New Orleans with Kids

Not sure whether to travel to New Orleans with kids? Do it! Here’s why: I absolutely love New Orleans, it’s one of my favorite cities on the planet.  Where else do you get beignets and jazz and seafood and amazing history and architecture all rolled into one incredible city? However, even though I’d been to the Crescent City plenty of times, I wasn’t sure how it would be to travel to New Orleans with kids. Well, we made the leap and took our daughter for a week in February 2019 and had the time of our lives! We were able to enjoy so many things that we’d always loved about New Orleans, plus a few new things, with the ability to see it all through our daughter’s eyes as a first-timer. On day one she said, “I think I love this place!” Don’t we all, baby, don’t we all?

So here are my tips on great things to do with kids (that are also fun for adults) and great places to eat:

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means, at no extra cost to you, I will get a commission if you click through and make a purchase

Things to do in New Orleans with kids:

If you’ve read any of my other blog posts, you’ll probably see that I’m a huge believer in doing things that are fun for everyone, and not just seeing the zoo and the children’s museum in every city you visit. New Orleans with kids is no different – it’s a busy, fun and bustling place so even just walking around will be entertaining for your children. So that’s actually my first suggestion:

• Walk the French Quarter: do this during the day, probably on your first day to get a feel for the place. There are fantastic street musicians all over, but the best places to find them are in Jackson square, in front of Café du Monde and on the couple blocks of Royal street behind St. Louis Cathedral, between St. Ann and St. Peter streets. There are tons of great little shops with interesting art, hand-made Mardi Gras masks, souvenirs and more. Don’t forget to walk along the river, too! It’s fun for kids to watch the riverboats and there’s lots of grassy areas for little ones to run around. And then make sure you walk through the French Market! (This is a lot of walking, if you have really little ones, bring a stroller or break it into smaller trips.)

• Café du Monde: I always come directly to the Café du Monde for beignets and coffee as my very first stop in New Orleans. We did this with my daughter, too, and it’s a great introduction. It’s a great pace to people watch, there’s often live music, and the beignets are the best anywhere. They give hats to kids, be sure to ask. There’s milk or hot chocolate for non coffee drinkers and, BONUS, the beignets are peanut safe if your kids have an allergy! (Please always check with the restaurant anyway, you never know when places change their recipes!)

• The New Orleans School of Cooking: I cannot recommend this place highly enough! I’ve been there at least 5 times and it’s always a great time. It’s a demonstration class that shows you how to make real New Orleans recipes that you get to eat!! The chefs are always fun and full of interesting information on the history, food and culture of NOLA. Probably best for kids 10 and older unless they are foodies and super into cooking. **Allergen info: when we went it was all peanut free, but not tree-nut free (pecans are used in the pralines.) Buy tickets well in advance:

• Audubon Aquarium, Zoo, Butterfly Garden and Insectarium: The Aquarium and Butterfly Garden/Insectarium are in the French Quarter, the Zoo is uptown (accessible by streetcar). If you do all three there’s a package ticket that is significantly cheaper. Full disclosure: I’ve only been to the Aquarium, which was great!

• Steamboat River Cruise: There’s more than one river cruise in New Orleans, but the steamboat Natchez is really fun! They offer jazz cruises (kids 2-5 are free!) as well as dinner and brunch jazz cruises. Daytime cruises are great for kids. The dinner jazz cruise is a dressier, more adult/older kid experience.
• French Quarter Tours: There are so many tour possibilities in the quarter. There are carriage tours, ghost tours, food tours, etc. I highly recommend the cemetery tours! The cemeteries in New Orleans are magical and mysterious. I’ve heard great things about the French Quarter Kids Tours, but I haven’t used them myself.
• Bayou/Swamp Tours: This, in my opinion, is a must-do with kids. There are any number of swamp tour companies, they offer different types of boats – I personally prefer the slower quieter boats to the airboats – and different types of tours. Some include a Cajun style lunch. Groupon almost always offers discounted tickets for this. Many of these tours will pick you up from your hotel for an extra fee.
• Mardi Gras World: This is a great place for kids to get an up-close look at Mardi Gras floats and see them being made. Check Groupon for discounts. This is outside the quarter, but they offer a free shuttle.
• National WWII Museum: This is an amazing museum that rivals any of the Smithsonian museums in DC. It was recently voted one of the top museums in the nation on TripAdvisor. You know your kids, and what they can handle. I would suggest this for maybe ages 10 and up unless you know your child has a particular interest. It’s very user-friendly with great exhibits!

