Family Attractions

Climb aboard the Steamboat NATCHEZ for a scenic cruise down the Mississippi. Along the way, you’ll enjoy beautiful sights, delicious food, and great music. Jazz bands frequent the decks of the boat, as well as the steam-powered calliope, or just listen to the sounds of the river. Steamboat NATCHEZ offers daytime cruises, as well as a dinner with jazz cruise that features the Dukes of Dixieland.

If you want a real, behind-the-scenes look at New Orleans Mardi Gras, then there's only one way to get it: take a tour at Mardi Gras World. Mardi Gras World creates many of the big, beautiful floats that parade through the streets every Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, as well as around the world. During the tour, you'll get to see floats and props being created from the ground up, try on Mardi Gras costumes, and even eat some king cake. 

Capture the adventure of life on the Mississippi aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS, the sister vessel of the legendary Steamboat NATCHEZ. A day or evening cruise means live jazz, authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine, and breathtaking river and city views. It’s one of the most relaxing—and uniquely New Orleans—ways to experience the city’s skyline and the mighty Mississippi.

Generations of New Orleanians have grown up coming to the Audubon Zoo, and it’s still one of our favorite ways to spend a day Uptown. Set beneath huge, shady live oaks, the zoo is home to lions, giraffes, elephants, orangutans, jaguars, and plenty of Louisiana wildlife, too. The Louisiana Swamp exhibit is especially worth seeing, and families with kids know to leave time for Monkey Hill and the seasonal Cool Zoo. It’s beautiful, distinctly New Orleans, and genuinely one of the best zoos around.

Right on the Mississippi River downtown, Audubon Aquarium has been a New Orleans family favorite for decades. Inside, you can walk through an underwater reef tunnel, see sharks, sea turtles, and penguins, meet a rare white alligator and get hands-on at the shark and ray touch pool. Your ticket also includes the Audubon Insectarium, making this an especially good choice when the weather outside isn’t cooperating. Local tip: It’s not just for kids.

New Orleans’ most highly rated, can’t-miss attractions, The National WWII Museum brings history to life in a powerful way. Explore immersive exhibits, historic aircraft and artifacts, personal stories, Beyond All Boundaries and more. Even if you’re not a history buff, you’ll find this an amazing experience.

We tell our friends that one of the easiest ways to get the lay of the land in New Orleans is from the top of a double-decker bus. City Sightseeing New Orleans takes you through the French Quarter, CBD, Garden District, and more, with plenty of local history and stories along the way. Hop off when something catches your eye, then hop back on when you’re ready to keep exploring. Beats having to find somewhere to park.

Jackson Square may be one of the most photographed places in New Orleans, but it’s far more than a tourist stop. Locals still come here to stroll, people-watch, listen to street musicians, browse the work of local artists, and take in one of the best views in the city, with St. Louis Cathedral rising behind the square and the Mississippi River just steps away. Surrounded by the Pontalba buildings, the Cabildo, and the Presbytère, it’s a place where New Orleans history, culture, and everyday life all meet. If the French Quarter has a heart, this is it.