New Orleans, LA

Aquarium of the Americas
DESCRIPTION: One of the nations' Top 10 aquariums; more than 10,000 creatures that call this airy and mostly light-filled structure home; a 400,000 tank allows you to see many native creatures exhibiting behaviors in the wild; note the ominous sharks circling the property; rare white alligators from the lower Mississippi River region are the main attraction, but patience is called for, you seldom see them move; since Katrina, the Aquarium has iadding more Caribbean species and revamped to the Gulf of Mexico exhibit; an IMAX Theater rounds out this fun-filled family attraction
ADMISSION: $17.50 Adults, $13.50 Age 65+, $10.50 Ages 2-12, Age 1 & under FREE; additional fee or fee package for IMAX theater
DAYS & HOURS: daily 9:30a-7p
ADDRESS: 1 Canal Street  MAP
PARKING: on nearby lot
TRANSIT: Canal Streetcar and Riverwalk Streetcar stop here
PHONE: 504-861-2537
WEBSITE: http://www.auduboninstitute.org/aoa

Louisiana Children's Museum
DESCRIPTION: One of the nation's Top 10 children's museums; kids will love to explore and touch the many exhibits in this large converted warehouse where they can pilot a tow boat down the Mighty Mississippi in the Little Port of New Orleans; shop till they drop in Little Sav-A-Center grocery store; dine in the five-star, role play Kids’ Café then anchor the news in the WWL-TV KidWatch Studio; Children can pretend to be an ophthalmologist in Eye to Eye, play it safe in Safety Zone and embark on a Team Turtle mission to grow up smart and strong; Kids can also stand inside a giant bubble, create one-of-a-kind art in the Art Trek studio and much more
ADMISSION: modest fee
DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 9:30a-4:30p, Sun Noon-4:30p
ADDRESS: 420 Julia Street  MAP
PARKING: on street and nearby lot
TRANSIT: 3 blocks southwest of St. Charles Streetcar stop
PHONE: 504-523-1357
WEBSITE: http://www.lcm.org

Louisiana Superdome
DESCRIPTION: Check out these vital statistics: 27 stories tall, 20,000 tons of structural steel, 400 miles of electrical wiring; seats 70,000 for New Orleans Saints games or seats 76,000 for the Super Bowl and the Sugar Bowl football games; there's even parking for 500 vehicles and charter buses
ADMISSION: New Orleans Saints NFL football ticket prices
DAYS & HOURS: tours on the hour from 10a-4p
ADDRESS: 1500 Poydras Street  MAP
PARKING: surrounded by Superdome garages
TRANSIT: 5 blocks southwest of Canal Streetcar and Amtrak station only one block away
PHONE: Box Office 504-587-3821
WEBSITE: http://www.superdome.com

New Orleans Arena
DESCRIPTION: Seats 18,500 for New Orleans Hornet basketball games but is also home to the New Orleans VooDoo of Arena Football and Tulane University Basketball; the arena also hosts a number of large concerts, festivals and the circus
ADMISSION: New Orleans Hornets NBA basketball ticket prices
DAYS & HOURS: event dependent
ADDRESS: 1501 Girod Street  MAP
PARKING: adjacent to Superdome garages
TRANSIT: 6 blocks southwest of Canal Streetcar and next to Amtrak station
PHONE: 504-587-3663
WEBSITE: http://www.neworleansarena.com

Audubon Zoo
DESCRIPTION: One of the nation's Top 10 zoos; features white tigers, orangutans and reptiles in the Swamp Exhibit, the Encounter and the Embraceable Zoo as lead attractions; strollers for children are available at the information booth just inside the front gate
ADMISSION: modest fee
DAYS & HOURS: Winter (late October-late March) Mon-Sun 9:30a-5p; Summer Weekdays 9:30a-5p, Weekends 9:30a-6p
ADDRESS: 6500 Magazine Street  MAP
PARKING: on premises paid parking
TRANSIT: local bus
PHONE: 866-ITS-AZOO
WEBSITE: http://www.auduboninstitute.org/zoo

Louisiana Nature Center
DESCRIPTION: Rich with learning and discovery, this is a can’t miss treat for children; explore the Interpretive Center for the sights and sounds of Louisiana “biofacts” and educational displays in a touchable museum; venture into A sampler of Louisiana Habitats, which portray the diversity of its many forests and wetlands; this interactive facility also incorporates live animals in realistic settings; take a guided trail walk with a Naturalist to learn the basics of bird watching; modest admission fee for adults and children; on-site is the Freeman Planetarium, whose shows include The Sky Tonight, Solar Observing, and Science Insight
ADMISSION: modest fee
DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Fri 9a-5p, Sat 10a-5p, Sun Noon-5p
ADDRESS: 5700 Read Blvd in Joe Brown Memorial Park  MAP
PARKING: on premises
TRANSIT: local bus to East New Orleans
PHONE: 504-246-5672
WEBSITE: http://www.auduboninstitute.org/lnc