Things to Do in New Orleans With Family
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Are there kid friendly things to do in New Orleans? Mais, oui! The Large Piece of cake may be best known for chaplet and Bourbon Street, but there is some other side to this Louisiana urban center. Parents may exist surprised to find a bounty of attractions and activities for families in NOLA. Allow the proficient times whorl with these xviii fun things to do in New Orleans with kids!
My son posing at Mardi Gras World, just 1 of many kid friendly attractions in New Orleans
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1. Explore the French Quarter.
The oldest area of the urban center, the French Quarter is and so-named considering it was founded by French settlers in 1718. Ironically, though, much of the architecture in the French Quarter is really Castilian Colonial in its styling. That'south due to a series of fires in the late 1800s after which many of this neighborhood'southward buildings were rebuilt under Spanish rule. Indicate out the signature lacy cast fe details on balconies to your kids as yous wander here. Become more out of your experience with a 2-hour French Quarter Walking and Storytelling Tour.
The French Market (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
French Quarter Shopping
Family unit-friendly shopping and restaurants abound in the French Quarter. You lot must stop at Piffling Toy Shop on Decatur Street for a delightful array of old-fashioned and new-fangled toys. Children and adults alike volition become a kick out of Maskarade, a shop that sells an array of Carnival masks with feathers and sparkling details. Pop into Rocket Buzz for an overwhelming offer of sodas in wacky flavors like pickle, butter, salary, and cookie dough. If you're looking for fun and affordable trinkets for the kids, then head to the French Market, a covered outdoor flea market.
Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Processed Shop (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Joan of Arc Statue
Virtually the French Market, look for a glittering golden statue of Joan of Arc. The French martyr is known equally the "Maid of Orléans" and she's the unofficial Patron Saint of the urban center. She fifty-fifty gets her own Mardi Gras parade every year in New Orleans.
Joan of Arc Statue in the French Quarter (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
2. Accept a railroad vehicle ride.
Proceeds a amend agreement of the French Quarter aboard a narrated carriage ride. Option your pony in Jackson Square. So trot through New Orleans' streets while learning about the city'due south past. Mules lead all of the carriages here, not horses. According to our Mid-City Carriages guide, that's considering, "They're smarter. They're stronger. And they handle the estrus better." Our mule, Ray, was smart indeed. Our driver called out to him at an intersection, "Wait now, Ray. Be sure to look both ways first." Sure enough, Ray paused and turned his caput all the style to the right, and all the way to the left before proceeding. Book your carriage ride via GetYourGuide now!
Mule-fatigued railroad vehicle ride in the French Quarter (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
three. Play and larn at the Louisiana Children's Museum.
Previously located in the Warehouse District for over xxx years, a new and reimagined Louisiana Children'south Museum opened in the expansive City Park in the Lakeview District in September 2019. The museum at present encompasses a whopping 8.5 acres of space to play and learn.
Motion with the River
Motion With The River teaches children all about the Mississippi River. Among other water play opportunities, the centerpiece 100-human foot water table lures kids like otters to water. Here children explore the flow of water with toy boats and pretend levees.
Water Wall at Move with the River at Louisiana Children's Museum (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Play With Me
Visiting Louisiana Children's Museum with babies or toddlers? They'll love Play With Me, a safe and stimulating expanse just for them. It's filled with plenty of space to crawl and things to touch, hear, and encounter.
Follow That Food
Follow That Food is especially fun for the preschooler set. From growing and harvesting play crops, shipping food along the Mississippi, to shopping at a make-believe mini grocery shop — kids larn all about where their food comes from and how it gets to their dinner tables.
Dig Into Nature
Dig Into Nature includes both indoor and outside play opportunities. Children become veterinarians, nursing sick "animals" dorsum to practiced health. Meanwhile, bigger kids enjoy exploring items from nature (like bugs!) up-shut with special magnifying technology.
My son, Leo, examining nature up-close at the Louisiana Children'southward Museum (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Brand Your Marking
Kids get creative at Make Your Mark with music, architecture, fine art and across. They can play musical instruments in the Jammin' House. Or, build infrastructures with colorful bricks and tools in Build Big Dreams. So, brand crafts in the Pattern Studio. The nigh pop attraction, though, is probably the Bubble Studio. That's where visitors can create and stand up within a gigantic square bubble!
Outdoor Adventures
In add-on to two stories of interactive indoor displays, Outdoor Adventures includes several exhibits exterior that encourage a love of nature.
