18 Kid Friendly Things to Do in New Orleans

Are there kid friendly things to do in New Orleans? Mais, oui! The Big Easy may be best known for beads and Bourbon Street, but there is another side to this Louisiana city. Parents may be surprised to find a bounty of attractions and activities for families in NOLA. Let the good times roll with these 18 fun things to do in New Orleans with kids!

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1. Explore the French Quarter.

The oldest area of the city, the French Quarter is so named because it was founded by French settlers in 1718. Ironically, though, much of the architecture in the French Quarter is actually Spanish Colonial in its styling. That's due to a series of fires in the late 1800s after which many of this neighborhood's buildings were rebuilt under Spanish rule. Point out the signature lacy cast-iron details on balconies to your kids as you wander here.

Get more out of your experience with a 2-hour French Quarter Walking and Storytelling Tour.

French Quarter Shopping

Family-friendly shopping and restaurants abound in the French Quarter. If you're looking for fun and affordable trinkets for the kids, then head to the French Market, a covered outdoor flea market.

You must stop at Little Toy Shop on Decatur Street for a delightful array of old-fashioned and new-fangled toys. Children and adults alike will get a kick out of Maskarade, a shop that sells an array of Carnival masks with feathers and sparkling details. Pop into Rocket Fizz for an overwhelming offering of sodas in wacky flavors like pickle, butter, bacon, and cookie dough.

Joan of Arc Statue

Near the French Market, look for a glittering golden statue of Joan of Arc. The French martyr is known as the “Maid of Orléans” and she's the unofficial Patron Saint of the city. She even gets her own Mardi Gras parade every year in New Orleans.

2. Take a carriage ride.

Gain a better understanding of the French Quarter aboard a narrated carriage ride. Pick your pony in Jackson Square. Then trot through New Orleans' streets while learning about the city's past.

Mules lead all the carriages here, not horses. According to our Mid-City Carriages guide, that's because, “They're smarter. They're stronger. And they handle the heat better.”

Our mule, Ray, was smart indeed. Our driver called out to him at an intersection, “Wait now, Ray. Be sure to look both ways first.” Sure enough, Ray paused and turned his head all the way to the right, and all the way to the left before proceeding.

Book your carriage ride via GetYourGuide now!

3. Play and learn at the Louisiana Children's Museum.

Previously located in the Warehouse District for over 30 years, a new and reimagined Louisiana Children's Museum opened in the expansive City Park in the Lakeview District in September 2019. The museum now encompasses a whopping 8.5 acres of space to play and learn.

Move With The River

Move With The River teaches children all about the Mississippi River. Among other water play opportunities, the centerpiece 100-foot water table lures kids like otters to water. Here children explore the flow of water with toy boats and pretend levees.

Play With Me

Visiting Louisiana Children's Museum with babies or toddlers? They'll love Play With Me, a safe and stimulating area just for them. It's filled with plenty of space to crawl and things to touch, hear, and see.

Follow That Food

Follow That Food is especially fun for the preschooler set. From growing and harvesting play crops, shipping food along the Mississippi, to shopping at a make-believe mini grocery store — kids learn all about where their food comes from and how it gets to their dinner tables.

Dig Into Nature

Dig Into Nature includes both indoor and outside play opportunities. Children become veterinarians, nursing sick “animals” back to good health. Meanwhile, bigger kids enjoy exploring items from nature (like bugs!) up-close with special magnifying technology.

Make Your Mark

Kids get creative at Make Your Mark with music, architecture, art, and beyond. They can play musical instruments in the Jammin' House. Or, build infrastructures with colorful bricks and tools in Build Big Dreams. Then, make crafts in the Design Studio.

The most popular attraction, though, is probably the Bubble Studio. That's where visitors can create and stand inside a gigantic square bubble!

Outdoor Adventures

In addition to two stories of interactive indoor displays, Outdoor Adventures includes several exhibits outside that encourage a love of nature.

Acorn Restaurant

You know how museum food is usually ho-hum? Not so at Acorn at the Louisiana Children's Museum! It's owned by renowned New Orleans restauranteur, Dickie Brennan & Co.

The restaurant offers yummy and healthy fare like the Grilled Corn Elote Bowl with arugula, grilled corn, veggies, cotija cheese, cilantro, and jalapeno-lime vinaigrette. There's a kid's menu, of course, and healthy sides like Sweet Potato Tots or Oven-roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower.

4. Eat Creole cuisine.

Louisiana's Cajun and Creole dishes are reason enough to visit New Orleans with kids. What is the difference between Cajun and Creole cuisines? Typically, Creole is known for being fancier city food whereas Cajun is more rustic country food.

