New Orleans has so many parks it would take a full week to visit them all. The top-rated parks according to reviews are City Park, Audubon Park, Louis Armstrong Park Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, Preserve New Orleans Musical Legends Park, and Woldenberg Park. There are different aspects to each of these that make them unique and wonderful places to visit.
NEW ORLEANS CITY PARK
The iconic gate entrance to City Park is directly across from the famous Ralph’s on the Park. City Park, the largest park in New Orleans, contains 1,300-acres of land and is home to live oaks that are over 800 years old. The Carousel Gardens, a fun filled amusement park for kids and adults, contains a 100-year-old Carousel (flying horses as they are called by New Orleanians). Children would enjoy the train that goes all around City Park and Story land, located next to the Carousel Gardens. Story land has fairy-tale characters and stories of their childhood. City Park hosts many annual events and music festivals. If you just want to relax, enjoy a walk through the Botanical Gardens. For those sports enthusiasts, City Park offers City Putt, disc golf, tennis and soccer fields. If you’re not up to playing sports, then sit and relax by the singing oaks and listen to the birds. Let the children feed the ducks or play on the playground while mommy and daddy drink some café au laits at Morning Call. However, City Park is not the only park. Let’s talk about our next park which is both a park and a zoo.
Please visit https://neworleanscitypark.com/ for more information.
AUDUBON PARK
Previously called Upper City Park, Audubon Park is located across from Tulane University. Audubon dates to the 1800’s. Audubon was originally part of the Bore Family Plantation. The land was purchased in 1871 and in 1886 the name was changed to Audubon Park. Audubon Park has 350 acres of land. This park has tennis courts and a golf course too. Located within Audubon Park is the Audubon Zoo. At the zoo kids can go wild on monkey hill, challenge themselves on Kamba course, go to the petting zoo, or climb Tree of Life/deBore Oak Tree. If your little ones like animals, the zoo has a wide variety of animals, including elephants in their newly renovated habitat. Audubon Zoo has a water park where children can splash around and cool off during the summer. However, of you want to be by the riverfront, the Riverview is your place to be. The Riverview, otherwise known as “The Fly”, originally had a building that looked like a butterfly. For 50 years, the Riverview’s lush green grass has been a picnic destination. Riding bikes along The Riverview is very popular. It is also home to soccer fields and baseball diamonds, and more recently, a minor league field. The Fly is a popular spot for everyone. It is family friendly and is right on the river. Audubon Park is part of the Audubon Nature Institute. The institute promotes educational programs at the zoo, the aquarium, and the nature center. The Audubon Nature Institute has many different places around the city that families can visit.
For more information on Audubon Park and other places under the Audubon Institute please refer to https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/audubon-park
WOLDENBERG RIVERFRONT PARK
For example, at the Woldenberg Riverfront Park is a 16-acre park in front of downtown near everything. Woldenberg Riverfront Park is a wonderful place to go jogging or picnic. You’ll find people playing their music in the park. It is used for many festivals and many people like to go there just to sit by the riverfront.
For more information regarding Woldenberg Riverfront Park please follow the link https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/woldenberg-park
Louis Armstrong Park
Another well know park and named after a famous musician, is the Louis Armstrong Park. It’s located in Treme near the French Quarter. It has sculptures and vendors selling food and crafts. Annual events include Jazz in the Park, the Red Dress Run, Barkus the dog parade, and more.
For more information please visit https://www.nola.gov/parks-and-parkways/parks-squares/congo-square-louis-armstrong-park/
THE MUSICAL LEGENDS PARK
If you want a place that is surrounded by musical history, then the Musical Legends Park should be on your list. Sit and sip on a drink and eat some beignets while you listen to live music. Artists display their artwork around the park. The park honors deceased musicians with their statues around the park. It’s the location of filming too.
For more information please visit https://neworleansmusicallegends.com/
PALMER PARK
Another fabulous park in uptown New Orleans is Palmer Park. Annual festivals, events, concerts, filming and fun filled activities are held there. It is the home of the Palmer Park Arts Market which takes place on the last Saturday of every month. This market sells arts, crafts, food, and more. Palmer Park has a brand-new gym, a rock climbing wall and playgrounds. The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is another great park to visit if your family loves nature and animals. The Barataria Preserve located in Marrero Louisiana is about 30 minutes outside of New Orleans, if your family is in town for a while, I recommend visiting this park.
For more information on Palmer Park visit https://www.nola.gov/parks-and-parkways/parks-squares/palmer-park/
CRESCENT PARK
Located in the French Market District/ Bywater the Crescent Park is another park that people go to. It spans 1.4 miles and has 20 acres of land. It is located near the French market. Crescent Park has a rusty steel bridge that people can walk over the park was just recently opened.
For more information please visit https://crescentparknola.org/
THE JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND PRESERVE
The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is another great park to visit if your family loves nature and animals. The Barataria Preserve located in Marrero Louisiana is about 30 minutes outside of New Orleans, if your family is in town for a while, I recommend visiting this park.
For more information on The Jean LaFitte National Historical Park and Preserve visit https://www.nps.gov/jela/barataria-preserve.htm
