New Orleans with kids is better than most people expect. The city has a reputation built on Bourbon Street, but plenty of us are raising kids here, and the version of the city we live in has a giant park, a great zoo, a museum built for little hands and a snowball stand on half the corners in town.
So if you're a parent wondering whether this trip is a mistake, it isn't. You'll just spend more of it Uptown and in City Park than on Bourbon, which is honestly where you'd want to be anyway. Here's the family version of the city, from people who've stood behind the counter on Magazine Street and Chartres Street for twenty years watching kids drag their parents toward the gator shirts.
City Park Is Everybody's Backyard
If you only have one family day, spend it in City Park. It's bigger than Central Park, and it's free to walk in.
Carousel Gardens and Storyland. The amusement park inside City Park is home to the antique carousel locals call the Flying Horses, which City Park describes as one of the oldest in the country. A daily ticket covers unlimited rides and Storyland, a playground of oversized fairy-tale sculptures that toddlers climb like it's their job. For the 2026 season, tickets are $27 for riders 36 inches and up, and kids under 36 inches get in free. The rides run on weekends through Nov. 1.
Louisiana Children's Museum. The Louisiana Children's Museum moved into City Park in 2019, and the building sits right on the water. It's a hands-on place, made for kids who need to touch everything. Good for a hot or rainy afternoon.
The Sculpture Garden. Right next door at NOMA, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free and open daily. Kids tend to love the giant pieces. Inside the museum, anyone 19 and under gets in free.
Bring a picnic. Feed nothing to the ducks that you'd be embarrassed to explain.
The Audubon Zoo
Uptown in Audubon Park, the Audubon Zoo is where a lot of New Orleans kids spend their birthdays. The Louisiana swamp exhibit is a must, partly because it's the one place your kid can see an alligator up close without anyone worrying.
If you want to read about it before you go, or keep the memory going on the way home, there's a picture book called What the Sleepy Animals Do at the Audubon Zoo. We keep it in the shops for exactly this reason.
The Insectarium Downtown
The Audubon Insectarium used to be in the old U.S. Custom House on Canal Street. In 2023 it moved into the Audubon Aquarium building on the riverfront, so you can now do bugs and fish in one trip. Kids who love creepy crawlers will go wild. Kids who don't will at least enjoy the sharks.
Snowball Season
From spring into fall, the snowball stand is the center of New Orleans childhood. It's shaved ice, finer and fluffier than a snow cone, and please don't call it a snow cone. Kids here have strong opinions about flavors and stronger opinions about cream on top. Our local's guide to snowball stands will get you to the good ones.
Parades With Kids
Carnival is one of the best times to bring kids, as long as you go where the families go. That means Uptown on St. Charles, not Bourbon Street. Locals set up ladders with a kid's seat bolted on top so the little ones can see over the crowd and catch throws. You'll see whole families out on weeknights for the earlier parades.
If it's your first time, read our guide on what to do during Mardi Gras. Then read what not to do in New Orleans, especially the part about other people's ladders.
What Local Parents Actually Pack
You'll notice New Orleans parents carry a particular kit. Ours looks like this:
- Water, more than seems reasonable. Heat sneaks up on kids faster than adults.
- Bug spray. Evenings near the water can get buggy. We stock Mosquito & Bug Spray by Goods That Matter for exactly that.
- A change of clothes. Between the afternoon storms and the snowball syrup, somebody's getting wet or sticky.
- Snacks, because restaurants here move at their own pace and kids don't.
- A plan for a nap. The city runs late. Kids don't.
Little Things to Take Home
If you want something for the kids that isn't a plastic souvenir, we carry a lot of options. The NOLA ABCs Kids shirt teaches the alphabet the local way, and the matching NOLA ABCs Flash Cards are a hit with toddlers and the grandparents who buy for them. For older kids, the Strange Things Happen Below Sea Level Kids shirt says everything about this city in five words.
Bring the kids by Magazine Street or Chartres Street. We'll point you toward the closest snowball.
New Orleans With Kids: FAQ
Is New Orleans a good place to visit with kids?
Yes. City Park, the Audubon Zoo, the Insectarium and the Louisiana Children's Museum make the city very family friendly. Just plan to spend most of your time outside the French Quarter's nightlife blocks.
What is there for toddlers in New Orleans?
Storyland and Carousel Gardens in City Park are made for little kids, and children under 36 inches ride free at Carousel Gardens. The Louisiana Children's Museum is also a great hands-on stop.
Can you take kids to Mardi Gras in New Orleans?
Absolutely. Local families go every year. Head to the Uptown parade route on St. Charles Avenue, where you'll find ladders and lots of kids.
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