Families can roam through the flea market, a farmer's market and six historic blocks at the French Market District (frenchmarket.org). The district features a variety of shops and eateries, including a menu of sweets at Evan's Creole Candy Factory (evanscreolecandy.com) and Southern Candymakers (southerncandymakers.com), and hand-crafted toys, children's books and collectible dolls at the Little Toy Shop. Street performers such as clowns, mimes and jugglers entertain children of all ages throughout the French Quarter, including Jackson Square. Family-friendly walking tours of the French Quarter are also available (neworleansonline.com).
Located in the heart of New Orleans, City Park (neworleanscitypark.com) includes botanical gardens, three golf courses, an art museum and a sculpture garden. It features the world's largest collection of mature live oaks, with some dating back 600 years. For children, City Park is home to the fairy tale-themed playground Storyland and the Hines' Carousel Gardens Amusement Park. Located in the Garden District, Audubon Park (auduboninstitute.org) is an ideal spot for picnics. Families can take scenic walks or bike rides among oak trees and lagoons, swim in a seasonal pool or roller blade along a paved path.
The Louisiana Children's Museum (lcm.org) features approximately 100 hands-on exhibits. Daily book readings and special art projects also keep children entertained during their visit. The museum is located in the city's Warehouse Arts District, which is also home to the National WWII Museum (nationalww2museum.org). The museum pays tribute to the amphibious invasions during World War II and includes replicas and artifacts from the war, including fighter planes and tanks. It also houses a multi-sensory 4-D theater.
Approximately 15,000 creatures call the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas (auduboninstitute.org) home. The aquarium is located on the New Orleans waterfront near the Mississippi River. Visitors can walk through the 30-foot Caribbean Reef underwater tunnel, see a rare white alligator, gaze at sea life in the 400,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico exhibit, and look at anaconda snakes and poisonous frogs of the Amazon. Opened in 1884, the Audubon Zoo (auduboninstitute.org) in Audubon Park features animals from around the world. One of its many exhibits is a replica of a Louisiana swamp and a jaguar jungle.
