Indoor Activities for Kids
New Orleans, Louisiana skyline

Louisiana

Indoor activities for kids in New Orleans

Sudden NOLA thunderstorms send families straight to the Audubon Aquarium, the Insectarium, and Louisiana Children's Museum.

New Orleans, Louisiana is one of the most-visited destinations in the United States, and traveling with kids here doesn't depend on perfect weather. This guide collects 12 hand-picked indoor things to do in New Orleans with kids — children's museums, aquariums, trampoline parks, family theaters, and the kid-friendly bookshops and food halls that locals actually use.

Every recommendation below is fully indoor and weatherproof — perfect for a rainy day, a too-hot afternoon, or a too-cold morning. We've grouped them by 4 kid-friendly museums, aquariums and science centers, 1 active indoor play spots, and 3 family shows and creative classes, with direct links to each venue's official website so you can check hours, age recommendations, and ticket prices before you go.

12 indoor things to do with kids in New Orleans

Grouped by what kind of afternoon you're after.

Children's museums, aquariums & science centers

Hands-on exhibits, touch tanks, and dinosaur halls — the safest first stop with kids on any rainy day.

  1. Walk under sea turtles at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
  2. Touch giant beetles at the Audubon Insectarium
  3. Build and play at the Louisiana Children's Museum in City Park
  4. Tour the kids' Battle Stations at the National WWII Museum

Trampolines, climbing & active indoor play

Where kids physically run, climb, jump and bounce — two hours here resets the whole day.

  1. Bounce at Surge Trampoline Park (Harvey, LA)

Family shows, theaters & creative classes

Kid-friendly matinees, puppet shows, art studios, and cooking classes that turn an afternoon into a memory.

  1. Catch the Entergy Giant Screen Theater documentary
  2. Take a kids' cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking
  3. Catch a kids' show at the Saenger Theatre

Treats, bookstores & indoor shopping

Hot chocolate, ice cream, the kids' floor at the local bookstore, and covered markets to wander.

  1. Eat beignets under the covered patio at Café du Monde
  2. Walk the French Market's covered stalls with a praline in hand

More indoor ideas

One-of-a-kind venues and family activities that don't fit a tidy category.

  1. See indoor floats being built at Mardi Gras World
  2. Browse the kids' floor at Octavia Books

Frequently asked questions about indoor activities in New Orleans

What are the best indoor activities for kids in New Orleans?
New Orleans's strongest options for kids are its children's museum, aquarium, and a hands-on science center. This guide lists 12 curated spots, all fully indoor. A reliable first stop is to under sea turtles at the audubon aquarium of the americas.
What can you do in New Orleans with kids on a rainy day?
Plenty — and most families end up with too many options. Pair one high-energy venue in the morning (trampoline park, indoor playground, or children's museum) with something calm in the afternoon (aquarium, planetarium, or family film). See our full plan in the rainy-day guide.
Are there free indoor activities for kids in New Orleans?
Most cities offer at least a few — public libraries with story times, free hours at major museums, and indoor shopping centers with play zones. Many of the museums in this guide also run free or pay-what-you-can family days; check the venue's website for the latest schedule.
What ages are these activities best for?
The mix on this list works for ages roughly 2 through 12. Children's museums, aquariums, and indoor playgrounds skew younger; trampoline parks, escape rooms, science centers, and go-kart tracks work better for ages 6+. Most venues let kids of mixed ages play together.

More indoor guides for kids

Heading somewhere else next? These city guides pair well with New Orleans.