The Best of New Orleans with Kids
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The 4 nomads in front of st Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square
The Best of New Orleans with Kids
We absolutely love New Orleans. At first glance, it may not seem family friendly, but I am here to say how wrong that is. New Orleans is very kid friendly. We have visited New Orleans with kids; as infants, toddlers and little kids! There are so many activities for kids in New Orleans! If you’re looking for the best kid friendly things to do in New Orleans, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve compiled all of our favorite things to do with kids in New Orleans; from the best family friendly places to eat in New Orleans to where to stay in New Orleans with kids. Let our travel tips on the Best of New Orleans for kids help you plan your next family adventure!
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Table of Contents
Click below to skip around the guide!
Kid-Friendly New Orleans Restaurants
The Best Beignets in New Orleans
The Royal Street Cafe Beignet
One of the very best things to do in New Orleans with family is eat the best beignets in the world. A beignet is traditionally a deep-fried choux pastry topped with an ample amount of powdered sugar, though yeast pastries can be used. Here in New Orleans, you'll find many different shops making this delicious treat, but these are the best places we have found:
Cafe Beignet (Breakfast, Brunch or Snacks) - I personally prefer the Beignets from Café Beignet over others. I specifically love the location on Royal Street in the French Quarter. Their other locations are Canal Street, Decatur Street, and Bourbon Street.
Cafe Du Monde (Breakfast, Brunch or Snacks) - A New Orleans classic. If you’ve never been to NOLA before, definitely stop in the original Du Monde at Jackson Square. Café Du Monde located on Decatur Street is the most popular shop, but if you want to beat the crowds & still experience their famous beignet, check out the Riverwalk location.
New Orleans Coffee & Beignet Co - If you’re taking the St Charles street car, stop in to enjoy few New Orleans favorites; Café Au Lait, Beignets and mini Beignets for the kids.
Best Brunch in New Orleans
Café Amelie- I haven’t had a chance to eat here yet, but I’ve heard its amazing and it’s at the top of my list. We walked through their courtyard and everything looks delicious. The courtyard itself is a reason to eat there! The staff allowed us to use their very clean bathroom when my toddler had to pee, so I rate this place a very kid-friendly.
The Ruby Slipper (Breakfast, Brunch or Lunch) - This is one of the kid-friendly New Orleans restaurants and it is very popular, so get there early and be sure to join their wait list through the Yelp! app! Don’t miss their award winning bloody Mary or the absolutely delicious Eggs Cochon!
Streetcar Café (Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner) - Streetcar Café is the newest culmination of local restaurateurs with over 10 years of experience. Streetcar Café specializes in craft coffees, and house made beignets as well as fabulous seafood, pastas and more! The kids will love people watching as passers by enjoy St Charles Street!
Conti Café (Breakfast & Lunch) - Café Conti serves French and Creole cuisine. Some of their menu items include; Crab and Brie with Roasted Garlic Bechamel or Shrimp and Grits. It’s open every morning from 7am – 3pm.
The Saint - This hotel is located on Canal street, but they offer a killer brunch buffet. We were impressed with a selection of shrimp and grits, biscuits and gravy, fresh pastries, yogurt parfait, and more gourmet selections like smoked Scottish salmon. For $20 an adult and only $10 per kid, you will be hard pressed to find a selection like this for that price point in New Orleans.
If you’re looking for kid-friendly bars New Orleans, check out Pat O’Brien’s outdoor patio. This is a family friendly spot during the day, but I would clear out toward the evening.
Everyone enjoying these giant beignets at Cafe Beignet!
Kid-Friendly New Orleans Restaurants
High Hat Café (Dinner) - This is my favorite restaurant in New Orleans and one of my favorite kid-friendly New Orleans restaurants! I try to eat here on every single visit. Don’t miss the Boudin Balls or Shrimp Creole.
The Velvet Cactus (Lunch or Dinner) - Sit out on the enclosed patio and enjoy great selection from the kids menu; nachos, burritos, tacos! This is a very kid friendly choice in New Orleans!
Wayfare (Dinner) - This kid friendly New Orleans Restaurant is located on Freret Street. From delicious cocktails to yummy tapas, you can’t go wrong here. Try the Pork Belly Gnocchi, Wayfare Pomme Frites & Bacon Mac n Cheese!
