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    Urban Bliss Life » Travel » Family Travel » Family Fun at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana

    Published: May 30, 2017 / Updated: May 15, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Family Fun at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana

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    Are you planning a family vacation to The Big Easy? Check out the Audubon Nature Institute's family of museums and parks, including the Butterfly Garden and Insectarium and the Aquarium! Great family fun activities in New Orleans!

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Fun family activities in New Orleans

    As I've written about in recent posts about New Orleans, the Big Easy is so much more than Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street.

    My mother-daughter trip to this historic city in the south was super family friendly, and I highly recommend it to families looking for a fun family vacation filled with good food, tons of history, and interesting sights to see.

    Audubon Institute

    The Audubon Nature Institute is a non-profit organization that runs 10 family-friendly museums and parks throughout New Orleans. This includes the Zoo, Aquarium, Insectarium, and several parks, golf areas, and nature centers.

    You can either pay for admission to each separately, or, if you are planning to visit more than one of the locations, I suggest choosing the Audubon Experience pass. This pass allows you to visit the Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium for one low price, and save up to $30.90 per person. It's a great deal!

    Audubon Experience Pass Prices (2017):
    $44.95
    (plus sales tax): Adult
    $34.95 (plus sales tax): Child (2-12)
    $37.95 (plus sales tax): Senior (65+)

    When visiting New Orleans for a long weekend, my daughter and I chose to visit the Audubon Aquarium and the Audubon Insectarium. 

    Audubon Aquarium

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Located along the Mississippi River, at one end of Canal Street at the edge of the Central Business District (CBD) - New Orlean's downtown area - is the Audubon Aquarium.

    This aquarium is housed within one large main indoor facility - there are no outdoor animal areas here. So no matter what the weather, you're sheltered from the elements during your visit.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The interactive displays feature more than 15,000 different animals. From sharks to stingrays, from penguins to seahorses, your family will love the many different exhibits throughout the aquarium.

    Here are a few highlights that my daughter and I loved from our visit.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Krill! If you have kids, this will surely conjure up Finding Nemo memories.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The white crocodile was eerily still the entire time we were there...Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Look at those scales!Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    ...that eye. Just watching us. The. Entire. Time. Without the rest of his body moving.

    My daughter and I discussed how grateful we were that we do not live anywhere where crocodiles reside outside of the aquarium, and then we moved on from this guy's watchful eye.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Beautiful huge tortoises!

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Hello Mr. Shark!

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    We loved the seahorse exhibit. There were SO many of them, and they're such interesting creatures.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Then there's this guy in the fish area. Can't recall what kind he was. Anyone know? Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    And of course, there are penguins. They're adorable!

    Visit

    The New Orleans Audubon Aquarium is a fun place for families with younger kids. We were able to make it through the whole aquarium, with stopping to interact at different exhibits, in about an hour and a half. You could make it a half-day experience if you've got toddlers. It's an average size aquarium compared to others in the US and, like most other aquariums, it can get very, very busy. There is a cafe and a rather large gift shop within the building.

    1 Canal Street
    New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
    HOURS:
    Monday through Sunday, 10am - 5pm
    TICKETS:
    $29.95 (plus sales tax): Adult
    $21.95 (plus sales tax): Child (2-12)
    $24.95 (plus sales tax): Senior (65+)

    Aquarium tickets include admission to Entergy Giant Screen Theater. Aquarium and Theater admission is complimentary for Audubon Members.

    Aquarium website

    Audubon Insectarium

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    When we were looking at our itinerary, my daughter was most excited to visit the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium. She thought it sounded SO COOL, and I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Also located in the CBD of New Orleans, the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium is easy to walk to from the Aquarium. It's also housed in one large building with all indoor exhibits - an excellent spot to escape the heat of Louisiana and have a lot of family fun during your trip here.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    This is the largest museum devoted to insects and their relatives in the United States. Here, you'll walk through a history and overview of bugs from all over the US, from termites to beetles to spiders. The displays are large, colorful, beautifully presented, and packed with tons of interesting details that your kids will love!

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    We loved all of the interactive exhibits in the Insectarium. My daughter read almost every plaque of information and touched almost every bug and reptile that she was allowed to touch.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Related side note: the restroom is a convenient stop toward the end of this trip to wash hands and apply more hand sanitizer ;)

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    She especially loved the fun Build-a-Bug station, where kids can follow prompts on the monitors and create their own bugs.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    In the Louisiana Swamp exhibit, we watched the staff feed this young alligator.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com
    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    This bullfrog looked a little less intimidating.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The butterfly garden is small but a lot of fun to walk through.

