cracked corn and not bread because bread is really bad for the birds, but they can digest seed just fine.) The lake is surrounded by native plants and a biking and walking trail making it a great place to get active. Picnic under the singing oak, an oak tree strung with wind chimes! When it comes to family friendly activities in New Orleans, the Big Lake at City Park offers lots of options.
City Putt
Miniature golf is a classic family friendly activity. City Putt is ADA accessible. It offers two 36 hole mini golf courses. One course is Louisiana themed and highlights cultural themes from around the state. The New Orleans themed course features images and iconic themes from around the city. City Putt is the only mini golf complex in New Orleans. It is also a great location for birthday parties.
Storyland and Carousel Gardens
Another great family friendly activity in New Orleans is the storybook themed playground, Storyland. Kids will encounter 20 larger than life, storybook themed installations such as Captain Hook’s ship and Jack & Jill’s hill, and characters like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. It is a wonderful way for kids to submerse themselves in their favorite stories and let their imaginations run wild! Storyland tickets include admission to Carousel Gardens during the open season.
Carousel Gardens Amusement Park is great fun for everyone! It has 18 rides, including the iconic City Park carousel. The park also has two cafes, so grabbing snacks between rides is easy to do. The park is open seasonally and tickets include entry to Storyland. Season passes can be purchased, and include unlimited access and rides to Carousel Gardens and Storyland.
Train Garden
Nestled in the New Orleans Botanical Gardens, the City Park Train Garden is a must visit for all model train lovers! The Train Garden includes 1300 feet of track that winds through a model of 19th Century New Orleans. Onlookers can visit historic New Orleans at 1/22 of it’s actual size. See the historic architecture, trains, and streetcars of New Orleans in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Train Garden is available for birthdays and private parties.
If you’d like to see more of what City Park has to offer, enjoy this virtual tour of the Park with my good friend Andrew with Free Tours by Foot New Orleans.
Attend a Professional Sports Event
New Orleans is the home of three professional sports teams, and attending a live game is a great family friendly activity in New Orleans! Football is practically a religion in Louisiana, and our NFL team couldn’t be more appropriately named. New Orleans Saints’ football games are a great way to enjoy the spirit of community and comradery. New Orleans is also home to an NBA team, the Pelicans. Basketball lovers will enjoy games at The Smoothie King Center. Last but not least, many people may not know that New Orleans is home to a professional rugby team the NOLA Gold! Hosting opponents at the Gold Mine on Airline in Metairie, the NOLA Gold brings world class rugby playing to the Big Easy. Rugby is so fun! Pelicans and NOLA Gold tickets can be much cheaper than tickets to the see the Saints, which makes it a great option for families.
Family friendly activities in New Orleans can also be educational.
Museums
New Orleans is home to a number of excellent museums. Combining culture, history, and learning, museums are a wonderful family friendly activity in New Orleans.
JAMNOLA
JAMNOLA stands for Joy, Art, Music, New Orleans. It celebrates the art, music, food, culture, and drama of New Orleans through the eyes of over 20 local artists. The exhibits are vibrate, fun, and immersive. They are great for posing with to get truly memorable photographs, selfies, and social media pictures. JAMNOLA is a museum unlike any other and fun for the whole family. It is one of the premiere family friendly activities in New Orleans.
Louisiana Children’s Museum
The Louisiana Children’s Museum, located in New Orleans City Park, is a hands-on, interactive learning and exploratory experience that both entertains and educates. Exhibits include our native ecosystem, local food, music, science, nature, and so much more!! The museum is designed for children under 8 years old. Also, they offer family memberships and specially organized camps covering various topics throughout the year.
National World War II Museum
New Orleans is the proud home of the National World War II Museum. The museum is comprised of six acres including a theater and a restaurant. So set aside plenty of time to take it all in. The museum focuses on the American experience of the Great War through ten informative and unique exhibits. Board a submarine for it’s final mission, explore the challenges of Normandy, learn how the home front adapted to wartime, and travel the Pacific and European theaters. History buffs will find much to appreciate and learn in this sprawling, educational, and humbling museum.
Why is the National World War II Museum in New Orleans? Well, it turns out citizens of New Orleans built a lot of boats for the United States military, and they played a huge roll in the Allied victory. Watch this video to take a sneak peek at what you’ll see when you visit.
New Orleans African American Museum
The New Orleans African American Museum of Art, History, and Culture is located in the historic Treme neighborhood. Treme, in the mid 1850s, was home to the nations largest community of prosperous, progressive black people. Free People of Color in New Orleans began buying homes in the neighborhood in the early 19th century; the enslaved gathered there to play music, sell goods, and meet in Congo Square. The museum seeks to elevate the artistic and cultural contributions of African Americans across the African diaspora, as well as preserve the history of their experiences. The museum hosts a monthly market in support of black-owned businesses, maintains a collection of exhibits to inspire, educate, and honor.
In addition, you can arrange a guided tour of the Treme neighborhood (at extra cost) for a truly unforgettable experience. New Orleans unique culture has been deeply influenced by the people of the African diaspora, and they have been deeply effected by our rich history. The New Orleans African American Museum preserves their history and their continuing contributions to the artistic heart of New Orleans.
I told you there were lots of Family Friendly Activities in New Orleans! Here’s a few more…
Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras is a massive, impressive operation that New Orleans pulls off year after year. Have you ever wondered how those massive floats are made and who makes them? Mardi Gras World has been fulfilling the job of building Mardi Gras since 1947. You will see massive Mardi Gras floats up close, and the studio where the artisans work. You’ll also learn about the history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Audubon Zoo and Aquarium of the Americas
Aquarium of the Americas, located on the Mississippi Riverfront at the foot of Canal Street, provides fun and educational opportunities for the whole family. You can walk through a rainforest, explore the underwater world of the Caribbean, and learn about local water habitats like the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. The aquarium houses over 3,600 animals from 250 different species, including endangered species, and rare animals such as the white alligator. Watch schools of blue runners and even see a shark! With the zoo and aquarium, Audubon Institute provides loads of family friendly fun to locals and visitors alike.
Festivals
Here are some highlights from a recent Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Weekly Outdoor Concerts
During spring and fall in New Orleans we enjoy weekly, free concerts in a couple of our downtown parks. Wednesdays in the Square and Jazz in the Park bring local musicians to the stage for a free show on Wednesday and Thursday evenings respectively. With food booths and room to spread out your blankets, these weekly concerts are great ways to get the family out together. You don’t have to cook dinner and the kids (and you) can wear themselves out dancing and running around with their friends. These free concerts are a wonderful way to connect with community and enjoy the beautiful spring and fall weather in New Orleans.
Neighborhood Playgrounds
Ride the Ferry
For just $2 a person, you can hop a ride across the Mississippi River on the New Orleans Ferry. You can board at Canal Street and ride over to Algiers Point. Once in Algiers, grab a pizza at Tavolino Pizza or walk along the levee. You will see the best views of New Orleans along the way. If you are already on the West Bank, catch the ferry at Algiers Point. You’ll be dropped off right next to the Aquarium of the Americas, and you are a short walk to the historic French Quarter.
To sum up, New Orleans is a fun and vibrant town no matter your age. Families in New Orleans enjoy all the rich culture, food, music, and fun the city has to offer, and the kids don’t miss a thing. I hope you enjoyed this list of Family Friendly Activities in New Orleans.