Fat Boys Pizza (Lunch or Dinner) - Fat Boy’s Pizza makes big pizza. Their large pies measure 30 inches across!!! When you see one it looks like the whole world got smaller, and your idea of pizza got bigger. If you are a pizza loving family, this is definitely one of the kids-friendly restaurants in New Orleans.
Blue Oak BBQ (Lunch or Dinner)- After a day at City Park, head to this kid friendly BBQ joint. With outdoor seating, the kids can roam while the food is being ordered. Definitely try the roasted garlic mac-n-cheese, BBQ Nachos or load up with a combo meat plate!
NOLA Restaurant - One of the 4 Emeril Lagasse restaurants in New Orleans and it is amazing. From perfectly concocted cocktails to extremely attentive wait staff to absolutely divine meals, you can not go wrong here. Try the Alligator Sausage Bao to start and the Steak Frites for dinner. I recommend making reservations and this spot is not as kid friendly as other options.
GW Fins (Dinner) - This is fancier restaurant located off of Bourbon Street. The menu here changes daily as they don’t get their freshly caught seafood until 4 pm. They have amazing cocktails & everything we’ve eaten there was amazing. I recommend reservations. GW Fins is a fancier restaurant, so more of a date night than a family dinner out.
Best Sweets in New Orleans
Best Sweets in New Orleans
Sucre -New Orleans is heavily influenced by French culture which is why I needed to go to Sucre. This pastry shop is famous for is macaroons and they live up to the expectation! There are two locations; French Quarter & the Garden District.
Where to Stay in New Orleans with Kids
New Orleans ins a sprawling city and it can be overwhelming to figure out where to stay in New Orleans with Kids. We usually try to stay in an Airbnb for the extra space, but there are many hotels located closer to the French Quarter that are within walking distance to all the main attractions.
Studio Style Airbnb with Free Parking + a pool (I recommend this New Orleans Airbnb for Couples or small families) We stayed here for our daughter’s first birthday! The hosts are so incredible. They do have a small pool that would be such a nice reprieve in summer!
2 bedroom, 1 bath, huge kitchen + Free Parking (I recommend this New Orleans Airbnb for Families) We stayed here when visiting for our son’s first birthday! The apartment is actually huge with 2 bedrooms and a giant full kitchen. The hosts even had child cutlery and toys. We would definitely stay here again when visiting NOLA with kids. I liked this apartment when traveling to New Orleans with a baby because it has the second bedroom. We didn’t need to tip tow around at the baby’s bed time!
If an Airbnb isn’t your thing, New Orleans has SO many amazing options for hotels. My absolute favorite family friendly hotel in New Orleans is the Drury Plaza Hotel New Orleans. They offer clean, spacious rooms, continental breakfast, an evening “kick back” with free drinks and appetizers, a pool, a mini fridge in each room, and more.
Use the map below to find a hotel that fits your group’s size, budget, and desired location!
What to do in New Orleans with Kids
There are so many fun things to do in New Orleans with kids. This list isn’t all inclusive, but it’s a great place to start. We have explored the city many times and found plenty of family things to do in New Orleans. Below is our list of our favorite kids activities in New Orleans.
Can't go to the zoo and not eat some famous roman candy!
Audubon Zoo - See our full write up on our adventure at the Audubon Zoo HERE. This is one of the top things to do in New Orleans for kids! There is an entire waterpark in the Zoo!
Audubon Aquarium - It is SO convenient to downtown and very easily walkable from the French Quarter. ! We have a blog on our time at the Aquarium HERE. If you have children or a rainy day, definitely make this a stop on your New Orleans tour! The Audubon Aquarium is one of the coolest things for families to do in New Orleans near the French Quarter!
St. Louis Cathedral This is the famous Cathedral located in Jackson Square. You can do a self-guided tour here. The church suggests a donation for the visit and you can drop a couple bucks in the bin at the door. Be sure to look up! This is one of the free kid-friendly things to do in New Orleans!
Ride A Street Car - I highly recommend taking the kids on a NOLA street car. Try to catch the car where St. Charles Ave meets S Claiborne Ave and ride it towards Canal. You can see the full route of service HERE. If you board at the starting point, you may have the entire cable car to yourself like we did! If you catch the street car on Canal it will be very crowded due to the heavily trafficked French Quarter. The New Orleans street cars are one of the iconic New Orleans things to do with kids!
