City Park and Storyland

New Orleans City Park is one of the oldest and largest urban parks in the United States -- 1,300 acres of ancient live oaks, lagoons, gardens, museums, and family attractions that provide days of exploration. It's 50% larger than Central Park and offers more variety for families than any single attraction in the city.

Storyland is the park's signature family destination. This whimsical playground features large, climbable sculptures of storybook and fairy tale characters. Kids slide down Pinocchio's nose, climb Captain Hook's pirate ship, scale Jack and Jill's hill, and explore a dragon's cave.

The sculptures are designed for active play, not just looking. At $5 per person with manageable crowds, it's one of the best values in New Orleans for ages 2-8.

Carousel Gardens Amusement Park sits adjacent to Storyland, offering a 1906 hand-carved wooden carousel (one of only 100 remaining in the US), a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, and several kiddie rides. The scale is intentionally small -- this is a neighborhood amusement park, not a theme park. The antique carousel, with its original hand-painted horses and calliope music, is a living piece of American history.

The park's live oaks are a natural wonder. Some trees are estimated at 800+ years old, with massive horizontal branches that sweep to the ground and back up, draped in Spanish moss. Walking beneath these trees creates a sense of timelessness.

The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is one of the finest outdoor sculpture collections in the country. Over 60 works by artists including Henry Moore, Robert Indiana, and Yayoi Kusama are displayed in a landscaped garden setting. Admission is free.

Additional park features include the New Orleans Botanical Garden ($10 adults, $5 kids), pedal boats on Big Lake, a miniature train ride, and the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) at the park's north end. Celebration in the Oaks (November through January) transforms the park with spectacular holiday light displays.