From Sugar Plantation to Urban Paradise
Before Audubon Park was the place where Uptowners jogged under ancient oaks and kids fed ducks by the lagoon, it was a sugar plantation. Etienne de Bore, New Orleans' first mayor, owned the land and operated the first commercially successful sugar plantation in the region — a development that would reshape the entire economy of Louisiana and, not incidentally, deepen the horrors of the slave trade that fueled it. The park's beautiful grounds carry that complicated history in their soil.
During the Civil War, the property served as a troop encampment for both Confederate and Union armies, as well as a staging area for the Buffalo Soldiers — African American troops whose service is one of the underappreciated chapters of the war. After the conflict, the city acquired the approximately 350 acres in 1871 and began transforming it into the public park that generations of New Orleanians would claim as their own.
The Park That Has Everything
Audubon Park is the kind of place that rewards a full day. The 1.8-mile jogging path loops through a canopy of live oaks so thick the sunlight barely penetrates. The Audubon Zoo sits on the river side of the park, home to Louisiana natives like alligators and black bears alongside exotic species. There's an 18-hole golf course, a public swimming pool, riding stables, and a nature trail that winds past Bird Island — a small islet in the lagoon that serves as a rookery for egrets and herons.
The Tree of Life, a massive live oak near the St. Charles Avenue entrance, is one of the most photographed trees in the South. Its branches sweep outward and downward, touching the ground in places and creating a natural cathedral of shade and green. Nearby, a labyrinth offers a walking meditation path, because even in a city known for its parties, people occasionally need a quiet moment.
Uptown's Living Room
The park's relationship with the surrounding Uptown neighborhood is deeply personal. Tulane and Loyola universities sit across St. Charles Avenue, and generations of students have studied, dozed, and fallen in love under these trees. Families come for birthday parties at the pavilions. Dog walkers form their own social networks on the paths. On weekend mornings, the park fills with runners, cyclists, yoga classes, and the occasional brass band practicing for an upcoming parade.
Named for naturalist John James Audubon, who lived in the area in the 1820s while painting his famous "Birds of America" series, the park carries his name into the 21st century as a reminder that New Orleans has always been a place where nature and culture exist in close proximity — sometimes beautifully, sometimes uncomfortably, always memorably.
Frequently Asked Questions About Audubon Park
How big is Audubon Park?
Audubon Park encompasses approximately 350 acres in the Uptown neighborhood, stretching from St. Charles Avenue to the Mississippi River.
What was Audubon Park before it was a park?
The land was first home to Native Americans, then became the nation's first commercial sugar plantation under Etienne de Bore, New Orleans' first mayor. During the Civil War, it served as a military encampment for both sides.
What is there to do in Audubon Park?
The park features a 1.8-mile jogging path, the Audubon Zoo, an 18-hole golf course, a public pool, riding stables, the Tree of Life, Bird Island, a labyrinth, lagoons, and extensive picnic areas under ancient live oaks.
Who was Audubon Park named after?
The park is named after John James Audubon, the famous naturalist and painter who lived in the area in the 1820s while creating his landmark "Birds of America" series.
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