From the French Quarter to the Garden District (Uptown), there is something for everyone in the family when visiting New Orleans.
The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is recognized as one of the leading aquariums in the United States. It is located along the banks of the Mississippi River by the edge of the historic French Quarter off Canal Street, at the upper end of Woldenberg Park.
Audubon Zoo, located in historic Uptown New Orleans, offers an exotic mix of animals from around the globe, engaging educational programs, hands-on animal encounters and lush gardens. Unique natural habitat exhibits—such as the award-winning Louisiana Swamp and Jaguar Jungle—showcase the relationship between people and nature. Audubon Zoo is ranked among the country’s best for innovation and entertainment value.
City Park, a 1,300 acre (5.3 km²) public park in New Orleans, is the 6th-largest and 7th-most-visited urban public park in the United States. City Park is approximately 50% larger than Central Park in New York City, the municipal park recognized by Americans nationwide as the archetypal urban greenspace. Although it is an urban park whose land is owned by the City of New Orleans, it is administered by the City Park Improvement Association, an arm of state government, not by the New Orleans Parks and Parkways Department. City Park is very unusual in that it is a largely self-supporting public park, with most of its annual budget derived from self-generated revenue through user fees and donations. In the wake of the enormous damage inflicted upon the park due to Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism began to partially subsidize the park’s operations. Because of this, City Park is a treasure chest of things to do that can keep your family busy all day. The lake, art museum, stables, carousel amusement park, and several different gardens will keep the entire family entertained.
The French Market is a market and series of commercial buildings spanning 6 blocks in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Founded in 1791 as a Native American trading post, the market is the oldest of its kind in the United States. It began where “Cafe du Monde” currently stands and has been rebuilt and renovated multiple times since its original “meat market” purposes. Originally, “the Meat Market” was the only place within the French Quarter that could sell meat, only after meat was being sold elsewhere, did its name change to the “French Market”. It stretches just inland from the Mississippi River in the section of the French Quarter downriver from Jackson Square, with the famous Café du Monde at the upriver end, down to the flea market stalls across from the New Orleans Mint building.
The French Quarter, also known as the Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the Vieux Carré (“Old Square” in English), a central square. The district is more commonly called the French Quarter today, or simply “The Quarter,” related to changes in the city with American immigration after the Louisiana Purchase. Most of the present-day historic buildings were constructed during the late 18th century, during the city’s period of Spanish rule, and reflect Spanish colonial architecture.
