Things to do with kids in New Orleans
44 family-friendly places in New Orleans: zoos, aquariums, playgrounds and more.
Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 44.
Things to do with kids in New Orleans
SeeMuseumFrench QuarterCabildo
Colonial city hall, now a museum; Louisiana Purchase agreements transferring the city from France to the USA were signed here.
Tue-Sun 9AM-4PM (last ticket sales 3:30pm) · $10 adults, $8 students/seniors/military, free for children 6 and under
SeeScience museumCentral Business DistrictAudubon Insectarium
An attraction opened in 2008 in the historic old Custom House Building on Canal Street. As it's in a Federal building, you'll pass through a metal detector.
Tue-Sun 10AM - 430PM · Wheelchair accessible
SeeMuseumFrench QuarterPresbytere
Colonial church offices, now another museum, including exhibits on New Orleans Mardi Gras and the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
Tue-Sun 9AM-4PM · $7 adults, $6 students/seniors/military, free for children 6 and under
EatLocal restaurantFrench QuarterAntoine's
Antoine's lays claim to being the oldest same family owned restaurant in the country. Opening in 1840, this French Creole restaurant is where Oysters Rockefeller was invented in the 1890s -- and the only restaurant where the original authentic Oysters Rockefeller can be eaten, as the recipe is a closely guarded secret. Your waiter is your guide here; treat them well and ask their recommendations. Before dining, ask your server for a tour of the historic restaurant. There are more than 15 dining rooms, all of which reek of tradition and are steeped in history. Make sure to take a peek down the vast and cavernous wine cellar, which can take the breath away from a true wine lover. Antoine's has opened a beautiful new bar. Step off of St. Louis and step into history.
Mon-Sat 11:30AM-2PM and 5:30-9PM, Sun 11AM-2PM
- SeeMuseumFrench Quarter
1850 House
The Louisiana State Museum's 1850 House is an antebellum row house furnished to represent life in mid-nineteenth-century New Orleans. It is located at 523 St. Ann Street on Jackson Square in the French Quarter.
Tue-Sun 10AM-4:30PM · $3 adults, $2 students/seniors/military, free for children 12 and under · Limited wheelchair access
SeeCentral Business DistrictAudubon Aquarium of the Americas
A fine aquarium at the foot of Canal Street. Take advantage of the combination ticket, which enables access to the Aquarium, the adjoining Entergy IMAX Theatre, and the Audubon Zoo which is uptown (shuttle provided).
Wheelchair accessible
SeeMuseumTreméBackstreet Cultural Museum
Costumes of "Mardi Gras Indians" and other artifacts of Tremé culture. An easy walk a block and a half from the French Quarter; well worth the $8 admission fee not only for the displays but also for fascinating narration about local culture by the neighborhood curators.
Tue-Sat 10AM-4PM · Standard $20; Locals, Seniors & Veterans $15; Children 12 & Under $10
SeeScience museumFrench QuarterPharmacy Museum
See and learn about medical practices of the mid 19th century. Calling ahead to verify hours is recommended. Reservations required for guided tours.
Guided Tours: Thu-Sat 10:00am - 11:00am. Self-Guided Tours: Tue & Wed 10:00am - 4:00pm; Thu-Sat 11:00am - 4:00pm · Guided Tours: Adult $15, Senior/Student/Military $10; Self-Guided: Adults $10, Senior/Student/Military $7. Children 6 and under: Free
- EatRegional restaurantTremé
Willie Mae's
The sign above the front door says "Willie Mae's Restaurant", but everyone calls it "Willie Mae's Scotch House" — no, not Scotch food; the name is from when the place started out as a bar generations ago, specializing in a drink made with milk and scotch. No booze served now; just a limited delicious menu of soul food, including fried chicken and smothered pork chops with sides such as red beans, butter beans, or french fries. They are so well loved that chefs and food fans from near and far chipped in to help them rebuild and reopen after this family-owned restaurant flooded in the Katrina disaster of 2005. Lunch M-Sa, no reservations, cash only. Drive or take a cab to and from here.