Since New Orleans is definitely a city, you'll mostly find Creole fare here. Also, Creole dishes often include tomatoes and tomato-based sauces, but Cajun dishes do not. Creole cuisine is a distinctive blend of New Orleans' eclectic history and populace with French, Spanish, West African, American Indian, Haitian, and Southern U.S. influences.

Creole Dishes for Kids

Popular Creole dishes include gumbo (a roux-based stew), red beans and rice, shrimp and grits, étouffée (smothered shellfish served over rice), and jambalaya (a rice dish often made with chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage, and vegetables like peas).

You might be worried about finding Creole cuisine for kids since food in New Orleans often comes with a spicy kick. Worry not, though! You can always inquire about spice levels of various dishes. Restaurants may even be able to provide a milder version.

Plus, there are tame Creole foods that kids are likely to enjoy, like po'boy sandwiches (deep-fried shrimp, chicken, or meat served on a baguette) and crab cakes (my son's favorite!). Additionally, many restaurants in New Orleans offer children's menus with standard items kids enjoy.

Not sure where to start? Book a French Quarter Food Tour. This tour is great for all ages. You'll sample local favorites like beignets, gumbo, pralines, and more.

Brunch at Brennan's

For a delectable Creole brunch, take your brood to Brennan's. A meal here feels special indeed.

The pink and pale green dining room feels like a fairyland, with a garden trellis ceiling and early 19th century Mardi Gras parade float paintings. When the weather is nice, opt to sit in their picturesque courtyard with a bubbling fountain and striped umbrellas for shade.

Parents, who are so inclined, can start their day with a Cajun Bloody Mary or a Sparkling Blueberry Cocktail made with Louisiana blueberries, sparkling wine, and thyme. Begin your meal with a Baked Apple served with oatmeal pecan raisin crumble, brown sugar glaze, and sweetened crème fraîche.

You may want to follow that with the house specialty, Eggs Hussarde, a Creole version of eggs Benedict drizzled with their sweet Marchand De Vin Sauce. Meanwhile, children 10 and younger can make their selections from a menu just for them.

5. Listen to live jazz.

It would almost be impossible to come to New Orleans and NOT listen to live jazz! That's because music is ever-present in Crescent City. Where can you listen to live jazz in New Orleans with kids? Below are some kid friendly options.

Preservation Hall

Welcoming all ages, Preservation Hall offers several 45-minute shows every night. The earliest starts at 5 pm. Although alcohol is not served on-premises, mom and dad can bring in daiquiris or other drinkies. This non-profit venue supports local musicians and youth. The historic building was once a tavern, which opened in 1803.

Arnaud's Jazz Bistro

If traveling with older kids or well-behaved young ones, treat your family to a night out at Arnaud's. This is my favorite restaurant in New Orleans for its live music as well as its incredible food. (You MUST get the Crawfish O'Connor!)

Arnaud's Restaurant's dining room is fancier. Instead, spring for the entertainment fee and book your meal at the more casual Arnaud's Jazz Bistro. The impressive three-piece jazz band plays a few songs for the room. Then the musicians make their way table to table, taking song requests. Take a peek at their talented jazz trio in my video below.

Café Beignet

Not only is Café Beignet on Decatur a tasty place to get a powdery fried dough confection, but also it offers live jazz performances for free to guests of all ages.

Street Performers

Wander through the French Quarter long enough and you're sure to stumble across street musicians. Jackson Square is a good bet if you're looking for buskers entertaining crowds for tips.

6. Sail the Mississippi River aboard Steamboat Natchez.

Another fabulous way to get your jazz fix is aboard the Steamboat Natchez. Sail down the Mississippi while listening to the music of the Steamboat Stompers jazz band aboard New Orleans' only steamboat.

Two-hour cruise options include Sunday Brunch, Harbor Jazz with optional buffet lunch, and Dinner Jazz sailings. Expect local specialties like chicken and sausage gumbo, fried catfish, and bread pudding. Book your Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise now!

7. See butterflies and other bugs at the Audubon Insectarium.

The Audubon Insectarium in the Central Business District fascinates kids with all things creepy crawly. Wander through Butterflies in Flight, where you can get close to free-flying butterflies and moths. Then view real alligators in the Louisiana Swamp exhibit. You may even get a chance to feel a living millipede's legs at Field Camp, where kids can ask an entomologist their most pressing insect questions.

Most memorable, though, is Bug Appétit, where bugs are on the menu. That's right — daring kids and their parents can taste cricket cookies and spiced bug snacks. Eleven-year-old Leo says they're pretty good! (His mom was too squeamish to try, though.)

Note: The Insectarium closed at its Central Business District location in 2020 but plans are in the works to reopen at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in summer 2023.

8. Be amused at Carousel Gardens and Storyland Theme Parks.

Located within the massive 1,300-acre City Park, you'll find not one but two amusement parks. They're open seasonally, from June through November.

