New Orleans Attractions

French Quarter Museum of Art Audubon Nature Institute Aquarium of the Americas Louisiana Nature Center New Orleans Adventures Mardi Gras World Six Flags New Orleans Morial Convention Center Kenner Rivertown

New Orleans Northshore. Whether you're looking for affordable family fun that's close to New Orleans or an upscale vacation offering award-winning dining, incr edible shopping and unique places to stay, St. Tammany Parish on New Orleans Northshore has it all. Located just 45 minutes from New Orleans on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans Northshore is known for its natural beauty and charming old towns, such as Covington, Mandeville and Slidell. Easy accessibility to the Big Easy, Baton Rouge and the Mississippi Gulf Coast make New Orleans Northshore the perfect place to stay if you want to experience all that St. Tammany Parish has to offer.

French Quarter New Orleans. At the heart of New Orleans' enduring allure are the hundred–odd squares of the French Quarter. Alive with history, myth, music and a joie de vivre, the Vieux Carré attracts visitors to its time–worn streets, restaurants, music clubs, markets, and the annual Mardi Gras and French Quarter Fest. For jazz, for food, for history or for frivolity the French Quarter is a legendary New Orleans destination. The cultural love child of old Europe, the exotic Caribbean and the sultry South, New Orleans' original colonial neighborhood sets the scene for memorable romantic getaways. Dance to Jazz and drink a famous New Orleans Hurricane. Visit www.FrenchQuarter.com.

Jackson Square. Along the Mississippi River in the French Quarter, Jackson Square is the number one visitor destination in New Orleans. A tribute to Andrew Jackson, it’s been home to an open-air artist colony for over half a century. Surrounding Jackson Square are wonderful shops, museums, and restaurants. Adjacent to Jackson Square is the Jax Brewery Shopping Mall, French Market complex, and Washington Artillery Park river overlook.  [Top]

New Orleans Museum of Art. Minutes from the French Quarter, you will experience a world of art at the New Orleans Museum of Art. NOMA is one of the Gulf South's finest art museums, featuring an outstanding permanent collection and an expansive Faberge gallery. The museum also hosts national and international traveling exhibitions. www.noma.org.

New Orleans Super Dome. The spectacular New Orleans Super Dome, opened August 1975, is the world’s largest steel–constructed dome arena. The Super Dome presents a variety of events including sporting events, special events, theme parties, concerts and performances, conventions, trade shows and exhibits, receptions and family shows. The Super Dome is home of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints football team, the Nokia Sugar Bowl Football Classic, and many prestigious sporting events and tournaments. The Dome has hosted more Super Bowls than any other facility in the nation, and holds the world record for attendance at an indoor concert – 87,500 people for the Rolling Stones in 1981. Visit www.superdome.com.  [Top]

Audubon Nature Institute. Celebrating the wonders of Nature in New Orleans, the Audubon Nature Institute’s family of museums and parks dedicated to nature include, Audubon Zoo, Audubon Park, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Freeport–McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Entergy IMAX Theatre, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, Audubon Wilderness Park, Audubon Insectarium, and Audubon Nature Institute Foundation, Check out educational programs, festivals and special events. www.auduboninstitute.org.

Audubon Zoo. A New Orleans favorite, Audubon Zoo is one of the country's premiere zoos, providing an oasis for 1,500 animals, representing over 350 species from around the world. Don’t miss Zieux Orleans, a live show at the Zoo’s Shell’s Wildlife of Stage amphitheater with music and local animal stars . Discovery Walks and the Embraceable Zoo offer hands–on encounters with wildlife and domestic animals. See the sea lions strut their stuff at the Sea Lion Show. With cypress trees, Spanish moss, and white alligators, the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit is a journey of the culture, cuisine and wildlife of a 1930’s Cajun swamp village. Phone: (866) ITS–AZOO; Web: www.auduboninstitute.org/zoo.  [Top]

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Located along the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas features 10,000 animals representing 530 species, and spans the underwater world of the Caribbean Sea, the Amazon Rainforest, the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. See your favorite exhibits including the Mississippi River gallery, the Caribbean Reef exhibit, the Gulf of Mexico exhibit and the Touch Pool, where you can touch a baby shark. Phone: (800) 774–7394; www.auduboninstitute.org/aoa.

Entergy IMAX Theatre. The wonders of nature are magnified at Entergy IMAX Theatre, where larger–than–life adventures explode with the world’s most advanced motion picture technology. Located next door to Audubon Aquarium, Entergy IMAX Theatre is one of only six in the world with spectacular flat screen, single projection, IMAX® 3D and high–definition capabilities. Phone: (800) 774–7394; www.auduboninstitute.org/imax.  [Top]

Audubon Louisiana Nature Center. Audubon Louisiana Nature Center is an interactive facility dedicated to discovering the wonders of the natural world. The Nature Center offers unique opportunities to come face–to–face with the local environment and learn about nature through hands–on exhibits, exciting programs and trails that meander through the forest. Phone: (504) 246–5672 or (800) 774–7394; www.auduboninstitute.org.

