Description

People mistakenly think of New Orleans as a place only for grown-ups, but as a city with a long history, unique traditions and world-class kid-friendly attractions such as the Louisiana Children's Museum, it gives younger visitors a chance to enjoy the city and learn in a fun, interactive way.

The Louisiana Children's Museum, in downtown New Orleans and the heart of the city's Arts and Warehouse District, offers more than 30,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits designed to capture children's attention and interest - as well as that of the adults with them. Kids can pilot a towboat down the Mississippi river, create works of art, shop in a mini-sized grocery store, stand inside a gigantic bubble, lift 500 pounds, dine inside a cafe, trap their shadow and much more as they learn about math, science, art, health, music and other areas of interest. It is a place where they can crawl, hide and explore to their hearts' content without anyone telling them to sit still or not to touch.

Check the Louisiana Children's Museum calendar to see what special events are planned, as the museum features everything from storytelling and festivals to atrium activities and special toddler times on an ongoing basis. The museum also offers holiday, summer and art camps that highlight everything from space and dinosaurs to puppets and photography. Group visits and field trips are also very popular and easily arranged.

The Louisiana Children's Museum is one of the city's more interesting event venues. Not surprisingly, it is a great place for birthday parties, but it is also good for grown-up events after hours, with the museum able to accommodate groups from 50 to 800. There's also a great museum store, filled with entertaining and educational toys that range from games and puzzles to books and something called tornado tubes.

And parents should know that the neighborhood of the Louisiana Children's Museum offers other opportunities for them to learn and interact with their children, with the National World War II Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Contemporary Arts Center all near at hand.