Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras World is the most unique attraction in America’s most uniquely attractive city. It’s a world of wonders, created for you by the people who bring Mardi Gras to life every year—the artists of Blaine Kern Studios.
The colors, the lights, the music, the joie de vivre. It’s all here in one magical place where you can peek behind the curtain and see Mardi Gras in the making. You haven’t truly experienced Carnival until you’ve explored Mardi Gras World.
Since 1947, Blaine Kern Studios has been as much a part of Carnival as the parades New Orleans loves. In fact, we create most of those parades, from concept through completion. We’re the world’s leading makers of floats, sculpture and props.
You can see our work in Orlando’s Universal Studios, Japan’s Toho Park, Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and in parades in Antibes and other international cities. We’re in theme parks, casinos and amusement parks around the globe.
Address: 233 Newton Street, Algiers Point; Telephone: (800) 362 8213; E-mail:
sabine@mardigrasworld.com; Website:
www.mardigrasworld.com; Transport: Catch the free ferry at the foot of Canal St. to historic Algiers Point. A free Blaine Kern shuttle meets every ferry from 9.30am. to 4.30pm; Opening time: Opens daily at 9.30am, with final tour at 4.30pm; Admission: Tour: $17 (adults), $10 (children 4-11), concessions available
The Cabildo
One of the more interesting historic attractions in New Orleans is the site where the first Spanish Council, or Cabildo, met. The Cabildo, a building where the Spanish rulers gathered during their reign in the late 1700’s, has a distinctively Spanish colonial architecture. The premiere building in the history of New Orleans, it"s the location where the transfer of the Louisiana territory to the Americans took place in 1803 in a room overlooking the town square. One of the best historic attractions New Orleans offers, the Cabildo New Orleans is a great place to take the family to learn about Louisiana history.
Address: 701 Chartres Street; Telephone: (504) 568 6968; Website:
lsm.crt.state.la.us/visitor.htm#museums; Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm; Admission: $6 (adults), free for children 12 and under
D-Day National WWII Museum
The National World War II Museum, formerly known as the National D-Day Museum, is a museum located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, at the corner of Andrew Higgins and Magazine Street. It focuses on the United States contribution to victory in World War II, and the Battle of Normandy in particular. It was designated by the U.S. Congress as "America's National World War II Museum" in 2003.
Address: 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans. Entrance on Andrew Higgins' Drive; Telephone: (504) 527 6012; E-mail: info@nationalww2museum.org; Website:
www.nationalww2museum.org; Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm; Admission: $14 (adults), $6 (children 12-5), free for under 5's, concessions available
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
Recognized as one of the leading aquariums in the United States, the Aquarium of the Americas is run by the Audubon Institute, which also supervises the Audubon Zoo and Audubon Park (in a different part of the city). The Aquarium is located along the banks of the Mississippi River by the edge of the historic French Quarter off Canal Street, at the upper end of Woldenberg Park. The Aquarium opened in 1990.
Address: 1 Canal Street; Telephone: (504) 581 4629; E-mail:
air@auduboninstitute.org; Website:
www.auduboninstitute.org; Opening time: Aquarium and Zoo: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm; Admission: Aquarium: $17 (adults), $10 (children 2-12). Zoo: $12 (adults), $7 (children). Concessions available
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré - or the “Quarter” to locals, sits on a crescent in the Mississippi River on some of the highest ground in New Orleans. Not only is this is city’s cultural hub, but is a community where residents take time to reminisce with neighbors about times gone by and to welcome visitors in the streets.
Intimate and unique, New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood has exerted a spell over writers and artists since the time of Mark Twain, Lafcadio Hern and John James Audubon.
Hollywood celebrities and software magnates have joined the residential mix, keeping the glamour up-to-date, but it is the year-round local residents who keep the neighborhood vibrant.
French Quarter architecture is a mix of Spanish, French, Creole and American styles. Plastered walls and single chimneys reflect laws enacted after fire virtually destroyed the city in 1788 and 1794. Walled courtyards, perfect for French Quarter parties, are a gift of the Spanish influence.
Website:
www.frenchquarter.com
‘Hurricane Katrina: America's Worst Catastrophe!’ Tour
The unforgettable catastrophe in New Orleans has left reminders of that fateful day in August of 2005. You may never be able to comprehend what everyone may have endured, but you can surely witness the remnants of the destruction. Take a guided tour through the various affected sites and educate yourself about the effects and precautions. The Grey Line employees, who themselves lost several possessions to the disaster, conduct the tour keeping in mind the sentiments of the citizens.
Address: Tours depart from Gray Line Lighthouse ticket office, Toulouse Street, French Quarter; Telephone: (504) 569 1401 or (800) 535 7786; E-mail:
tours@graylineneworleans.com; Website:
www.graylineneworleans.com; Opening time: Three hour long tours are conducted daily at 9am and 1pm; Admission: $35 (adults), $28 (children)
Preservation Hall
Preservation Hall is a noted jazz performance hall located at 726 St. Peter Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It hosts nightly concerts featuring a rotating roster of bands. The bands of Preservation Hall typically perform jazz in the New Orleans style.
Despite the fame of the institution, admittance is affordable, being $10 as of January 2009. Because of limited seating, crowds typically begin lining up well in advance of a performance. No reservations are accepted and the line typically is quite long. Sometimes musicians will play for those waiting in line. Inside, a large portion of the audience must stand in back, behind a limited number of benches, chairs, and floor cushions.
The hall is not cleared forcibly between sets and an audience member can expect to stand in the dark with little or no view of the musicians for one set, stand with a good view for the next set, and find a seat for a third set. There is no dance floor and neither food nor drink is served. Smoking is not permitted, but outside beverages may be permitted, with decisions apparently based on safety and cleanliness.
Address: 726 St Peter Street; Telephone: (504) 522 2841; Website:
www.preservationhall.com; Opening time: Nightly from 8pm until midnight. Sets begin at 8.15pm; Admission: $8