• St. Charles Streetcar: The streetcar is a fun ride and a great thing to do in New Orleans with kids! It’s an old-time streetcar that you can catch on Canal Street at Bourbon (which changes to Carondolet at Canal St.). It’s just $3 for an all day ticket – pay when you get on. I suggest riding through the Garden District then getting off right in front of Loyola University at Audubon Park. This park has great playgrounds, a walking/bike trail, a lake with ducks and more. This is where the zoo is located. Then catch the streetcar back to the Garden District, get off at Napoleon or Washington), walk around a bit to see the beautiful houses, grab lunch and ride back to the quarter. Magazine Street has cute shops and good restaurants. There are also lots of walking tours of the Garden District, but that would probably only appeal to older kids. I really liked Superior Seafood and Joey K’s for eating in that area, but there are tons of choices!
• **What to avoid: The only thing I really avoided with my child was Bourbon Street. And really just the main section of it, like between St. Ann’s and Bienville. Even during the day, the strip clubs and groups of wandering drunk people make it unappealing for us.

Where to see live music with kids:

• Preservation Hall: This is an awesome venue to watch authentic live New Orleans jazz. It’s not a bar, in fact they don’t serve anything so be prepared. You have to line up at least 45 minutes ahead of time and it’s very limited seating (you might end up on the floor or standing up), so obviously it’s better for older kids. Shows are every day on the hour, starting at 5 pm. It’s one of the only all-ages jazz venues, so if you’re looking for great live music – this is it! You can call ahead and pay extra to get VIP seating, but it’s super pricey. Otherwise it’s $20 ($10 for kids) **CASH at the door.
• The New Orleans Jazz Museum at the old U.S. Mint: As you can guess from the name, this is an historic building. The small museum has great interactive exhibits on jazz history and the great musicians from New Orleans . On Tuesdays, they have live jazz for free (you don’t even have to visit the museum) and it’s for all ages. The Tuesday orchestra is made up of Park Rangers and other musicians. It’s pretty informal and they’re happy to stick around and talk to kids after the performance. They also have other daytime concerts with visiting artists that are very inexpensive. https://nolajazzmuseum.org

Where to eat in New Orleans with kids:

This is always hard for me because everyone’s kids are different in terms of what they’re willing to eat, and how long they can sit in a nice restaurant, etc. But you know your kids, and I have a variety of recommendations. Please note that my price guidelines are by New Orleans standards. What’s moderate here may not be the same as in your hometown so check prices ahead of time. Also, my daughter has a peanut allergy and every one of these places was able to accommodate her needs:

• Café du Monde: Yes, I’ve already recommended it. But I’m saying it again. Go get yourself some beignets!! They ONLY serve beignets and drinks, so this is a snack not a meal – unless you want to make a meal out of beignets, in which case I will not judge you! (I’ve probably done it once or twice.) Tip: this is a good snack right before doing something active, because your children will be bouncing off the walls with all the sugar. **Cash only. Inexpensive.
• Napoleon House: Great place to go for a famous Muffuletta sandwich and some history – this is a 200-year-old New Orleans landmark. They have a more extensive menu with all the classics: gumbo, jambalaya, po-boys, etc. I’ve only ever had the muffuletta because I love it so much. If you have a picky eater with you, they do have some more basic items. My daughter loved the Red Beans and Rice. If you’re adventurous they also serve an alligator sausage po-boy! I recommend sitting in the courtyard. Inexpensive

• Acme Oyster House: Great fun and a NOLA classic. There’s often a line outside, but it moves quickly. Their charbroiled oysters are to die for! This is one of the less expensive places for oysters in the quarter, raw or otherwise. Great seafood gumbo and red beans and rice (if you have a non-seafood eater). Very casual spot and good with kids. Moderate.