Louisiana Children'south Museum (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Acorn Restaurant
You lot know how museum food is usually ho-hum? Not so at Acorn at the Louisiana Children'south Museum! Information technology'due south owned past renowned New Orleans restauranteur, Dickie Brennan & Co. The eating house offers yummy and healthy fare like the Grilled Corn Elote Basin with arugula, grilled corn, veggies, cotija cheese, cilantro, and jalapeno-lime vinaigrette. There's a kids carte du jour, of course, and good for you sides similar Sweet Irish potato Tots or Oven-roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower.
Healthy and tasty fare at Acorn at the Louisiana Children's Museum in New Orleans
4. Eat Creole cuisine.
Louisiana's Cajun and Creole dishes are reason plenty to visit New Orleans with kids. What is the difference betwixt Cajun and Creole cuisines? Typically, Creole is known for existence fancier city nutrient whereas Cajun is more rustic land nutrient. Since New Orleans is definitely a city, you lot'll mostly find Creole fare here. Likewise, Creole dishes often include tomatoes and tomato-based sauces, but Cajun dishes exercise not. Creole cuisine is a distinctive alloy of New Orleans' eclectic history and populace with French, Spanish, West African, American Indian, Haitian, and Southern U.S. influences.
Flamingo A-Go-Go's creole cuisine (Photograph credit: Colleen Lanin)
Creole Dishes for Kids
Popular Creole dishes include gumbo (a roux-based stew), crimson beans and rice, shrimp and grits, étouffé (smothered shellfish served over rice), and jambalaya (a rice dish often fabricated with chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage and vegetables like peas).
You might be worried most finding Creole cuisine for kids since food in New Orleans oftentimes comes with a spicy kick. Worry not, though! You lot can always enquire about spice levels of diverse dishes. Restaurants may even be able to provide a milder version. Plus, there are tame Creole foods that kids are likely to enjoy, like po' boy sandwiches (deep-fried shrimp, chicken, or meat served on a baguette) and crab cakes (my son'south favorite!). Additionally, many restaurants in New Orleans offer children'due south menus with standard items kids enjoy.
Non sure where to start? Volume a French Quarter Food Tour. This bout is great for all ages. You lot'll sample local favorites like beignets, gumbo, pralines and more.
Shrimp & Gris-Gris Grits and Seafood Blimp Crab at Gris-Gris New Orleans (Photograph credit: Colleen Lanin)
Brunch at Brennan'south
For a delectable Creole brunch, accept your brood to Brennan's. A meal here feels special indeed. The pink and pale green dining room feels like a fairyland, with a garden trellis ceiling and early on 19th century Mardi Gras parade bladder paintings. When the weather condition is prissy, opt to sit in their picturesque courtyard with a bubbling fountain and striped umbrellas for shade.
Parents, who are so inclined, can offset their day with a Cajun Bloody Mary or a Sparkling Blueberry Cocktail made with Louisiana blueberries, sparkling wine, and thyme. Brainstorm your repast with a Baked Apple served with oatmeal pecan raisin crumble, brown sugar coat, and sweetened crème fraîche. You may want to follow that with the house specialty, Eggs Hussarde, a Creole version of eggs Benedict drizzled with their sweet Marchand De Vin Sauce. Meanwhile, children 10 and younger can make their selections from a carte just for them.
Eggs Hussarde at Brennan'south (Photograph credit: Colleen Lanin)
5. Listen to live jazz.
It would almost exist impossible to come to New Orleans and NOT listen to live jazz! That'south because music is ever-present in Crescent City. Where tin you heed to live jazz in New Orleans with kids? Beneath are some kid friendly options.
Preservation Hall
Welcoming to all ages, Preservation Hall offers several 45-infinitesimal shows every night. The earliest starts at five pm. Although booze is non served on premises, mom and dad can bring in daiquiris or other drinkies. This non-turn a profit venue supports local musicians and youth. The celebrated building was once a tavern, which opened in 1803.
Preservation Hall (Photo credit: f11photo, Depositphotos.com)
Arnaud'south Jazz Bistro
If traveling with older kids or well-behaved young ones, care for your family to a nighttime out at Arnaud's. This is my favorite eatery in New Orleans for its lively music also as its incredible food. (You MUST get the Crawfish O'Connor!) Arnaud'south Restaurant's dining room is fancier. Instead, spring for the entertainment fee and book your meal at the more than casual Arnaud's Jazz Bistro. The impressive three-piece jazz band plays a few songs for the room. And then the musicians make their manner table to table, taking song requests.
