Things to Do in Museums, City Park and the Riverfront
World-class history museums, a giant oak-filled park and the Mississippi River.
See top-rated activities »About the museums and riverfront
The National WWII Museum in the Warehouse District is the city's most visited museum and needs at least half a day. It began as the D-Day Museum, founded by historian Stephen Ambrose, and has grown into a campus of pavilions covering the war in Europe and the Pacific and the American home front, with aircraft hanging overhead, oral histories from veterans and an immersive film. Nearby, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Contemporary Arts Center round out the arts district along Camp Street.
Along the river, Mardi Gras World is the working warehouse where a large share of the city's parade floats are designed and built, and guided tours walk visitors among giant sculpted figures in progress. The Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium, at the foot of Canal Street, has a walk-through Gulf of Mexico exhibit and a hall of insects. From the riverfront, the Steamboat Natchez, a steam-powered sternwheeler, sails daytime and evening jazz cruises, and the Canal Street ferry crosses to Algiers Point for one of the best views of the skyline.
City Park in Mid-City is larger than Central Park in New York and shaded by hundreds of old live oaks, some of them centuries old. The New Orleans Museum of Art sits at its center, with the free Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden beside it, and the park also has a botanical garden, an amusement park with an antique carousel and the Morning Call coffee stand for beignets. In late November and December it lights up for Celebration in the Oaks.
For a full museum day, start early at the WWII Museum, have lunch in the Warehouse District, then ride the Canal Street streetcar out to City Park for an afternoon at NOMA and the sculpture garden. Save the riverfront and a jazz cruise for the evening, when the heat breaks and the skyline lights up.
Don’t Miss
A large, moving museum of the American experience in World War II. Allow at least four hours, and buy timed tickets online.
Guided tours of the studios where parade floats are built, open daily except major holidays and Mardi Gras Day.
The city's fine arts museum, with a free sculpture garden among lagoons and oaks next door.
A huge park of live oaks and lagoons with a botanical garden, amusement rides, trails and Morning Call beignets.
Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean reef and Amazon exhibits, plus the insectarium, by the river at the foot of Canal Street.
A steam-powered sternwheeler offering harbor cruises with live jazz, including dinner sailings.
A museum dedicated to art from the American South, with regular evening music programs.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in the museums and riverfront
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TiqetsTours, tickets, prices and reviews from Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and Tiqets — prices are per person, from, and were checked October 31, 2026. See & Do New Orleans may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
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Get free trip quotes »the museums and riverfront — FAQ
How long does the National WWII Museum take?
Plan on four to six hours to see the main pavilions without rushing, more if you add the film or special exhibits. Many visitors split it over two days with a multi-day ticket.
Is City Park worth a visit?
Yes, especially on a mild morning. Pair NOMA and the free sculpture garden with a walk among the oaks and beignets at Morning Call. The Canal Street streetcar line has a branch that ends near the park.
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