• Gumbo Shop: It’s touristy and there’s often a line, but the gumbo is really good! They have a complete menu with things like etoufee, shrimp creole, etc., and the also offer a fixed price “Creole Dinner” with a choice of appetizer, entrée, side and dessert for a good price. For picky eaters they have some basics like grilled cheese. Moderate

• Brennan’s: This New Orleans landmark offers one of the best breakfasts anywhere! And when I say breakfast, I mean it’s served until 2 pm so you can call it brunch or lunch or whatever. They serve dinner, too, which I’m sure is fabulous, but I’ve never gone. So, let’s talk breakfast: try the turtle soup, it’s spicy and amazing! They have a huge variety of egg dishes, of which my favorites are the Eggs Sardou and the Eggs Cardinal. If you like cocktails, you will not regret trying the Brandy Milk Punch or my favorite cocktail of all time – a Mr. Funk’s of New Orleans (this is a Brennan’s original champagne cocktail.) Also, they invented Bananas Foster here, so make sure you order dessert! There’s something for everyone on this menu, but they do offer a children’s menu as well. Reservations recommended – Pricey.

• Irene’s: I first went to Irene’s back in the early 90s, and I’ve been several times over the years. It never disappoints. This is an upscale dinner venue with some of the best service around. They are super friendly towards kids, which doesn’t always happen in upscale restaurants. I’ve had most of the menu, and everything is good, but I will point out the oysters, the escargot and the duck are my favorites. There’s always a good steak special, too. While the menu is limited, they do have lasagna and other pastas that a pickier eater would like. They also brought my daughter an off-menu ice cream dessert because we weren’t sure about the dessert choices with her peanut allergy. Great place if you’re looking to do a nicer dinner. They also have an extensive wine list. Reservations recommended: moderate to pricey.

Where to Stay in New Orleans with Kids:

Hotels:

There are too many hotels in New Orleans for me to list great places to stay, but I’ll give a general idea of what I think are the best areas to stay. I’m a big fan of the French Quarter and, while I love other neighborhoods, I wouldn’t really want to stay outside of the quarter, unless I was renting an apartment or airbnb somewhere Uptown. That’s just my personal preference. However, there are areas of the quarter that I don’t want to stay with my kid and that’s basically anything immediately surrounding Bourbon Street. Again, this is my personal preference. So, I suggest staying along Canal Street, close to the river, if you like the big chain hotels – Westin, Marriott, etc. If you want a smaller boutique experience, I suggest staying either:

1. A couple blocks above Bourbon Street, like around Burgundy Street. One hotel I’ve stayed at in that area that is nice, quiet-ish and a good place to stay with kids is the Maison Dupuy. OR
2. Past Jackson Square towards the Ursuline Convent area, all the way to Esplanade. Again, it’s quieter but still conveniently close to everything.

You can search for the best deals or book your stay at booking.com

Airbnb:

While I am a huge fan of Airbnb, I’ve never done it in New Orleans. My suggestions of the areas of the quarter to stay in would be the same if you’re renting an apartment, but I would add the Uptown area or Garden District – if I were in an Airbnb..

Camping/ Cabins in New Orleans:

If you want a really cheap alternative, camp or rent a cabin at the state park! There are not a lot of camping options, but I’ve done it! We camped in our RV at Bayou Segnette State Park. It offers full hook ups, and it’s affordable, safe and quiet. (and free laundry – woo hoo!) They also have really nice floating cabins – that’s right, floating! – they float right on the river and you can see alligators, herons and all kinds of wildlife there. This is a truly budget-friendly alternative. Travel by car into New Orleans is easy, the best parking we found was at Canal Place (the mall). It’s also a quick drive to the Algiers Point ferry if you want to avoid driving into the French Quarter.

We had a great family-friendly vacation in New Orleans and I hope you will, too! Still not quite convinced you should travel like this with young kids? Check out my post on Why You Should Travel While Your Kids Are Little. If you have suggestions for visiting New Orleans with kids, please leave a comment.