Café Beignet
Not just is Café Beignet on Decatur a tasty place to go a powdery fried dough confection, but too information technology offers live jazz performances for free to guests of all ages.
Street Performers
Wander through the French Quarter long plenty and you're sure to stumble across street musicians. Jackson Square is a practiced bet if yous're looking for buskers entertaining crowds for tips.
Jazz band playing in Jackson Square (Photo credit: bellafotosolo, Depositphotos.com)
6. Sail the Mississippi River aboard Steamboat Natchez.
Another fabulous mode to get your jazz fix is aboard the Steamboat Natchez. Sail down the Mississippi while listening to the music of the Steamboat Stompers jazz band aboard New Orleans' only steamboat. Two-hr cruise options include Sunday Brunch, Harbor Jazz with optional buffet tiffin, and Dinner Jazz sailings. Look local specialties like craven and sausage gumbo, fried catfish, and bread pudding. Volume your Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise now!
Steamboat Natchez (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
vii. See butterflies and other bugs at the Audubon Insectorium.
The Audubon Insectorium in the Central Business District fascinates kids with all things creepy crawly. Wander through Butterflies in Flight, where you tin become shut to gratis-flight butterflies and moths. So view existent alligators in the Louisiana Swamp exhibit. Y'all may even get a run a risk to feel a live millipede's legs at Field Army camp, where kids can ask an entomologist their most pressing insect questions.
Touching a millipede at the Audubon Insectorium in New Orleans (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Most memorable, though, is Bug Appétit, where bugs are on the bill of fare. That'due south right — daring kids and their parents can taste cricket cookies and spiced bug snacks. Eleven-yr-former Leo says they're pretty good! (His mom was as well prissy to effort, though.)
Cricket chip cookies at Problems Appétit (Photograph credit: Colleen Lanin)
8. Exist amused at Carousel Gardens and Storyland Theme Parks.
Located within the massive i,300-acre Urban center Park, you lot'll find not one only two amusement parks. They're open seasonally, from June through November.
Carousel Gardens
Carousel Gardens contains xvi rides, including an antiquarian wooden carousel for which the park is named. Live Oak Lady Problems Rollercoaster zips through living grand oak copse, laced with Spanish moss. Leo and I rode this ride at least half a dozen times during our visit! Enjoy other amusements like a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, and a miniature ride-on train.
Storyland
Right adjacent door, families with young children will adore Storyland. This themed playground features xx larger-than-life sculptures from some of the most beloved children'southward storybooks. Kids can climb aboard Captain Claw's pirate ship, ramble upwardly Jack & Jill's hill, and slide down a dragon'southward natural language!
Live Oak Lady Bug Rollercoaster at Carousel Gardens (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
nine. Expect for alligators on an airboat swamp tour.
Venture out of the city to experience Cajun state during an airboat swamp tour. Get your heart pumping during a loftier-speed boat ride, pausing occasionally to look for alligators in their natural habitat. Cull from an array of swamp tours with GetYourGuide. Many offer roundtrip transportation from your hotel or holiday rental. Believe me, your kids will always remember a gator swamp tour!
Alligator in a swamp near New Orleans (Photograph credit: f11photo, Depositphotos.com)
x. Sense of taste beignets, king cake and other Big Easy sweets.
Your family will find an affluence of treats to tempt your sweetness teeth in New Orleans.
Beignets
You must eat beignets when in New Orleans with kids. These square-shaped deep-fried fritters are made from choux pastry or yeast dough and topped with a wealth of powdered sugar. Café du Monde is the nearly famous choice, with several locations throughout New Orleans. Tip: avoid the long lines for to-go orders at the French Quarter location by grabbing a seat for table service. Café Beignet is merely as delicious, with live music in the evenings.
Beignets are a must in New Orleans with kids (Photo credit: dbvirago, Depositphotos.com)
King Block
To get a gustatory modality of Mardi Gras, buy a few slices of king block from a local bakery. Male monarch cakes (or galettes des rois) originated in French republic, where they are served in January during the Festival of Epiphany to celebrate the three kings who visited the baby Jesus. The French cakes are filled with almond cream and come with a hidden miniature ceramic king baked within. New Orleans adds its ain flair to the king cake, offer a variety of flavors and topping the confections with icing and colored sugar in Mardi Gras colors of purple, dark-green and gold. Diners should wait for a tiny plastic baby Jesus within. Tradition says the "winner" who finds the prize must throw the next party and provide the side by side cake.