Carousel Gardens

Carousel Gardens contains 16 rides, including an antique wooden carousel for which the park is named. Live Oak Lady Bug Rollercoaster zips through living grand oak trees, laced with Spanish moss. Leo and I rode this ride at least half a dozen times during our visit! Enjoy other amusements like a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, and a miniature ride-on train.

Storyland

Right next door, families with young children will adore Storyland. This themed playground features 20 larger-than-life sculptures from some of the most beloved children's storybooks. Kids can climb aboard Captain Hook's pirate ship, ramble up Jack & Jill's hill, and slide down a dragon's tongue!

9. Look for alligators on an airboat swamp tour.

Venture out of the city to experience Cajun country during an airboat swamp tour. Get your heart pumping during a high-speed boat ride, pausing occasionally to look for alligators in their natural habitat.

Choose from an array of swamp tours with GetYourGuide. Many offer roundtrip transportation from your hotel or vacation rental. Believe me, your kids will always remember a gator swamp tour!

10. Taste beignets, king cake, and other Big Easy sweets.

Your family will find an abundance of treats to tempt your sweet teeth in New Orleans.

Beignets

You must eat beignets when in New Orleans with kids. These square-shaped deep-fried fritters are made from choux pastry or yeast dough and topped with a wealth of powdered sugar.

Café du Monde is the most famous option, with several locations throughout New Orleans. Tip: Avoid the long lines for to-go orders at the French Quarter location by grabbing a seat for table service.

Café Beignet is just as delicious, with live music in the evenings.

King Cake

To get a taste of Mardi Gras, buy a few slices of king cake from a local bakery.

King cakes (or galettes des rois) originated in France, where they are served in January during the Festival of Epiphany to celebrate the three kings who visited the infant Jesus. The French cakes are filled with almond cream and come with a hidden miniature ceramic king baked inside.

New Orleans adds its own flair to the king cake, offering a variety of flavors and topping the confections with icing and colored sugar in Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold.

Diners should look for a tiny plastic baby Jesus inside. Tradition says the “winner” who finds the prize must throw the next party and provide the next cake.

Other N'Awlins Sweets

Sweet indulgence doesn't end with beignets and king cakes in NOLA, though. Bananas Foster was invented in New Orleans and you can often order it made table-side with a fiery finale that will impress the kids. And then there's bread pudding, which almost every restaurant in town offers on their menu, with variations in flavors and sauces. If your sweet teeth aren't satisfied yet, treat your family to pralines — sugary caramel-flavored candies dotted with pecans.

11. See amazing parade floats up-close at Mardi Gras World.

Enjoy the excitement and pageantry of Mardi Gras without the crazy crowds at Mardi Gras World. Go here to see the amazing artistry of this celebration's parade floats up close. During your hour-long tour, you can dress up like a float rider and finish with a slice of king cake.

12. Go under the sea at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

Located along the Mississippi River, the impressive Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is home to 10,000 animals representing 530 species. Most appealing to kids are probably the sharks, playful sea otters, jellyfish, penguins, and a rare leucistic (lacking in pigment) white alligator. Even babies and toddlers love aquariums because they can get so close to the fish and other animals.

Head next door to the Entergy Giant Screen Theater to watch nature shows, included in your entry fee.

13. Listen to a fortune teller in Jackson Square.

Jackson Square makes a lively place to visit during the day or in the evening. In the center of the plaza is an equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the U.S. for which the square was named. It was erected in 1856, eleven years after his death.

Also located at Jackson Square is Cathédrale Saint-Louis, the oldest cathedral in the U.S. You are welcome to wander in to take a peek as long as no services are in progress.

Surrounding the fenced garden in the center of Jackson Square, you will find artists selling their works, street musicians and other entertainers, and lots of fortune-tellers. In a city where Voodoo is a practiced religion and which embraces the supernatural and fantastical, it's fun to pull up a chair and listen to your fortune.

Whether you're a believer or not, a psychic reading makes an interesting activity. Wander around a bit to find someone who seems like a good fit and ask pricing before committing to a reading. Your teller may use tarot cards, palm reading, or another form of fortune-telling to give insights about your past, present, or future.

14. Wander through the New Orleans Botanical Garden.

After a few days in the city, your family may be craving some connection with nature. That's when to head to the New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park.

An abundance of flowers, trees, and fountains fill the garden. Kids enjoy watching koi fish swimming in the Lily Pond outside the garden's Conservatory. Access to the remarkable Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden is included with your admission fee.

15. Play miniature golf at City Putt.

Located within City Park near New Orleans Botanical Garden sits another treat for families, the City Putt Miniature Golf Course. Choose between two 18-hole courses. One option showcases the culture and cities of Louisiana state. Meanwhile, the other course focuses on historic sites and streets specifically in New Orleans.