    Remember to tell your kids not to try to touch the butterflies. If they choose to land on you, that's okay, but make sure you move away and they fly off of you before you leave the garden. No hitchhikers allowed to leave with you! :) Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com  Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    And perhaps the thing that curious kids and adults will enjoy in the Audubon Insectarium: the cafe, where you can dine from the Bug Buffet.

    Family fun activities in New Orleans, Louisiana on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Different bug treats are served up daily, including these cookies with crickets in them. Yum...??

    Visit

    If you have a curious kid who loves bugs and insects, this is the place to visit. True family fun activities in New Orleans. They will love it! My daughter and I honestly loved the Insectarium the best, more than the aquarium. It was so much fun and we both learned a lot!

    $22.95 (plus sales tax): Adult
    $17.95 (plus sales tax): Child (2 -12)
    $19.95 (plus sales tax): Senior (65+)

    Butterfly Garden and Insectarium admission is complimentary for Audubon Members. Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium website

    Which Audubon Nature Institute museum would you enjoy the most? 

    The family fun activities in New Orleans featured in this post were hosted by the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau. As always, all opinions and photos are my own. 

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Sharon McKenzie says

        May 27, 2019 at 9:18 pm

        Hi Marlynn,

        Two outstanding images we really loved. The white crocodile, and the sea horse. Nice post.

        Cheers Sharon...

        Reply
      2. Vet Leow says

        June 01, 2017 at 11:02 am

        Aquariums are really my thing when I go overseas....I am always fascinated by the beautiful and exotic marine life!

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          June 03, 2017 at 12:57 am

          Aquariums are so much fun, aren't they?

      3. Mama Munchkin says

        May 31, 2017 at 12:17 pm

        We love visiting aquariums but I honestly have never heard of an insectarium. My kids would think that was the coolest place ever. And, I would probably have the sensation of insects crawling on me for days! I wonder which ones of my munchkins would dare to try the cookie ;)

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          June 03, 2017 at 12:59 am

          My daughter was SO excited for the insectarium! Some of the bugs are definitely more creepy crawly than others ;)

      4. Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says

        May 30, 2017 at 11:41 pm

        I loved this whole post! Well, everything except that picture of all the cockroaches. I'm not super eeped out by creepy crawlies—except cockroaches! I'd brave them to see all the cool things you did, though. Looks so fun!

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          June 03, 2017 at 1:12 am

          I think the cockroaches look bigger in the photo than they were in real life ;) I don't like them either! It was a lot of fun. Thanks Catherine!

      5. David says

        May 30, 2017 at 10:03 pm

        I think my children would enjoy the Insectarium! This is a very well put together a guide and I love how you even have the prices all setup for your visitors!

        Cheers

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          June 03, 2017 at 1:12 am

          Thanks so much, David!

      6. Create/Enjoy says

        May 30, 2017 at 8:35 pm

        So many creatures! What a magical place that would be for kids!

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          June 03, 2017 at 1:12 am

          Thanks! It was magical for this big kid, too! :)

      7. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

        May 30, 2017 at 5:19 pm

        So - Did you try any bugs Marlynn? ;) I'm not sure I would be courageous enough...

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          June 03, 2017 at 1:13 am

          LOL - we had *just* eaten lunch and they just did not look appetizing to me at that time. I might have another time though - I hear the cookies were good! ;)

      8. Michele says

        May 30, 2017 at 4:33 pm

        Many of your photos made me laugh out loud! You captured both the Insectarium and Aquarium so well that I feel like I went too!

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          June 03, 2017 at 1:14 am

          Thanks Michele!

      9. Erin says

        May 30, 2017 at 4:01 pm

        I may not have kids but you are making me want to go to New Orleans even more!!!

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          June 03, 2017 at 1:14 am

          It's so fun! :)

      10. Michelle says

        May 30, 2017 at 3:28 pm

        The aquarium sounds like such a fun family activity.

        Reply
      11. Barry Richardson says

        May 30, 2017 at 2:28 pm

        The Bug Buffet sounds enthalling! Here in South Africa, mopane worms are a delicacy - but alas, we don't have a bug buffet at our aquarium!

        Reply
      12. Pech says

        May 30, 2017 at 1:11 pm

        Wow the Bug Buffet...

        Reply
      13. Megan Joy says

        May 30, 2017 at 12:48 pm

        That aquarium looks amazing. I feel like Piper is just now at the age where she would love seeing all the fish :) One of these days we will make it to New Orleans!

        Reply

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      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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