The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is a repository of many of the things that make this area of the United States great. Fine art, architecture, folk art, and artifacts of the bygone Southern era can be found here. You can also find unique exhibitions, such as Looking Back, Looking Forward, Becoming Ida Kohlmeyer, Walter Anderson and Friends, Clementine Hunter and Melrose, the Treme Storytelling Quilt Project, and The Jazz. Take a guided docent tour of the museum to explore unique artwork and new exhibitions enriched with interesting conversations.
Having started out as the nation's first sugar plantation, then an urban park, and finally renamed in 1886 as Audubon Park in tribute to John James Audubon who painted many of his famed "Birds of America" in Louisiana, the 350-acre (141.64 hectares) Audubon Park and Audubon Zoo is a place one can truly and peacefully enjoy New Orleans's old-world charm: fountains, statues, gazebos, lagoons, giant oak trees, and the occasional horse-back riders and carriages. There are also a golf course, tennis courts, and a extremely popular 1.8-mile-long (2.8 kilometers) paved jogging track. Do walk along the outskirts of the park and be wowed by the historic buildings of Loyola and Tulane universities, as well as many elegant mansions.
From the critter-filled swamps of Louisiana to the grasslands of Africa, you can explore some of the world's most intriguing habitats and the creatures that dwell within them at this world-class zoo. Rated one of the top zoos in the United States, Audubon Zoo New Orleans is home to a variety of nature's wondrous creations such as Louisiana Black Bear, Cougar, Bobcat, Macaw, Babirusa, and more. The marvelous aquarium houses beautiful moon jellies, clownfish, green sea turtle, and the much-dreaded piranha.
It's just impossible to get bored of New Orleans' plush City Park. Sprawled over 1,500 acres, this welcoming oasis attracts hordes of people every day. You'll find lovebirds sharing some time together, children playing around, joggers doing their daily rounds and people absorbing the park's beauty. Camps, field trips and an amusement park are the facilities for children. Sports lovers can choose from golf, football, tennis and lots more. The park also provides the perfect setting for weddings, picnics, birthdays or other special functions. If you're a nature lover, you can volunteer to help protect this beautiful park.
Consisting of six sites spread across New Orleans, this historic site pays homage to the legacy of Jean Lafitte, a French pirate and the historical events that unfolded in his wake. The visitor center has historic walking tours of the French Quarter and also sets the scene for other historic sites in and around New Orleans. The extensive Barataria Preserve is part of the site and is sheathed in a tapestry of marshes, swamps and dense hardwood forests, while the Chalmette Battlefield has been the ground of many historic battles and wars. Characterized by a string of teeming bayous and inextricable Cajun traditions, the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is a stirring insight into the historical heart of New Orleans.
Located in the beautiful New Orleans City Park, this breathtaking museum houses nearly 40,000 paintings, sculptures and prints, plus the Cafe Noma and the Noma Museum Shop. The art at New Orleans Museum Of Art comes from across the globe and represents everything from Southwestern Native American art to 19th-century French Impressionists. Here, you can explore rare photographs, Grecian antiquities, global decorative art, and unique textiles. The museum shop offers interesting souvenirs such as jewelry, dishware, books, cards, and other trinkets.