Louisiana Articles

Vacation Ideas: Family Sightseeing in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

New Orleans has a long reputation for great parties. However, families are discovering the excitement of New Orleans can be translated for younger visitors. You may have a difficult time explaining the antics of Bourbon Street to your children, but there are still many other things in New Orleans that appeal to children as well as adults. The city of New Orleans is home to world-class facilities that provide new experiences and education that makes family vacations so enjoyable and enriching.

Some of the popular attractions and activities for families in or nearby the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana include:

• Jackson Square: Start your day in the French Quarter with breakfast of“beignets” from Café du Monde at 1039 Decatur Street, telephone 800-772-2927. Clowns, street performers and artists provide colorful entertainment fro children and adults around the square. Stop by and visit with local artist Brad Reynolds who has been drawing caricatures from his umbrella-shaded stool along the iron fence in Jackson Square for years. Take home one of his customized souvenirs for as a keepsake from your New Orleans adventure.
• Buggy rides: This is a mule-powered tour of the French Quarter. While traveling along in your buggy ride you can enjoy the colorful tales from a tour guide.
• Streetcars: Take an inexpensive and excited journey on a streetcar as a way of viewing attractions elsewhere in the city. Rides are $1.25 per person. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar line is a 1920s-vintage historic landmark on wheels.
• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: 10,000 creatures and probably more live in the Audubon Aquarium as their permanent residence. Some of the unique exhibits include a 30-foot-long clear tunnel where visitors are surrounded by Caribbean reef dwellers; the Gulf of Mexico tank that features sharks; sea turtles and stingrays. Be sure to visit the Amazon rainforest room and a touch pool where you can touch a baby shark. Located in the same complex is the Entergy Imax Theater that screens dazzling, large-format films usually with an educational theme.
• Riverboat rides: Tours of various lengths and themes are available on the Steamboat Natchez (504-586-8777) and the New Orleans Paddlewheels Company (504-529-4567). Another quick and free way to get close to the river’s flowing brown water is taking the state-run Canal Street ferry (for pedestrians). The ferry makes a short run across the river to Old Algiers Point about every 15 minutes. If you want a longer adventure, the riverboat John James Audubon (504-586-8777) leaves the Aquarium of the Americas several times a day for a seven-mile journey upriver to the Audubon Zoo on 6500 Magazine Street. Telephone: 866-487-2966.
• Audubon Zoo: Especially popular for children is an area known as“Monkey Hill,” and the Louisiana Swamp exhibit that includes a rare white alligator.
• City Park: Is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. The local facility contains the New Orleans Museum of Art, Botanical Gardens and other refined attractions. It is also home to Storyland, a fairytale-theme playground with a vintage carousel and miniature carnival rides. Storyland has been ranked by the Child Magazine as one of the top 10 United States playgrounds. You can reach the City Park by way of Canal streetcar.
• Louisiana Children’s Museum: This museum is located in the Warehouse District. The museum has recently been ranked the best children’s museum in 22 major U.S. cities by the Zagat Survey’s U.S. Family Travel Guide. Exhibits include educational and one about the ships and activities at the Port of New Orleans. Location: 420 Julia Street, 504-523-1357
• Musee Conti Wax Museum: Provides a stimulating history of New Orleans and its famous characters through the centuries. See Jean Lafitte the pirate, Napoleon the emperor, Creole traditions, voodoo rituals and jazz hall jams all represented in the form of wax figures and vignettes. Location: 917 Conti Street, 800-233-5405.
• Blain Kern’s Mardi Gras World: The Canal Street ferry can take you across the river to visit the studio where artists work year-round on elaborate floats for the city’s Mardi Gras parades and other events around the world. Guided tours are available that include a chance to try on costumes. You can also sample the king cake, which is a traditional treat from carnival season. Location: 233 Newton Street, 800-362-8213.
• Six Flags New Orleans: Here you will find roller coasters, water rides and other thrill seeker attractions. The park includes a Looney Tunes Adventures area especially for younger children. Concerts, shows, performance venues are also featured on the grounds. Location: 12301 Six Flags Parkway, 504-253-8100

Source: The French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana Tourist Guide for Families

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