New Orleans City Park
4.8google
NatureOutdoor
Overview
City Park, a 1,300-acre (5.3 km2) public park in New Orleans, Louisiana, is the 87th largest and 20th-most-visited urban public park in the United States. City Park is approximately 50% larger than Central Park in New York City, the municipal park recognized by Americans nationwide as the archetypal urban greenspace. Although it is an urban park whose land is owned by the City of New Orleans, it is administered by the City Park Improvement Association, an arm of state government, not by the New Orleans Parks and Parkways Department.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration3-5 hours
Best TimeSpring and autumn mornings (8:30 AM - 11:30 AM) offer a flawless park escape. City Park is vast and features the world's largest collection of mature native Live Oaks. Early mornings reveal misty bayou waters around 800-year-old trees. Grabbing a hot beignet at the park's Cafe Du Monde during these hours avoids the massive midday lines.
Getting ThereLocated at 1 Victory Avenue in mid-north New Orleans. Driving is easy: take I-10 W to Exit 151 (City Park Ave) and head north into the park, which provides extensive free open-air shaded lots. For public transit, ride the Canal Street Streetcar (Red Line, explicitly marked for City Park) all the way to its final terminal right at the park entrance.
Travel Tips
- Spanning 1300 acres, attractions are separated by vast distances with no inner park shuttles; utilize the multiple free decentralized parking lots near each hub.
- The park's slow-moving bayou bay networks house wild alligators and venomous cottonmouth snakes; stay strictly off unmaintained swamp shorelines.
- Recreational drone operations are banned across all park acreage unless an official commercial aviation permit is issued by the board weeks in advance.
Reviews
Positive
- This massive 1300-acre city park houses the world's largest grove of mature live oaks; giant branches sweeping the lawn under Spanish moss are breathtakingly beautiful.
- The free Besthoff Sculpture Garden inside is world-class, with master sculptures scattered along quiet bayous and walkways, boasting an exceptionally high artistic style.
- Amenities are incredible; featuring Storyland for kids, the Children's Museum, paddleboat rentals, and golf courses, keeping a family entertained for a full day.
- It houses a famous branch of Café du Monde with ample free parking; compared to the chaotic French Quarter original, lines here are short and vibes are relaxing.
Heads up
- Because the park is so massive, key sights like the Museum of Art, botanical gardens, and playgrounds are scattered; walking without a car or rental bike is exhausting.
- Waterways and bayous gather dense swarms of mosquitoes and deer flies in summer; walking across the scenic bridges becomes painful without packing strong insect repellent.
- Outside core venues and the sculpture garden, outer lawns and remote trails lack sufficient trash bin servicing on busy weekends, leading to scattered litter.
- Taking the streetcar from downtown NOLA to City Park takes a long one-way commute; if the trolley runs late or hits heavy traffic, the transit time cost is high.