Cajun Pride Swamp Tours. Cajun Pride provides exciting New Orleans swamp, plantation, cultural, and city sightseeing tours. Enjoy a 3–hour City Tour, a 4–hour swamp or plantation tour, or relax on one of the 6–10 hour combination tours. A large picnic area is perfect for catered group events such as a Louisiana crawfish boil, jambalaya dinner, or barbeque. Phone: (800) 467–0758; www.cajunprideswamptours.com.  [Top]

New Orleans Adventures. With beautiful landscapes, rivers, lakes, swamps and the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans offers an incredible array of outdoor activities, including excellent fresh and salt water fishingon Lake Pontchartrain and the mighty Mississippi. Beyond world–class fishing and conservationist hunting, New Orleans also offers exceptional ecotours, swamp tours, bicycling, running, hiking, camping, canoeing, rafting, tubing, sailing, boating and yachting. Takeadvantage of the lush, water– and wildlife–filled environs unique to New Orleans.

Jefferson Performing Arts Society. The Jefferson Performing Arts Society presents diverse performances, such as opera, musicals, stage dramas and varied artistic offerings, including the Vienna Boys Choir, The Chieftains with Riverdance creator Michael Flatley, and the Alvin Ailey Repertory Company. JPAS includes the Jefferson Ballet, the Symphony Chorus, Chamber Orchestra and the Children’s Chorus. Phone: (504) 885 2000; Web: www.jpas.org.  [Top]

Mardi Gras World. Look behind the magic of Mardi Gras at New Orleans’ showcase of carnival with thousands of sensational sculptures, colorful Mardi Gras props and breathtaking figures on display, such as King Kong, Marilyn Monroe, a gigantic jovial jester, and fiercely realistic alligators, and the most awesome floats ever built for carnival. Phone: (504) 361–7821; www.mardigrasworld.com.

Louisiana Children’s Museum. At this nationally recognized museum, children and adults can touch fun and educational hands-on exhibits. Captain a tugboat, anchor the news, and leave your shadow on the wall in the Shadow Trap. www.lcm.org.  [Top]

Six Flags New Orleans. Located 20 minutes from the French Quarter, Six Flags New Orleans is one of the south’s greatest amusement parks with 30 amazing rides, live shows, exciting attractions and exhilarating coasters – Batman, Zydeco Scream, The Jester, Road Runner's Express, Dizzy Lizzy and Krazy Krewe for the whole family. Check out the new SpongeBob SquarePants: The Ride, the Mardi Gras Menagerie carousel, Sonic Slam and The Big Easy Ferris Wheel. Phone: (504) 615–0775; Web: www.sixflags.com.

Lafreniere Park. A suburban oasis of the East Bank, Lafrenier Park is a 155–acre park in Kenner offering scenic surroundings for walks or runs, soccer fields, free summer concerts, a large picnic area with tables and barbecue pits, and a small wildlife and nature habitat with waterways, a gazebo and a boardwalk that winds through a wooded area. Hit the 2–mile asphalt track along the park’s perimeter with 2 physical fitness stations. Phone: (504) 838–8489; Web: www.eastjeffersonparish.com.  [Top]

Morial Convention Center. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans offers 3 million square feet of meeting, event, convention, and concert space on 45 acres. The Morial Convention Center features 12 exhibit halls accommodating 110,000 people, 40 high–tech meeting rooms, two luxurious ballrooms, and a 4,032–seat auditorium. Visit www.mccno.com.

VooDoo Spiritual Temple. Located near Congo Square, and featured on PBS and movies, the VooDoo Spiritual Temple offers teachings that touch the soul, spiritual consultations, rituals, potions, tours, and lectures under the direction of Priestess Miriam since 1990.  [Top]

Kenner Rivertown. Located along the Mississippi River, Rivertown in Kenner is a 16–block historic district featuring family entertainment, shopping, dining and educational experiences. Enjoy cultural and family attractions, including eight museums, a fine arts gallery, a Repertory Theater, and LaSalle's Landing at the edge of Rivertown, which offers a picturesque view of the Mississippi. Check out Mardi Gras Museum, Childrens' Castle, Louisiana Toy Train Museum, Louisiana Wildlife Museum, Saints Hall of Fame Museum and Rivertown Reparatory Museum. Call (504) 468–7231 or visit www.rivertownkenner.com.  [Top]