When people think of New Orleans, they might have visions of Bourbon Street, parties, drinking, colorful beads, and Mardi Gras. But the city is also a place for families to explore.
Visiting New Orleans with kids means a top-rated aquarium and zoo, boat rides on the Mississippi River, and the chance to watch beignets being made.
How do you get around New Orleans with kids?
One of the easiest ways to get around and experience the city is by riding its historic streetcars. Red or green streetcars run up and down the main streets, making many of New Orleans’ attractions easily accessible.
Transportation is also incredibly affordable. A Jazzy Pass works on all streetcars, buses, and ferries run by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority:
- Single ride: $1.25
- 24-hour Jazzy Pass: $3
- 72-hour Jazzy Pass: $8
What can kids see at the Audubon Aquarium?
The streetcar goes right to the Audubon Aquarium, located along the Mississippi River waterfront. After a $41 million renovation, it reopened in June 2023 and is consistently top ranked in the nation.
The aquarium transports visitors to an underwater world. It showcases more than 3,600 animals from more than 250 species, including endangered species such as African penguins and rare creatures such as white alligators.
One of the highlights is a clear glass tunnel that visitors can walk through while surrounded by sea life. Cownose rays swim right above and beside guests, creating the illusion of being underwater with the animals.
Visitors can also gently touch the fins of sharks and rays in the 13,000-gallon touch pool. One of the coolest creatures to watch is the Mississippi paddlefish. It swims with its mouth open, filtering water over its gill rakers to extract zooplankton.
Don’t skip the Insectarium
The aquarium ticket also includes the Insectarium, where families can experience a very different kind of animal world. Highlights include:
- A butterfly garden
- An interactive wall and bug games
- Giant beetles, scorpions, honey bees, “blue” crawfish, and large hissing cockroaches
Visitors can see inside the tunnels of a large leaf-cutter ant population and watch as the ants carry food and treasures through their winding environment. If you are feeling brave, you can even sample some free fried bugs.
Is the Audubon Zoo worth adding?
Visitors can add a combo ticket that includes the Audubon Zoo, about a 30-minute bus ride from the aquarium. Bright pink flamingos greet guests near the entrance.
At the time of this writing, the zoo had three lion cubs and two bear cubs that romp and play, endlessly entertaining visitors. Families visiting during the warmer months can also cool off at Cool Zoo, a seasonal water park at the zoo that operates from May to August.
Where can families see Mardi Gras floats being made?
Families can experience another important part of New Orleans history and culture at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World. This working facility is where many of the elaborate floats used in the city’s famous Mardi Gras parades are created.
Visitors can see hundreds of old floats, watch new ones being made, and learn how they are constructed.
Is Bourbon Street kid-friendly?
Bourbon Street is another iconic part of New Orleans that families may want to experience, but timing is important. On Friday and Saturday nights, it is a party scene full of people dressed up, throwing beads, drinking, and having fun.
But from Sunday through Thursday during the early evening, the streets are also full of tourists and families. Young children get high fives from bouncers at club doors as they walk by.
Camera-toting tourists snap photos of people throwing beads to children from balconies, while babies in strollers enjoy looking at the bright lights. It is also fine for families to walk along Bourbon Street during the day.
Where can you watch beignets being made?
No family trip to New Orleans would be complete without trying a beignet. The beignets at Café Du Monde in the downtown area are so popular that there is often a long line.
After getting a bag of the powdered treats, visitors can walk to the side of the building and look through large glass windows to watch workers making this famous New Orleans delicacy.
From there, families can walk along the waterfront, watching a plethora of paddleboats, shipping vessels, and tourist boats go by.
What else can you do in New Orleans with kids?
New Orleans City Park is a large urban park with ancient oak trees, an antique carousel, and Storyland, a children’s attraction where familiar fairy tales and nursery rhymes are brought to life.
New Orleans is also full of ghost tour companies, but not all of the tours are intended to be scary. A late-afternoon walking tour can be more of a history lesson, with fascinating ghost stories interspersed along the way.
It can be a fun way for families to learn about the city’s history while exploring its historic streets and architecture.
What are easy family adventures beyond the city?
Take the ferry to Algiers Point
A ferry ride across the Mississippi River is another easy and inexpensive adventure. The ferry takes visitors to Algiers Point, a historic neighborhood on the opposite side of the river from downtown New Orleans.
Families can walk around, see colorful houses and quaint streets, and enjoy sweeping views of New Orleans from across the river. Take the ferry during the day to see the sights and again at night for views of the city all lit up.
Tour Destrehan Plantation
For families interested in the history of the New Orleans area, visiting one of the region’s historic plantations offers a look at life along the Mississippi River during an earlier era.
The plantations are among the few attractions not accessible by public transportation, but Destrehan Plantation is the closest to the city, about a 20-minute Uber ride away. Visitors can tour the old plantation house, slave quarters, and barns, and take a guided tour to learn the history of the site, which was completed in 1790.
How do you get to New Orleans from Southwest Florida?
Getting to New Orleans from SWFL is easier than ever with nonstop flights on Breeze Airways from Fort Myers. Before you go, read our tips on flying with toddlers and our pre-vacation to-do list.
For families, this destination offers a lot more than its reputation suggests. There is a different side of New Orleans waiting to be discovered by your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to ride the streetcar in New Orleans?
A single ride is $1.25. A Jazzy Pass, good on all RTA streetcars, buses, and ferries, is $3 for 24 hours or $8 for 72 hours.
Is Bourbon Street OK for kids?
It can be, with the right timing. Families can walk Bourbon Street during the day and early Sunday through Thursday evening. Friday and Saturday nights are a party scene.
When is Cool Zoo open at the Audubon Zoo?
Cool Zoo, the zoo’s seasonal water park, operates from May to August.
Can you fly nonstop from Fort Myers to New Orleans?
Yes. Breeze Airways offers nonstop flights from Fort Myers to New Orleans (on a seasonal basis).