New Orleans king block (Photo credit: urban_light, Depositphotos.com)
Other N'Awlins Sweets
Sweet indulgence doesn't end with beignets and king cakes in NOLA, though. Bananas Foster was invented in New Orleans and you tin can often order it made table-side with a fiery finale that volition print the kids. And then at that place'due south bread pudding, which almost every restaurant in town offers on their carte du jour, with variations in flavors and sauces. If your sugariness teeth aren't satisfied yet, treat your family unit to pralines — sugary caramel-flavored candies dotted with pecans.
Aunt Sally'south Pralines in New Orleans (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
11. See amazing parade floats up-shut at Mardi Gras World.
Relish the excitement and pageantry of Mardi Gras without the crazy crowds at Mardi Gras Earth. Go here to see the astonishing artistry of this commemoration's parade floats up-shut. During your hour-long tour, you tin dress up similar a float rider and cease with a piece of male monarch cake.
Small sampling of Mardi Gras parade float artistry at Mardi Gras World (Photograph credit: Colleen Lanin)
12. Go under the ocean at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.
Located forth the Mississippi River, the impressive Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is home to 10,000 animals representing 530 species. Well-nigh highly-seasoned to kids are probably the sharks, playful sea otters, jellyfish, penguins, and a rare leucistic (lacking in paint) white alligator. Even babies and toddlers love aquariums because they can get then close to the fish and other animals. Head next door to the Entergy Giant Screen Theater to watch nature shows, included in your entry fee.
Leucistic white alligator at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
thirteen. Mind to a fortune teller in Jackson Foursquare.
Jackson Square makes a lively identify to visit during the day or in the evening. In the middle of the plaza is an equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the U.S. for which the square was named. It was erected in 1856, eleven years subsequently his expiry.
Also located at Jackson Square is Cathédrale Saint-Louis, the oldest cathedral in the U.Southward. You are welcome to wander in to take a peek every bit long equally no services are in progress.
Jackson Square in New Orleans with Cathédrale Saint-Louis in the distance (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Surrounding the fenced garden in the centre of Jackson Square, you will discover artists selling their works, street musicians and other entertainers, and lots of fortune-tellers. In a city where Voodoo is a practiced religion and which embraces the supernatural and fantastical, information technology'south fun to pull upward a chair and listen to your fortune. Whether you're a believer or not, a psychic reading makes an interesting activity. Wander effectually a chip to find someone who seems like a good fit and ask pricing before committing to a reading. Your teller may apply tarot cards, palm reading or another form of fortune-telling to give insights about your past, nowadays or future.
Fortune Tellers in Jackson Foursquare (Photo credit: fotoluminate, Depositphotos.com)
fourteen. Wander through the New Orleans Botanical Garden.
After a few days in the city, your family may exist peckish some connectedness with nature. That's when to head to the New Orleans Botanical Garden in Metropolis Park. An abundance of flowers, copse, and fountains fill the garden. Kids enjoy watching koi fish swimming in the Lily Pond exterior the garden's Conservatory. Access to the remarkable Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden is included with your admission fee.
New Orleans Botanical Garden (Photograph credit: Zack Smith, courtesy of New Orleans & Company)
15. Play miniature golf at City Putt.
Located within City Park most New Orleans Botanical Garden sits another treat for families, the Urban center Putt Miniature Golf Course. Choose between 2 18-pigsty courses. One choice showcases the civilisation and cities of Louisiana state. Meanwhile, the other course focuses on historic sites and streets specifically in New Orleans. Await for educational explanations at each pigsty. What a fun manner to get outside, play together as a family, and gain insight into a destination!
City Putt (Photograph credit: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA four.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
16. Visit animals at the Audubon Zoo.
The Audubon Zoo was named one of the best zoos in America in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice travel award contest. Assault 50 acres, the Audubon Zoo is abode to 1,700 animals representing more than 350 species.
Be sure to visit the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit. The world'south just urban swamp features animals from the state like black bears, bobcats, foxes, and the rare white alligator.
In add-on to seeing the many animal residents, kids love the zoo'due south multiple playgrounds, the Endangered Species Carousel, and the Cool Zoo splash park with its Gator Run lazy river. Gain entry to the Audubon Insectorium, Aquarium of the Americas, and Zoo all with 1 low-priced ticket!
