For instance, the Audubon Zoo, located in uptown New Orleans, is ranked as one of the top zoos in America.  In its 58 acres of open spaces and natural habitat, visitors can explore the exciting worlds of more than 2,000 animals, including rare white tigers or even rarer white alligators.  They can spend the day learning about the Louisiana swamps or simply watching the monkeys as they swing from tree limb to tree limb.

If animals of a wetter kind are a kid’s fancy, families can take a trip to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.  Here, more than 5,000 animals of the sea dazzle visitors as they glide through massive tanks and overhead water tunnels.  Visitors can walk through a tropical rain forest, touch a baby shark or sting ray in AdventureIsland, or watch the sassy penguins as they waddle across the water.

Next door to the Aquarium of the Americas is the Entergy IMAX® Theatre, where an impressive array of movies, most with an environmental edge, entertain audiences on a movie screen that is nearly six stories high. Viewers can enjoy 3-D screenings of “Hurricane on the Bayou,” “Dinosaurs Alive,” “WildOcean” and “Fly Me to the Moon.”

In summer 2008, the Audubon Insectarium opened its doors at the old Customs house, just down Canal Street from the Aquarium.  Here, thousands of insects are displayed in a 23,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility.  Look for 75 live and interactive exhibits destined to inform and entertain the visitor, or enjoy a snack at the insect-inspired café that features fascinating fare like “Chocolate Chirp Cookies” and “Mealworm Egg Rolls.”

“Audubon’s attractions make New Orleans the perfect place for families to visit,” said Sarah Burnette of Audubon Nature Institute. “We have swamp creatures, sharks, 3-D movies and bug treats – as well as the miraculous white alligators at each and every one of our attractions. And our Audubon Adventure ticket package offers incredible savings for people who want to see it all!”

Just a 20-minute streetcar ride from downtown is CityPark, a 1,300 acre urban paradise.  Here a visitor can picnic under nearly 13,000 moss-draped trees, including hundreds of live oak trees, some dating back 600 years.  Here, a small but lively amusement park with bumper cars, a new Tilt-a-Whirl and a 101-year-old restored carousel awaits.  A shiny red miniature train rumbles down a two-mile track, circling some of the park, and each weekend, Storyland welcomes the smallest visitor to a fairy tale theme park.  Here, children can amble through larger-than-life-size fairy tale themed vignettes and let their imaginations run wild.

Parents may also want to visit the Botanical Garden at CityPark to tour the elegant gardens. A special treat might be a family picnic under one of the shady trees, followed by fishing in one of the well-stocked ponds or feeding the ducks that wander the shores of the peaceful lagoons.

“A quiet urban oasis—in the heart of town—awaits the visitor at CityPark,” says Bob Becker, CEO of the park.  “What the park offers the family is cost effective, wholesome and fun.”

Also located in CityPark is the New Orleans Museum of Art, proud host to Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from Walt Disney Studio. This major exhibition features more than 600 rarely seen, original artworks that brought legendary fairy tales to the screen, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, showing now until March 14, 2010.

Families are also invited to discover New Orleans while bringing out your inner princess. The exhibit coincides with the animated film The Princess and the Frog, featuring Disney’s first African American princess, Tiana, who lives in New Orleans during the Jazz Age. Other characters include Louis, a trumpet-playing alligator, and Ray, a love-sick Cajun firefly. The film marks the first time an animated Disney film is set in an actual place, New Orleans.

For $1.25 a person, hop back on the historic streetcar line to the Warehouse Arts District where the Louisiana Children’s Museum, named one of the top children’s museums in America, is nestled. Children can spend hours exploring the world of the arts, math and science in a fun, hands-on environment.  One favorite exhibit, the Little New Orleans Port invites children to steer vessels in pint-size pilot houses and climb through Mississippi River-going barges. Also a full-sized replica of “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood” introduces children to Mr. Rogers and his land of make-believe. 

“The Children’s Museum provides a safe, fun, interactive learning environment where parents and kids can learn and discover,” says Julia Bland, executive director.  In Fall 2008, the Children’s Museum welcomed an architecture and construction exhibition where children can design and build houses and neighborhoods.

Located around the corner is the recently-opened National WWII Museum expansion. Here the “Victory Theater” offers teenagers a 4-D look at the historical triumphs and personal accounts of WWII with the Beyond All Boundaries film, which was produced by Tom Hanks. This interactive history lesson presents a window into the trials and tribulations of war. Families can also enjoy performances at “The Stage Door Canteen,” a venue honoring the era of live entertainment and features the musical Let Freedom Swing. New Orleans’ own Chef John Besh is also a part of the expansion, offering diners tasty meals that honor life on the Home Front at The American Sector restaurant. These recent additions are part of the Museum’s $300 million expansion, which will be completed in phases by 2015.

“Once known as a destination for grown-ups, New Orleans now has something for even the smallest member of the family,” says Mary Beth Romig, director of public relations for the New Orleans Convention Visitors Bureau.  “And here’s a tip for cost-conscious parents: the two most affordable times to visit New Orleans are the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve and the summer months.  Hotels and restaurants offer especially attractive rates!”

Only in New Orleans can children of all ages spend a day on a steamboat ride along the Mississippi, take a swamp tour to learn about the ecology of the marshes and swamps, or ride through the historic French Quarter on a horse and buggy. There is an amazing array of adventures that await the visitor in New Orleans, and whether a family enjoys activities that are on foot, on a boat, a streetcar or under a canopy of centuries old oak trees, it can all be found in New Orleans.

When You Go to New Orleans:

New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. Order a FREE Visitor’s Guide at www.neworleanscvb.com or 1-800-672-6124.

The Audubon Zoo. 6500 Magazine St. Open Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.  Adults, $13.50; Children 2-12, $8.50; Seniors, $10.50. www.auduboninstitute.org  Schedule, admission fees subject to change.

The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. 1 Canal St. Open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, $18.50; children 2-12, $11.50; seniors 65+, $14.50 www.auduboninstitute.org Schedule, admission fees subject to change.

The Entergy IMAX® Theater. 1 Canal St. Open Tues.-Sun.10 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, $9; children 2-12, $6; seniors 65+, $8. www.auduboninstitute.org   Schedule, admission fees subject to change.

The Audubon Insectarium. 423 Canal Street in the old Customs House Building. Open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Adults, $15; children 2-12, $10; seniors 65+, $12 www.auduboninstitute.org

City Park of New Orleans. 1 Palm Drive. Amusement Park is open weekends starting March 6.  Storyland Tues. –Fri. 10 a.m. – 3p.m.; Sat. - Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.  www.neworleanscitypark.com

New Orleans Museum of Art. One Collins C. Diboll Circle, City Park is open Wednesday 12 p.m.-8 p.m., Thursday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Discounted prices for  Louisiana residents with proper ID: Adults $8;, seniors 65+, $7.50; Children 3-17, $4. Under 3, FREE. Out of State Visitors: Adults $16; seniors 65+, $15; children 3-17, $10; Under 3, FREE. www.noma.org

Louisiana Children’s Museum. 420 Julia St. Open Tues.-Sat. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  Sun. Noon-4:30.  Admission, $7.50, adults and children.  Children under age one free. www.lcm.org

National WWII Museum. 945 Magazine Street is open seven days a week from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.  Visit www.nationalww2museum.org for ticket pricing.  •