New Orleans is known for its adult entertainment, but the city does offer some attractions for children as well. One such attraction is the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. They offer an amazing exhibition of marine life indigenous to the Americas with an emphasis on the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River, and several of the displays give kids (and adults) a hands-on experience.
Your tour of the aquarium starts with a visit to the Great Maya Reef and a sunken Mayan city of the Yucatan peninsula.
As you walk through an underwater tunnel you’ll get a look at various sea creatures such as lion fish, moray eels, spiny lobsters, and photo-bombing stingrays.
Then step into the Rainforest of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers of South America.
Enjoy a walk through this lush (and humid) jungle, home to omnivorous pacu fish and their cousins, the infamous piranhas. Climb the steps leading to the Tree-top Loop for a view from above.
From the Rainforest, you’ll enter the aquatic worlds of penguins, sea otters, seahorses, and other various sea-life, before you pet the stingrays.
Stop by Parakeet Pointe for a visit with hundreds of very sociable parakeets, but be careful not to let one (or more) of these hyper little birds leave with you; they do like to burrow into jackets and pockets!
Then take a trip down the Mississippi River for a look at a few odd creatures like the paddlefish and a blue-eyed white alligator (technically not an albino). From here, you also have a view of the actual Mississippi from the observation deck.
Back at ground level, you’ll get a glimpse of the life at sea at the base of an offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico exhibit. This 400,000-gallon saltwater tank holds schools of fish, sea turtles, stingrays, and sharks.
Adjacent to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is the Entergy IMAX® Theater.
Getting there:
The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is located at 1 Canal Street. It’s about 15 minutes walk from Cafe du Monde, along the New Orleans Moonwalk.
Ticket info:
Aquarium only:
Adult Admission= $23.95
Child Admission (age 2 – 12) = $17.95
Aquarium + IMAX Theater:
Adult Admission = $28.95
Child Admission (age 2 – 12) = $22.95
Audubon Experience Package (Aquarium + IMAX Theatre + Audubon Zoo + Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium):
Adult Admission = $41.95
Child Admission (age 2 -12) = $29.95
Travel tip:
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas caters mainly to young people, and though not the cheapest attraction, it’s a great way to spend a few hours and entertain your kids. It’s also a good way to beat the heat and humidity (except of course for the Rainforest exhibit).
Summary
Reviewer
Mike Young
Review Date
Reviewed Item
The Aquarium of the Americas
Author Rating
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By Getting around New Orleans using Streetcars 14 Nov ’16 at 3:23 am