Mon-Sat 11AM-3PM · $12-25 · Takeaway
- SeeMuseumMid-City and Esplanade Ridge
Louisiana Children's Museum
Indoor and outdoor exhibits of fun and education for children
We-Sa 09:30-16:30; Su 11:30-16:30; Mo-Tu closed
SeeMuseumFrench QuarterHermann-Grima House
1830s mansion.
Mon-Tue Thu-Fri 10AM-2PM, Sat noon-3PM · $10 adults, $8 students/seniors/children 8-18/AAA members, free for children under 8. Joint admission with the Gallier House $18 adults, $15 students/seniors/children 8-18/AAA members
- DoBywater
Vaughan's Lounge
Bywater's most famous music venue. Thursday nights when righteous-trumpter/bandleader Kermit Ruffins is in town, he and his BBQ swingers play here; Thursday with Kermit as Vaughan's is a New Orleans favorite. 8:30 PM they say; don't expect shows to start at their clock time in New Orleans, but now that Kermit is a family man, things here tend to start a bit more punctually than they did years ago. Expect crowds and good times. Boiled crawfish or shrimp every Friday. Free Food during Saints games. Following glowing attention in David Simon's series Treme, this place has indeed been discovered by the tourists, but the locals and old-timers don't really care and still show up each Thursdays for some dancing and general fun. Thursdays see free steaming pots of red beans and rice all night long.
noon-close daily
- EatDelicatessenFrench Quarter
Central Grocery
Old Italian-American grocery sandwich shop, famous for their enormous muffuletta sandwiches originated by this family in 1910. One is enough to feed four hungry people! Order 1/2 to start for 2 people!
Tue-Sat 9AM-5PM
- SeeMuseumFrench Quarter
Musee Conti Wax Museum
Experience more than 300 years of history, legend and scandal with the 154 life-size figures displayed in historically accurate settings.
Mon Fri-Sat 10AM-4PM · $7 adults, $6.25 seniors, $6 children
DoTheme parkCarousel Gardens Amusement Park
located in New Orleans
- EatRegional restaurantTremé
Lil Dizzy's
Another Creole soul food restaurant in the neighborhood (surprise surprise!), run by members of the Baquet family, locally famous for great chefs and jazz musicians for generations. Since Dooky Chase and Willie Mae's are closed for breakfast, this is undisputedly the best place to go.
Tue-Fri 11AM–3PM · Limited wheelchair access
- SeeAudubon and University
Audubon Zoo
Very good zoo, see the rare white alligators, at the upper end of Magazine Street. Riverboats connect the Zoo to the Central Business District; also accessible from the St. Charles Streetcar via a shuttle bus that runs back and forth from the main entrance to Audubon Park on St. Charles to the Zoo.
Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat Sun 10AM-6PM
- SeeFrench Quarter
Old U.S. Mint
Coins haven't been minted in New Orleans for decades, so the building is now a museum, with the minting process downstairs and the world's top exhibit on New Orleans jazz upstairs.
Tue-Sun 10AM-4:30PM · $6 adults, $5 students/seniors/military, free for children 12 and under
- DoFrench Quarter
Aquarium of the Americas
The only aquarium in New Orleans. In the French Quarter. Features an IMAX theatre. 10AM-5PM daily.
- SeeMid-City and Esplanade Ridge
City Park
The large park has winding lanes through old trees for walking or driving through, and includes such attractions as an outdoor sculpture garden, a botanical garden. As of 2022, renovations and improvements since Katrina have City Park looking more beautiful than ever. "Storyland", a children's playground based around fairy tale characters, has been a favorite of local children for generations. The Carousel Gardens Amusement Park has a beautiful merry-go-round (known to local old timers as "the flying horses" dating back to 1906, as well as an assortment of other amusement park rides including a miniature railway to ride around part of the park. During nights of the Christmas season there is an elaborate celebration with lights, additional rides, and music in the park called "Celebration in the Oaks". In 2020, the Louisiana Children's Museum moved to new larger quarters in City Park.