Black bear in the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit at the Audubon Zoo (Photo courtesy of the Audubon Nature Establish)
17. Gain insight to New Orleans' resilience and celebration at The Presbytère Museum.
The beautiful Presbytère Museum edifice on Jackson Square was home to Capuchin monks after information technology was built in the late 1700s. Afterward it became a courthouse. Today it is part of the Louisiana Land Museum. Two permanent exhibits make for a quick and educational visit.
An unposed photograph of Leo'south reaction to videos showing Hurricane Katrina's devastation at the Presbytère (Photograph credit: Colleen Lanin)
Downstairs you will find videos, photos, personal stories, and some heartbreaking remnants from the 2005 devastating Hurricane Katrina. My eleven-year-quondam learned near this massive storm and its destructive force during our trip to Littoral Mississippi. Nevertheless, tempest news footage and audio retellings of this catastrophic event shocked him. In agreement such tragedies, we are all awakened to the joys of our own lives. Children also gain empathy for others through the retelling of these events. These Hurricane Katrina displays made us love New Orleans all the more than, for its resiliency and connected joie de vivre.
After gaining a deeper agreement of Katrina, head upstairs to explore a much more jubilant exhibit about the tradition of Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Discover the origins and rituals of this local celebration through the informative displays. View elaborate Funfair costumes, a sample parade float, and a collection of "throws" flung into Mardi Gras crowds.
Mardi Gras costume on display at Presbytère Museum (Photograph credit: Colleen Lanin)
18. Learn history at the National WWII Museum.
Jason Carlton, a family travel blogger, says that after visiting the National WWII Museum during a business trip, he decided he must bring his family to New Orleans for the main purpose of visiting this museum. In this commodity on the Tips for Family Trips blog, Carlton says, "It'south full of historical artifacts and personal stories from those who fought in the war. At that place's data well-nigh the battles in Europe and the Pacific, only it too includes stories of the challenges faced on the home front." He goes on to say, "The National WWII Museum in New Orleans is a top-notch destination for history lovers. It'southward a proficient all-atmospheric condition option for families with schoolhouse-age kids. There are a lot of great activities in New Orleans, only I would return with my family just for this museum lonely."
I take heard many other wonderful things about the National WWII Museum. Unfortunately, nosotros were not able to clasp information technology in during this trip, which may have been a big mistake. Looks similar nosotros demand to plan another New Orleans family vacation!
National WWII Museum (Photo courtesy of the National WWII Museum)
Kid Friendly Hotels in New Orleans
My son and I stayed at the hip Jung Hotel & Residences during our mother-son New Orleans vacation. It's got a modern mid-luxury feel with cool details similar a self-playing piano in the lobby and unique lighting fixtures. Our Palatial Room with two queen beds and a mini-refrigerator was fine for the two of us. Bigger families, however, will be pleased to find a washer/dryer, living area, and kitchenette in Executive Rooms. For even more infinite, reserve a One-Chamber Suite. The "residences" portion of this belongings's proper noun refers to the property's apartments for long-term rental. An onsite eatery and lobby bar add to the allure of a stay at this hotel.
Jung Hotel & Residences swanky lobby and bar (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Situated between the BioMedical District and the Theater Commune, you can drive eight minutes or walk 20 minutes to achieve the French Quarter from the Jung Hotel. The Canal Street Streetcar finish is right out forepart. Kids will savor riding the streetcar to visit attractions like the Mississippi Riverfront, Audubon Insectarium, and Aquarium of the Americas. The hotel's location outside the French Quarter makes the pricing surprisingly affordable, too.
If hotel pools sway your hotel booking decisions, then you're in luck. Absurd off after a long twenty-four hour period exploring The Big Easy in the Jung's fashionable rooftop puddle. Read more near this belongings and book your stay via Hotels.com now!
The Jung is role of the New Orleans Hotel Collection. After staying in three of their hotels, I experience confident recommending a vacation at any of their viii properties.
For additional hotels for families in New Orleans, take a look at these kid friendly hotels in NOLA.
The Jung Hotel & Residences rooftop puddle (Photograph credit: Colleen Lanin)
Larn More About New Orleans
Save money on your family vacation with these tips for exploring New Orleans on a budget with kids.
If you enjoyed this story, then I bet you'll similar reading well-nigh the romantic things to exercise in New Orleans. My tips just might convince you to clasp in a engagement night during your kid friendly New Orleans vacation!
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Cheers to New Orleans & Visitor for hosting our mother-son New Orleans vacation. I received compensation related to this story. All opinions are mine, as always.
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