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Family Fun Stuff
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
1 CANAL ST.
New Orleans LA 70130 USA Phone: (504) 581-4629
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is on the Mississippi River at 1 Canal St. More than 15,000 specimens represent some 530 species of marine life found throughout the Americas. Visitors can see sharks, stingrays, red-bellied piranhas, white alligators, black-footed and rockhopper penguins, sea otters and endangered sea turtles.Aquatic habitats include the 400,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico exhibit, the Caribbean Reef tunnel, the Amazon Rainforest and the Mississippi River. Other displays include the Seahorse Gallery and one of the largest jellyfish collections in the world. The aquarium's Entergy IMAX Theatre immerses visitors in larger-than-life nature films shown on a five-and-one-half-story screen. Adjacent to the aquarium, Woldenberg Riverfront Park is the location of cultural and educational facilities. Food is available. Allow 2 hours minimum for the aquarium, 30 minutes minimum for the theater.
Admission: Aquarium admission $16; over 64, $13; ages 2-12, $9.50. Theater $8; over 64, $7; ages 2-12, $5. Combination ticket with theater $20; over 64, $17; ages 2-12, $12. Combination ticket with Audubon Zoo $22; over 64, $18; ages 2-12, $14. Combination ticket with theater and zoo $28; over 64, $24; ages 2-12, $18. Parking $4. Reservations are recommended for the theater
Hours: Aquarium Tues.-Sun. 10-5; closed Mardi Gras Day, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Last admission 1 hour before closing. Theater show hours vary; phone ahead
Credit Cards: AE, DS, MC, VI
Audubon Zoo
6500 Magazine St.
New Orleans LA 70118 USA Phone: (504) 581-4629
Audubon Zoo is at 6500 Magazine St. just s. of the park. Encompassing 58 acres of realistic habitats and more than 1,500 animals, the zoo is home to many rare and endangered species. Exhibits include the African Savanna, Australian Outback, Asian Domain, Embraceable Zoo, World of Primates and Reptile Encounter, home to a Komodo dragon. Mayan temples and ruins are the setting for Jaguar Jungle.The Louisiana Swamp Exhibit recreates the culture and wildlife of a 1930s Cajun settlement. The Swamp Train takes passengers on a tour of the zoo. Guests may go for a whirl on the Endangered Species Carousel while riding such creatures as zebras and giraffes. Narrated feedings and elephant shows are offered daily. The zoo can be visited via the Aquarium/Zoo Cruise. Note: Due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina, the following schedule is in effect; phone ahead or check www.aaa.com for updates. Allow 3 hours minimum.
Admission: Admission $12; over 64, $9; ages 2-12, $7. Train $4. Carousel rides $2
Hours: Tues.-Fri. 10-4, Sat.-Sun. 10-5. Closed Mardi Gras Day, the first Fri. in May and Dec. 25. Last admission 1 hour before closing
Credit Cards: AE, DS, MC, VI
St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
St. Charles Ave. & Canal St.
New Orleans LA 70118 USA Phone: (504) 248-3900
St. Charles Avenue Streetcar can be boarded at stops along St. Charles Ave. and Canal St. The oldest continuously running street railway, the streetcar is now part of the municipal transit system. The 35 olive-green trolley cars date 1923-24. The line itself was built in 1835 to connect New Orleans with the city of Carrollton.From Canal Street (near the French Quarter) the line runs up St. Charles Avenue, past the Garden District, the campuses of Tulane and Loyola universities and Audubon Park. The Canal Street stop is at the corner of Carondelet Street. Note: The system's overhead electrical lines were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina; full service is expected to resume by late 2007. In the interim, buses are operating on the same route.
Admission: Fare $1.25 each way (exact change required)
Aquarium/Zoo Cruise
2 Canal St.
New Orleans LA 70130 USA Phone: (504) 586-8777
Aquarium/Zoo Cruise offers departures from both the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on Canal St. and the Audubon Zoo at Audubon Landing in Audubon Park. The riverboat John James Audubon takes passengers for a 7-mile narrated cruise along the Mississippi River between the aquarium and the zoo. Food is available.