- SeeTremé
Saint Augustine Church
This famous church founded at the start of the nineteenth century by "free people of color" is famous in local African-American history. Shortly after it opened in 1842, the church quickly became the most integrated church in the country, and for an odd reason. Free blacks were buying pews to reserve for their families. White families, upon hearing of this, did not want to be outdone, and began buying up their own pews. In this racial race, the black congregants won decisively, outpurchasing white families by a three to one ratio, and gave away the extra pews to slaves—but once all the families had plunked down the money, they were certainly going to stay in the now integrated church! For a more in-depth visit, you can call ahead to request a tour.
- SeeMuseumFrench Quarter
Old Ursuline Convent
Completed in 1752, open for tours.
Mon-Sat 10AM-4PM · $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 students, free for children under 6
- SeeHistoric siteFrench Quarter
Beauregard-Keyes House
1113 Chartres St
Mon-Sat 10AM-3PM · $10 adults, $9 students/seniors, $4 children 6-12, free for children under 6
- SeeHistory museumFrench Quarter
Gallier House
Home of famous local 19th-century architect.
Mon Fri 10AM-2PM, Sat noon-3PM · $10 adults, $8 students/seniors/children 8-18/AAA members, free for children under 8. Joint admission with the Hermann-Grima House $18 adults, $15 students/seniors/children 8-18/AAA members
- DoFrench Quarter Not mapped
Audubon Insectarium
In the historic Old Customs House Building. The Audubon Institute, which also runs the nearby Aquarium and the Zoo up in the Audubon District, opened the Insectarium in 2008. 10a-5p daily.
- SeeCentral City Not mapped
Hotel Hope
This homeless shelter for women and children used to be the Crescent Palms Motel, which originally opened as Mason's Hotel, a black-owned hotel where black guests would be welcomed. As such, it attracted and hosted not a few African American celebrities, like Mary Wells, The Drifters, the Marvelettes and Martha and the Vandellas. You can appreciate it from the outside even though the neighborhood is a bit rough, or maybe drop in and make a donation.
- See7th, 8th, and Upper 9th Wards Not mapped
William Frantz Elementary School Building
One of the iconic images of the American Civil Rights Movement era is of the brave little Black girl Ruby Bridges walking into school while crowds of furious White segregationists yelled bile, some of them prevented from physically grabbing her only by the presence of Federal marshals. This is where it happened. Part of the less well-known back story is that at the same time, many New Orleans Church schools and progressive private schools were already integrating quietly and with little fuss. The Public School Board, however, was controlled by segregationists. When pushed to integrate by the Federal government, they did all they could to make integration a failure. The School Board mandated that the first "experiments" with desegregation would be in the neighborhoods with the most opposition to it. Thus the then White working class Upper 9th Ward neighborhood around this elementary school building was selected. Ruby Bridges and her family, however, dealt with the situation with fortitude and quiet dignity. She didn't miss a single day of school that year. She recalled it took about a year for things to calm down. As of 2011, the 3-story Art Deco school building is vacant and surrounded by a chain link fence. By the way, this little square of New Orleans also has another quite different link to history -- right across Alvar Street from the school was the childhood home of Lee Harvey Oswald; it was demolished after being totaled in the Katrina flood.
- SeeCentral Business District Not mapped
Entergy IMAX Theatre
Part of the Audubon Aquarium.
- SeeAttraction
Storyland
99 Victory Ave
- DoMiniature golf course
City Putt Miniature Golf Course
33 Dreyfous Dr
- DoArcade
La Riviera
621 St Louis St
- DoZoo
Louisiana SPCA
1700 Mardi Gras Blvd
- DoArcade
Dave & Buster's
1200 Poydras St Unit 601
- DoArcade
Emporium Arcade Bar
2231 St Claude Ave
- DoAmusement park
NOLA ChristmasFest
900 Convention Center Blvd
- DoArcade
Sea Cave
3000 St Claude Ave
- DoAquarium
Audubon Aquarium
1 Canal St
- DoAquarium
Aqua Grill
1 Canal St
- DoArcade
Jackson Restaurant
1910 Magazine St
- DoArcade
Mystic Krewe Pinball Parlor
inside Broad Theater, 636 N Broad St Ste 2
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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to New Orleans (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps. Some descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).