Planning the Perfect New Orleans Family Trip

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New Orleans sometimes gets a bad rap for being a party city, but it’s actually a great place to visit with your family. While Bourbon Street is one of the city’s biggest attractions, there is so much more to this city that is family friendly! The Big Easy is home to an array of offerings that are sure to entertain, educate, and create lasting memories for you and your family.

New Orleans is an easy three-hour drive from Jackson, Mississippi, making it a perfect weekend or budget family vacation.

How to Plan the Perfect New Orleans Family Trip:

Start Your Morning Right

Start your morning right with a visit to the famous original Café du Monde for fresh, hot beignets and their famous chicory coffee (or chocolate milk). After, walk around Jackson’s Square and take in the views of the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral. Re-enter the French Quarter, where you will find numerous shops selling a variety of interesting, unique products, like intricate Mardi Gras masks, antique weaponry and coins, and much more.

See Sights and Sounds

A family trip to New Orleans isn’t complete without a visit to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Children and parents alike will be in awe by the variety of sharks, sea turtles, sting rays, and other sea creatures. The Audubon Zoo is equally impressive, featuring animals from all over the globe and a special section dedicated to the wildlife of Louisiana. Luckily, here is the only place you’re likely to come across an alligator while in New Orleans!

A Feast for the Whole Family

If your family is full of foodies, then New Orleans is the place to be! The city boasts hundreds of excellent dining options that are sure to please every palate. Whether you’re in the mood for fried chicken, Vietnamese, or authentic Cajun cuisine, there’s a place for your taste. If you want to try local food favorites, like boudin balls or fried alligator, head over to Jacques-Imo’s on Oak Street. If you don’t have an idea of where to go, your hotel will be able to point you in the direction of just about anything you want.

Enjoy History in New Orleans

For a wholesome, educational experience, take your family to the National World War II Museum. The museum is home to the nation’s most complete collection of World War II era relics, equipment, weaponry, and vehicles. Your family will be both informed and moved by the museums detailed coverage of the European and Pacific fronts, as well as the domestic efforts during the war.

If you and your family are brave enough, take a ghost tour of the French Quarter at night. Your guide will lead you through the dim, gaslight lit streets and tell you chilling stories about the city’s past. If this seems too scary for you, during the day you can visit one of New Orleans’ many cemeteries that are home to above ground graves dating as far back as the 1700’s. Lafayette Cemetery No. 2 is one of the city’s most popular tourist spots, located on Washington Avenue between St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street.

Find the Perfect Family-Friendly Place to Stay

To get the most out of your time in New Orleans, stay at the Historic Hotel Chateau LeMoyne, a centrally-located French Quarter boutique hotel. Here, you will be within steps of all the action. Kids will love the hotel’s heated pool and the French Quarter’s many interesting and fun shops, selling everything from candy and pralines to tabasco flavored ice cream!

As you can tell, there is so much more to New Orleans than partying and its nightlife! There are plenty wholesome activities and fun to be had in the Big Easy! For more ideas, check out these posts:

Have you visited New Orleans with your family? What are your favorite attractions? Any tips you can offer for a perfect New Orleans Family Trip? I’d love to hear them!

This is a sponsored post, which means I received compensation for it; however, my opinion that visiting New Orleans with your family is fun is 100% my own!