Louisiana Travel Council Louisiana Travel & Recreation Magazine | Page 8

SOU THEAST • Featured Attractions • AUDUBON NATURE INSTITUTE New Orleans NEW ORLEANS CITY PARK New Orleans With an Aquarium, IMAX, Zoo, and Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, the Audubon Nature Institute has no shortage of entertaining and educational exhibits for all ages. Walk beneath a Caribbean Reef or marvel at the beauty of the Amazon Rainforest at the Aquarium of the Americas. After viewing the penguins, stingrays, sharks, and other deep sea creatures, head next door to the Entergy IMAX® Theatre, where the wonders of nature are magnified by the world's most advanced motion picture technology. One of the nation's top-ranked zoos, Audubon Zoo presents visitors with an exotic array of animals from around the world. Take a stroll through lush gardens as you view engaging natural habitats, the mystical Louisiana swamp, and ‘hands-on’ animal encounters. Children will enjoy the splash park that's open in the spring and summer. If that isn't enough, Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium is also open to visitors, and is the largest free-standing museum in the country devoted to the more than 900,000 known species of insects and their relatives. One of the oldest urban parks in the country, City Park is as magical and unique as the city of New Orleans itself. This 1,300-acre outdoor oasis has enchanted locals and visitors since 1854. Today, City Park offers something for everyone. See the roses in the Botanical Garden, enjoy art in the openair Besthoff Sculpture Garden, stroll through the sprawling green space or get active on the park’s biking, jogging, and walking paths. Practice your serve on one of 26 tennis courts or hit the links on City Park’s new 18-hole golf course. The park also offers a host of family-friendly activities, including the one-of-a-kind antique wooden carousel in the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park – a family favorite for nearly 100 years. And don't forget to see the crown jewel of City Park: the world’s largest stand of mature live oaks, which includes a grand oak that dates back nearly 800 years. These unique trees are known for their distinctive sculptural shape – some of the oldest trees have limbs that are twice as long as the oak is tall. Take our word for it: there is no better place in New Orleans to take a good book or a great nap than underneath City Park’s famous oaks. For more information, contact: Audubon Nature Institute 6500 Magazine St. • New Orleans, LA 70118 (504) 861-5120 | www.auduboninstitute.org THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM New Orleans America's official World War II Museum, this remarkable attraction illuminates the American experience during the WWII era with moving personal stories, historic artifacts, soaring aircraft and powerful interactive displays. From the Normandy invasion to the Pacific Islands and the Home Front, the museum brings to life the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the extraordinary men and women who won the war and changed the world. The museum is an incomparable experience for all generations and not to be missed on any visit to New Orleans. For more information, contact: The National World War II Museum 945 Magazine St. • New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 528-1944 | www.nationalww2museum.org 8 For more information, contact: New Orleans City Park 1 Palm Drive • New Orleans, LA 70124 504-482-4888 | www.neworleanscitypark.com LOUISIANA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM New Orleans Explore and experience 30,000 square feet of hands-on fun, engaging exhibits and exciting programs, all designed with curious kids (and grown-ups) in mind. Pilot a towboat down the Mighty Mississippi, lift 500 pounds, hoist yourself up a wall, trap your shadow, or stand inside a gigantic bubble. Create a masterful work of art and much more! Even little ones have a special space to climb, crawl, hide and explore. Learning has never been more fun! For more information, contact: Louisiana Children's Museum 420 Julia St. • New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 523-1357 | lcm.org LOUISIANA TRAVEL AND RECREATION