Cemetery Tour - We did a self guided tour of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. New Orléans’s above ground cemeteries are an integral part of it’s rich history. It was a gorgeous place and I loved moving around at my own pace. You can hire a guide if you’d like to know more specific details about the history. To get there, head to the Garden District. This is one of the free kid-friendly things to do in New Orleans if you do the walking yourself.
City Park - City Park is an enormous 1,300 acre park located in Northern New Orleans, making it 50% larger than Central Park in New York City! You will find amazing playgrounds, green space, lakes, & amusement parks here. There is ample free parking too. Anyone traveling to New Orleans with toddlers or little kids must plan to spend a day here! If you’re looking for the best park in New Orleans, this is it. Rent paddle boats, paddle boards, bikes or even ride the park’s train! This is one of the free kid-friendly things to do in New Orleans!
Inside City Park is the Louisiana Children’s Museum. LCM is a place where kids use play, shared exploration, and conversation to connect with the people and world around them.
Inside City Park is the New Orleans Botanical Gardens. Since the 1930s city carefully cultivates theses gorgeous gardens. Open year round, ten acres of gardens and art await you.
Inside the Botanical Garden is the Historic New Orleans Train Garden - There are over 1300 feet of track carrying streetcars and trains like those that traveled the city in the late 1800s to the early 1900s, at 1/22 of their actual size.
Inside City Park is the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park which is home to the following:
18 different rides guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and two cafes with food made fresh to serve
Visit Storyland: Climb aboard Captain Hook’s pirate ship, follow Pinocchio into the mouth of a whale or scamper up Jack & Jill’s Hill! Fairytales and fantasy come to life before your eyes in City Park’s Storyland.
Jean Lafitte National Historic Park - Located in the French Quarter, there is a small museum, clean bathrooms and a fantastic quiet courtyard directly on Decatur street. If you have a National Park Kids Passport (Get yours HERE), be sure to get it stamped!! They have stamps at the museum desk. This is one of the free kid-friendly things to do in New Orleans!
Boutique Du Vampyre - This is not a kid friendly stop, but a must see. Take turns popping in! This shop is one of only 3 Vampire stores in the world. Yes. This is where Vampires shop. We didn't buy anything, but we were thoroughly entertained and impressed at the collection of Vampire supplies.
Mardi Gras World - As everyone knows, Mardi Gras is New Orleans biggest annual event each year. At Mardi Gras World you will be able to watch actual Mardi Gras floats being made, taste the famous King Cake, try on costumes, learn a more in depth history of Mardi Gras and meet the artists behind the floats!
Check out this guide to help you plan your next Girls Trip to New Orleans!
Where to Park to Explore New Orleans
There are public parking lots all over New Orleans. Download the Parking Premium app. In the French Quarter, we have used two different parking areas. The first is Public Parking 401 located on Decatur street. I liked this spot and it’s proximity to the Mississippi River & Jackson Square. I also loved that I could go back to my car at any time. The second spot we’ve used is P145 located on Iberville St. This lot is a valet parking garage. Keep this in mind because you will not be able to pop back into your car without asking an attendant for help.
A fair warning: It's expensive to park in New Orleans. When we paid on site, we paid $18 then went back and added time & another $22. So, $40 total for parking. When I paid in advance with the app, I paid $25 for 12 hours. You pay for the convenience for sure.
If you are road tripping to New Orleans, be sure to check out all of our travel tips for road trips with kids!
Our New Olreans Bucket List
Since we love New Orleans So much, there are spots we haven’t visited yet, but are on our New Orleans Bucket List:
Enjoying the bubble street performer
The National World War II Museum (National WWII Museum)
Swamp Tour
Besthoff Sculpture Garden - **This is one of the cool free kid-friendly things to do in New Orleans!
Louis Armstrong Park
We absolutely love New Orleans and have visited New Orleans several times with our kids. New Orleans is very kid friendly. There are so many activities for kids in New Orleans! From riverboat cruises, to National Park sites, to Mardis Gras floats, to eating the best Beignets on the planet. I’ve compiled all of our favorite things to do with kids in New Orleans; from the best family friendly places to eat in New Orleans to where to stay in New Orleans with kids. Let our travel tips help you plan your next New Orleans family adventure.
Don’t forget to check out our other guides on other cities of the south! Click below!
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