Admission: One-way fare (cruise only) $13; ages 2-12, $6.50. Round trip (cruise only) $17; ages 2-12, $8.50. Combination cruise, aquarium and zoo admission $38.25; ages 2-12, $21.25. Other combination tickets are available
Hours: The riverboat departs the aquarium Tues.-Sun. at 10, noon, 2 and 4. Return-trip departures from the zoo are at 11, 1, 3 and 5. Closed Mardi Gras Day, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Hours may vary; phone ahead
Credit Cards: AE, DS, MC, VI
Audubon Louisiana Nature Center
5601 Read Blvd.
New Orleans LA 70127 USA Phone: (504) 581-4629
Audubon Louisiana Nature Center is s. off I-10 exit 244 (Read Blvd.) to Nature Center Dr. in Joe W. Brown Memorial Park. This nature preserve includes a science museum, planetarium, greenhouse, butterfly gardens and forest life exhibit. The science center emphasizes the relationship between man and nature in Louisiana. The 86 acres of ponds and woods surrounding the center can be explored along self-guiding nature trails. CLOSURE INFORMATION: The nature center will remain closed indefinitely due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina; phone ahead for schedule and rates.
Cajun Critters Swamp Tour
363 Louisiana Ave.
Westwego, LA 70094 USA Phone: (504) 347-0962
Cajun Critters Swamp Tour is at 363 Louisiana Ave. Two-hour swamp cruises depart from the end of Bayou Segnette. A Cajun guide shepherds passengers through the backwaters of New Orleans, dispensing knowledge about cypress trees, wildflowers, waterfowl, otters, minks, nutria, deer, alligators and armadillos. Allow 2 hours minimum.
Admission: Fare $20; ages 6-12, $15. Transportation to the departure point is available for a fee. Reservations are suggested
Hours: Departures daily at 9:30, 1:30 and 3:30, early Apr.-late Oct.; at 9:30 and 1:30, rest of year
City Park
Esplanade Ave. & N. Carollton Ave.
New Orleans LA 70124 USA Phone: (504) 482-4888
City Park is at the n. end of Esplanade Ave. The 1,500-acre municipal park is among the largest in the country. An equestrian statue of Gen. Pierre G. Beauregard greets visitors at the Esplanade Avenue entrance. The park contains the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a botanical garden, two miniature trains, a 1906 wooden carousel and a fairy tale theme park. Golf, tennis and picnic facilities are on the grounds. Canoes and paddleboats can be rented for rides on 8 miles of scenic lagoons. Note: The park was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and some activities, including canoes and paddleboats, were not available as of June 2006; phone ahead for updates. Fishing is allowed with a permit.
Daily Living Science Center
409 Williams Blvd.
Kenner, LA 70062 USA
Daily Living Science Center is at 409 Williams Blvd. The center offers hands-on exhibits and experiments, planetarium shows, an observatory and a full-scale model of the NASA space station.
Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery
23440 Lowe Davis Rd.
Covington, LA 70435 USA Phone: (888) 448-1560
Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery, 5.1 mi. n. of US 190 on SR 21, 1.5 mi. s.e. on SR 1084, 1 mi. s. on SR 1083, then w. to 23440 Lowe Davis Rd., is home to some 2,000 American and Louisiana alligators. On a 1.5-hour guided tour, visitors learn how eggs are harvested, incubated and hatched; the brave may touch a live 4-foot gator. Allow 1 hour, 30 minutes minimum.
Admission: Admission $14; over 62 and military with ID $12; ages 3-12, $9. Reservations are required for tours
Hours: Tours are offered Tues.-Sat. 9:30-3, Sun. at 1 and 2:30; closed Jan. 1, Easter, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Hours may vary; phone ahead
Credit Cards: AE, DS, MC, VI
Louisiana Children's Museum
420 Julia St.
New Orleans LA 70130 USA Phone: (504) 523-1357
Louisiana Children's Museum is at 420 Julia St. between Magazine and Tchoupitoulas sts. Hands-on exhibits are offered for children between 2 and 12 years old. Highlights include a math and physics lab, a waterworks area, a role-play café, a theater and a physical fitness exhibit featuring a rock climbing wall. Children also can shop in a mini supermarket, stand inside a giant bubble, pilot a tugboat down the Mississippi River or anchor a news program.
Admission: Admission $7, under 1 free. Under 16 must be with an adult
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 9:30-4:30, Sun. noon-4:30; closed Jan. 1, Mardi Gras Day, Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Hours may vary; phone ahead
Credit Cards: AE, DS, MC, VI
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