Consistently ranked as one of the top 10 zoos in the country, the Audubon Zoo is known and loved for its engaging educational programs and hands-on animal encounters. Don't miss the Louisiana Swamp and Jaguar Jungle exhibits or their mysterious white alligators! And you can beat the heat during summer at their Cool Zoo, which features a 750-foot lazy river with sand beaches, lounge chairs, water cannons, water curtains and jumping jets.
Like its sister facility, the Audubon Zoo, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is also consistently ranked as one of the best in the country, and we're not surprised. Its immersive, awe-inspiring exhibits transport visitors to the underwater worlds of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the tropical environs of the Amazon Rainforest. Home to more than 250 species and 3600 animals, including endangered ones like African penguins, the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans delivers a one-of-a-kind experience that you won't find anywhere else.
The top attraction in New Orleans and a bucket-list destination for fans and students of history around the world, the National WWII Museum takes visitors on a powerful, inspiring journey through the eyes of the men and women who fought for freedom and democracy in the war that changed the world. Immersive galleries and exhibits, interactive experiences, oral histories and more bring the American experience during World War II to life in ways that will stay with you long after your visit is over. This is not a place to rush through - you'll want at least a half-day to explore this world-class museum.
As New Orleans' oldest fine arts institution and one of the top art museums in the South, the New Orleans Museum of Art, or NOMA, hosts an impressive permanent collection of more than 40,000 objects. Known for its extraordinary strengths in French and American art, photography, glass, African and Japanese works plus rotating exhibits, NOMA offers a little something for everyone and anyone seeking inspiration and enjoyment through art and culture.
Taking a stroll through the Besthoff Sculpture Garden's 11 acres of breathtaking, awe-inspiring installations can make you feel like you're in a different world. You'll find nearly 100 different works of art, each one unique and thoughtfully placed within a mature existing landscape of pines, magnolias and live oaks draped in spanish moss surrounding two lagoons, adjacent to the New Orleans Museum of Art.
At 1,300 acres, New Orleans City Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. It's also home to the largest grove of mature live oaks in the world, some of which are nearly 800 years old. Many of the city's most beloved attractions and outdoor spaces can be found here, including the New Orleans Botanical Garden, Couturie Forest and Arboretum, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Louisiana Children’s Museum, Carousel Gardens, City Putt, and bike and peddle boat rentals at Big Lake.
It's no secret that this is one of New Orleans' top destinations, with 16 million visits each year, but depending on where and when you visit, the park's immense size can often make you feel like you're the only one there.
You may wonder what the two buildings on either side of St. Louis Cathedral are. The Cabildo and The Presbytère were built in the late 1700s and functioned as spaces for Louisiana Supreme Court decisions, among other uses. Today, these museums showcase New Orleans history, including Mardi Gras artifacts, war paintings and other historical treasures.
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