Audubon Aquarium

“Worth the Wonder, Even If the Price Makes You Blink My 9 year old looked at me halfway through and said, “This is the best aquarium I’ve been to in my entire life.” Honestly, that kind of settles it. The aquarium is genuinely impressive and thoughtfully designed. What surprised me most was how much he loved the insectarium especially the butterfly garden. It’s beautiful, immersive, and unlike anything you expect when you hear the word “aquarium.” That part alone felt special and memorable. It took us about an hour and a half to walk through at a comfortable pace, but you could easily spend most of the day here if you slowed down, read everything, and revisited favorites. There’s a lot to take in, especially for curious kids. That said, it’s not cheap. Tickets were $99 for the two of us, parking was $22, and there’s about a quarter mile walk from the parking area to the entrance. None of that ruined the experience, but it’s worth knowing going in so expectations are set. All that to say this place delivers on wonder. It’s unique, engaging, and clearly left a lasting impression on my kid which, for a parent, counts for a lot. If you’re prepared for the cost, it’s absolutely worth experiencing at least once.”

“We had a great time at the aquarium and the added insect section. My children (13 year olds) spent quite a bit of time in the insect section and enjoyed all of it, particularly the butterfly garden. The Cafe Ocean is nice and we had lunch while we were there - red beans and rice, cheeseburger, and pepperoni pizza - all very tasty. We also tried out the Virtual Reality video (extra charge) and loved the sharks and dolphins (separate films). Very educational. The aquarium tunnel is always a favorite - along with seeing the penguins and touching the stingrays.”

“Super fun experience! Lots of great exhibits and animals. My favorites were the butterfly exhibit and watching those mesmerizing jellyfish. The insectarium was very cool too - especially the honey bee exhibit. I went on a Tuesday morning and it was not crowded at all. If you are visiting New Orleans and the French Quarter, highly recommend stopping by and checking out. Also, I got my ticket same day on Viator and it was a little cheaper than purchasing at the Aquarium.”

“Awesome aquarium and (my personal favorite) insectarium! Many insectariums I've been to seem to have been afterthoughts and were mainly a few enclosures with random insects or arachnids. This one was awesome! very well thought out with lots of well done exhibits and insects/arachnids. I especially enjoyed the experience of sampling foods make with insects. The aquarium part was also very good with a nice mix of fish/ocean exhibits with other animals. Highly recommend.”