The Audubon Zoo of New Orleans - Favorite Family Spot

The Audubon Zoo, located in New Orleans, LA, is one of Americas top rated zoos and an excellent travel destination for any family trip.

The Audubon Zoo is located at 6500 Magazine Street in New Orleans, LA. With more than 1,300 animals on exhibit, the Audubon Zoo is the perfect way for any family to spend their day. The zoo not only features your average animals that you would expect to see in any zoo across America, but they also have unique exhibits that are truly one of a kind.

The World of Primates is home to tamarins, gorillas, siamangs and lemurs, as well as the rare Sumatran Orangutans. The Sumatran Orangutans are an endangered species, so it is easy to understand why the Audubon Zoo was so excited when one of their orangutans gave birth to a new baby, "Blaze", in 1996. While "Blaze" isn't really a "baby" anymore, she is the perfect example of just how dedicated the Audubon Zoo is to preserving the worlds wildlife.

Though the Audubon Zoo is located in Louisiana, their Louisiana Swamp exhibit surprisingly took a great deal of planning to help make it more natural for the animals that live there, from the alligators to the black bears! One of the stars of the Louisiana Swamp exhibit is the white alligator that resides there, but make sure you don't miss the real-life alligator feedings as well!

Audubon Zoos Jaguar Jungle is truly a unique experience. This exhibit depicts a jungle rainforest setting, complete with the animals, environment and culture of the ancient Mayan civilization. Not only will you get to see the magnificent Jaguars from the rainforest, but other animals such as spider monkeys and sloths as well. As if that isn't fun enough, there are also recreated ruins to explore and even a dig site where little ones, and not so little ones, can dig for ancient treasures!

When visiting the Audubon Zoo, make sure not to miss Monkey Hill. Contrary to what you might expect given the name, Monkey Hill is not an animal exhibit, however it is still a must see attraction. Built in the 1930's, legend has it that the intent by the builders was to allow New Orleans children to see what a hill looks like. This might sound crazy, unless one understands that hills are few and far between in this predominantly flat state. Monkey Hill boasts a five level tree house to play in, a rope bridge, wading pools and best of all, the hill, with plenty of room for everyone to roll down!

There are of course, tons of other exhibits to see while you are at the Audubon Zoo. The African Savanna exhibit is home to the Southern white rhinos, and the Dragons Lair exhibit houses the enormous Komodo dragons. The white tiger exhibit is another favorite among those that visit. There are also plenty of other activities to enjoy at the Audubon Zoo including the Swamp Train, which provides a great trip through the park, and the Gottesman Family Endangered Species Carousel ride, featuring carousel horses, elephants, rhinos, giraffes and other endangered species.

The Audubon Zoos hours of operation vary depending on the season, so it is best to call, or check their website before planning your visit. The prices of tickets vary depending on the type of ticket purchased, and package tickets are available that include the Audubon Aquarium and Entergy Imax theater. For more information on the Aquarium, read this article on The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. For those interested in package tickets, the Audubon Express Shuttle is available between the Zoo and Aquarium/Imax. Parking at the zoo is free, however there is a fee to park at the Audubon Aquarium.

The Audubon Zoo is an excellent attraction for those visiting the city of New Orleans. No matter how young or how old you are, everyone will certainly find something that they can enjoy.