Look for educational explanations at each hole. What a fun way to get outside, play together as a family, and gain insight into a destination!

16. Visit animals at the Audubon Zoo.

The Audubon Zoo was named one of the best zoos in America in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice travel award contest. Set on 50 acres, the Audubon Zoo is home to 1,700 animals representing more than 350 species.

Be sure to visit the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit. The world’s only urban swamp features animals from the state like black bears, bobcats, foxes, and the rare white alligator.

In addition to seeing the many animal residents, kids love the zoo's multiple playgrounds, the Endangered Species Carousel, and the Cool Zoo splash park with its Gator Run lazy river.

17. Gain insight into New Orleans' resilience and celebration at The Presbytère Museum.

The beautiful Presbytère Museum building on Jackson Square was home to Capuchin monks after it was built in the late 1700s. Later it became a courthouse.

Today it is part of the Louisiana State Museum. Two permanent exhibits make for a quick and educational visit.

Downstairs you will find videos, photos, personal stories, and some heartbreaking remnants from the 2005 devastating Hurricane Katrina. My 11-year-old learned about this massive storm and its destructive force during our trip to Coastal Mississippi. Still, storm news footage and audio retellings of this catastrophic event shocked him.

In understanding such tragedies, we are all awakened to the joys of our own lives. Children also gain empathy for others through the retelling of these events. These Hurricane Katrina displays made us love New Orleans all the more, for its resiliency and continued joie de vivre.

After gaining a deeper understanding of Katrina, head upstairs to explore a much more jubilant exhibit about the tradition of Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Discover the origins and rituals of this local celebration through informative displays. View elaborate Carnival costumes, a sample parade float, and a collection of “throws” flung into Mardi Gras crowds.

18. Learn history at the National WWII Museum.

Jason Carlton, a family travel blogger, says that after visiting the National WWII Museum during a business trip, he decided he must bring his family to New Orleans for the primary purpose of visiting this museum.

In this article on the Tips for Family Trips blog, Carlton says, “It's full of historical artifacts and personal stories from those who fought in the war. There's information about the battles in Europe and the Pacific, but it also includes stories of the challenges faced on the home front.”

“There are a lot of great activities in New Orleans, but I would return with my family just for this museum alone.”

Jason carlton, family travel blogger

He goes on to say, “The National WWII Museum in New Orleans is a top-notch destination for history lovers. It's a good all-weather option for families with school-age kids. There are a lot of great activities in New Orleans, but I would return with my family just for this museum alone.”

I have heard many other wonderful things about the National WWII Museum. Unfortunately, we were not able to squeeze it in during this trip, which may have been a big mistake. Looks like we need to plan another New Orleans family vacation!

Kid Friendly Hotels in New Orleans

My son and I stayed at the hip Jung Hotel & Residences during our mother-son New Orleans vacation. It's got a modern mid-luxury feel with cool details like a self-playing piano in the lobby and unique lighting fixtures. An onsite restaurant and lobby bar add to the allure of a stay at this hotel.

Our Deluxe Room with two queen beds and a mini-fridge was fine for the two of us. Bigger families, however, will be pleased to find a washer/dryer, living area, and kitchenette in Executive Rooms.

For even more space, reserve a One-Bedroom Suite. The “residences” portion of this property's name refers to the property's apartments for long-term rental.

The hotel's location outside the French Quarter makes the pricing surprisingly affordable, too. Situated between the BioMedical District and the Theater District, you can drive eight minutes or walk 20 minutes to reach the French Quarter from the Jung Hotel.

The Canal Street Streetcar stop is right out front. Kids will enjoy riding the streetcar to visit attractions like the Mississippi Riverfront, Audubon Insectarium, and Aquarium of the Americas.

If hotel pools sway your hotel booking decisions, then you're in luck. Cool off after a long day exploring The Big Easy in Jung's stylish rooftop pool. Read more about this property and book your stay via Hotels.com now!

The Jung is part of the New Orleans Hotel Collection. After staying in three of their hotels, I feel confident recommending a vacation at any of their eight properties.

For additional hotels for families in New Orleans, take a look at these kid friendly hotels in NOLA.

Learn More About New Orleans

Save money on your family vacation with these tips for exploring New Orleans on a budget with kids.

If you enjoyed this story, then I bet you'll like reading about the romantic things to do in New Orleans. My tips just might convince you to squeeze in a date night during your kid friendly New Orleans vacation!

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Have you ever visited New Orleans with kids or without? Share your tips or questions in the comments below!

Thank you to New Orleans & Company for hosting our mother-son New Orleans vacation. I received compensation related to this story. All opinions are mine, as always.