Aquarium and Zoo, New Orleans

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The Aquarium and IMAX Theatre aren't Off the Beaten Track. They are after all at the river end of Canal Street. But although they aren't one of the 'traditional' sights that one thinks of when one says New Orleans..........

...a visit there has several advantages.

1) The Aquarium is climate controlled. If it is cold, as it was when we were there - there will be heat in the aquarium. If it is hot - it will be air-conditioned.

2) The IMAX is a place where you can sit down

3) There are a couple of fast food places to eat in the aquarium

4) You can take a mini-cruise from the aquarium to the zoo.

Personally I don't think there's anything so special about the Audubon Zoo although the Louisiana Swamp exhibit might be of interest, and there's a petting zoo for the kids. It's definitely a beautiful walk through the Audubon Park to reach it (and that's how I recommend getting there).

Adult tickets: $11, children $6.

This isn’t totally off the beaten path, but I like to point it out because it's a place that people don’t think about going when they go to New Orleans. That is, The Aquarium of the Americas. The Aquarium is a nice place to take kids, with the major perk of being inside (unlike the Audubon Zoo, which is a really nice place, but can get to be pretty hot). And there are some eating facilities also inside. You can get tickets to go the Aquarium at the door, and if you decide you want to see an Imax movie (right next door) or go to the Zoo, you can get a special discount for purchasing two activities at the same time.

You can go to www.audubonzoo.com to get more information.

And if you are into museums, go to the D-Day Museum