# Visiting New Orleans with toddlers and little kids: the plan

> The best kid stops sit in two clusters: City Park (the children’s museum, Storyland and the oaks) and the Uptown-to-riverfront stretch (Audubon Zoo, the aquarium and the French Market). Here’s how we’d spend one or two days with nap built in.

- Last checked: 2026-10-18
- One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/visiting/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/index.md
- City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/guide/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/llms.txt

## Top 5 can’t-miss spots

- **Louisiana Children’s Museum** (City Park, 15 Henry Thomas Dr.): Book a timed ticket for a weekend. Go Wednesday to Sunday; it’s closed Monday and Tuesday in the fall. Cost: $22.95 + tax per person. Site: https://lcm.org/
- **New Orleans City Park** (Mid-City): Parking is free across the park. Pair it with the children’s museum and beignets at Morning Call on Canal Blvd. Cost: Free. Site: https://neworleanscitypark.org/
- **Audubon Zoo** (Uptown, 6500 Magazine St.): Plan a full morning. Kids under 2 are free. Cost: $25–$35 kids, $30–$40 adults. Site: https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/zoo
- **Audubon Aquarium** (French Quarter riverfront, 1 Canal St.): A good rainy-day pick downtown, close to the French Quarter. Cost: $40–$50 kids, $45–$55 adults. Site: https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/aquarium
- **Crescent Park** (Marigny and Bywater riverfront): An easy free walk from the Marigny with a stroller. Cost: Free. Site: https://council.nola.gov/news/july-2025/announcement-the-city-extends-summer-hours-for-cre/

## If you have one day

1. **MORNING**: Louisiana Children’s Museum (Timed ticket · City Park, 15 Henry Thomas Dr. · $22.95 + tax per person). https://lcm.org/
2. **LUNCH**: Morning Call (Beignets in the park · Mid-City (Canal Blvd. at City Park Ave.)). https://morningcallcoffeestandnola.com/
3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
4. **AFTER NAP**: New Orleans City Park (Storyland and the oaks · Mid-City · Free). https://neworleanscitypark.org/

## If you have two days

Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2:

1. **MORNING**: Audubon Zoo (A full morning · Uptown, 6500 Magazine St. · $25–$35 kids, $30–$40 adults). https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/zoo
2. **LUNCH**: Dat Dog (Quick and cheap). https://www.datdog.com/
3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
4. **AFTER NAP**: Audubon Aquarium (Indoors by the river · French Quarter riverfront, 1 Canal St. · $40–$50 kids, $45–$55 adults). https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/aquarium

## Where to stay

- **Mid-City and City Park** (best for first-timers): Close to the children’s museum, Storyland and Morning Call. Near Louisiana Children’s Museum, New Orleans City Park and Morning Call.
- **CBD and the French Quarter edge** (for the riverfront): Walk to the aquarium and the riverfront; the zoo is a streetcar or short drive away. Near Audubon Aquarium, New Orleans Public Library, Main Library and Crescent Park.

## Easy restaurants near the big stops

- **Morning Call** (Beignets, Mid-City (Canal Blvd. at City Park Ave.)): . https://morningcallcoffeestandnola.com/
- **Dat Dog** (Hot dogs, ): . https://www.datdog.com/
- **The Ruby Slipper Cafe** (Brunch, ): . https://www.therubyslippercafe.net/

## Rainy-day backup plan

- **Louisiana Children’s Museum**: Big indoor play galleries.
- **Audubon Aquarium**: Fully indoors, aquarium and insectarium together.
- **New Orleans Public Library, Main Library**: A free indoor stop.

## Practical tips

- Two clusters: City Park and Uptown/the riverfront are about 15–20 minutes apart by car, so do one per day.
- Plan around Mondays: The children’s museum is closed Monday and Tuesday in the fall, and library branches close Sundays.

## Free and cheap wins

- **New Orleans City Park**: Free to walk in, with free parking.
- **New Orleans Public Library, Main Library**: Free.
- **Crescent Park**: A free riverfront park.

All free things to do in New Orleans: https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/guide/#free


## Happening this week

- **Boo Carré Halloween Haunt** (Sat 11am–4pm) at French Market District (Dutch Alley). Free. https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/#e-boo_carre_halloween_haunt
- **Krewe of BOO! Halloween Parade** (Sat 6:30pm) at Krewe of BOO! parade route (Elysian Fields Ave. to the French Quarter). Free. https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/#e-krewe_of_boo_parade
- **LPO’s Musical Story Hour (Hubbell Library)** (Sat 10:30–11am) at Cita Dennis Hubbell Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/#e-lpo_musical_story_hour_hubbell
- **Halloween Fest at Riverwalk** (Sat 4–6pm) at The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/#e-halloween_fest_at_riverwalk
- **Playtime: Let’s Play Kitchen (Main Library)** (Sat 10am–noon) at Main Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/#e-playtime_lets_play_kitchen_main_library

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in New Orleans: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in New Orleans for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is New Orleans kid-friendly?
For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our New Orleans guide lists 15 places we checked for little kids, plus 6 free places and 2 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 3 easy restaurants near the big stops and free storytimes at 2 library systems. This week’s list has 22 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in New Orleans](https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/new-orleans/).

### Where should we stay in New Orleans with little kids?
Mid-City near City Park for the children’s museum, or the CBD and French Quarter edge for the aquarium and the riverfront.

### How many days do you need in New Orleans with a toddler?
Two: City Park and the children’s museum one day, the zoo or aquarium the next.

### Is parking free at City Park?
Yes, parking throughout City Park is free.