Exploring New Orleans City Park

If you’ve never had the opportunity to visit City Park, I highly suggest you go!  I’ll be honest, I had no idea this park even existed until I was trying to plan a toddler-friendly get away.  One of the oldest urban parks, this 1,300-acre beauty has so much to do that you could easily spend an entire day there and not get bored.  Here were our favorite things while exploring New Orleans City Park:

Explore the Natural Areas

The walking trails lead to some amazing bridges and open areas where your little one can explore nature.  Let me tell you, it is so beautiful, and you’ll continue to find unexpected gems.  Poppy loved climbing the stone bridges and low-lying tree branches.  I loved that she was free to run and explore (although I did watch carefully as snakes and gators are always a possibility in New Orleans). 

Café Du Monde

If you’re interested in tasting the most amazing beignets (and you really should be), let me suggest this location of Café Du Monde!  A New Orleans classic, this location had smaller crowds and was right beside a playground!  With both indoor and outdoor seating, we had the best of both worlds, and couldn’t get enough of the amazing beignets and coffee.  Seriously, go.  You’ll thank me.

Playgrounds

City Park is home to several playgrounds, including Stanley Ray Playground, Magnolia Playground, Sir Cumference Playground, and Starbucks Playground.  We got a chance to play at Stanley Ray Playground, located right beside Café Du Monde, and Poppy had a blast.  She actually didn’t want to leave and could’ve played all day on this playground specifically designed for children 2-5 years old.  The other playgrounds are geared towards older kiddos from 5-12 years old.

Carousel Gardens Amusement Park

Please make sure to check out the website first to make sure this attraction is open during your stay.  I’d also suggest checking height requirements for rides as this may be a deciding factor as to whether it’s worthwhile for you to go.  We ended up going as part of a package for Celebration in the Oaks (a terrific holiday celebration).  Poppy was able to ride several rides, and I liked that this was a place we could visit again as she gets older (and taller). 

Storyland

Built in the 1950s, Storyland is an outdoor playground comprised of aspects from classic nursery rhymes (think Mother Goose and classic Grimm).  You will have to pay to play, but you can stay there for hours!  Make sure you bring your camera and use this as an opportunity to take lots of pictures.  If we lived closer, I’d definitely throw Poppy a birthday party there.

New Orleans Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is open year-round, which makes this an option to explore during any trip.  While you do have to pay to explore this section of City Park, I found it reasonable.  (Please check their website for current prices.)  There are so many different plants and sculptures to see on the ten-acre site.  I also highly suggest going to an after-hours event to see how amazing everything looks in the evening. 

Celebration in the Oaks (nighttime event)

This holiday tradition runs from November 24-January 1 and is City Park’s largest fundraiser, as people come from all over specifically for this experience.  There are two parts to this celebration, the Driving Tour or the Walking Tour (you can also to choose to do both for a slight discount).  The Driving Tour allows you to enjoy 2.25 miles of lights, all without having to leave your car.  The Walking Tour allows access to the Botanical Garden light displays, unlimited rides at Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, and access to Storyland.  We opted to do the Walking Tour, since we were looking for a festive activity to spend a longer amount of time on.  We all had a blast!

What else?

Locations in City Park that we didn’t get to experience this trip but will put on the agenda for the next trip include City Putt and Louisiana Children’s Museum.  New Orleans Museum of Art is also located in City Park; however, I’m not sure how kid friendly it is.  I’d also recommend attending one of the events held at the park.  The only one we’ve gone to was Celebration in the Oaks; however, I’m ready to go back and experience some others! If you’re hoping to plan a trip, here’s the link to their website for more information!

Have you ever explored City Park with a toddler?  Include your thoughts in the comments.

Planning a trip to New Orleans and want to know the top things to do with a toddler? Check out this post!