We are considering going to New Orleans the 1st week of April during my 14 year old daughters spring break. However, my brother and sister-in-law said that there really is nothing for kids to do there.

Just wondering if I could get your opinions?
Thank you in advance.

Karl

Depends on how mature your 14 year old is, IMO. There are a lot of things you'd proably rather her not see, if you get into bad parts of the French Quarter, but I doubt you'd really want to venture into those parts anyway. New Orleans has a lot to offer. The Aquarium is interesting and the new D-Day Museum might interest her if she is into history. Just walking around Jackson Square will interest her--lots of street entertainment and a culture that would fascinate just about anyone. Pretty architecture and interesting buildings will keep her interested too. Lots of shopping on Magazine Street and in the Quarter. She will love beignets at Cafe Dumonde and might enjoy the open air market a few blocks down. If she enjoyed eating in nice restaurants there are many to enjoy also.

Have fun!

You might want to drive up to the Natchez area and tour some of the plantations. My parents took me there when I was about 14, and I loved seeing the old antebellum homes.

Karl - I disagree with your brother and sister-in-law! We took our children to NO several times when they were young (younger than 14, by the way) and we all had a wonderful time.

The Aquarium of the Americas is really great - I went back a couple of years ago with my son and his wife - and enjoyed it as much as the first few times. Adjacent to the Aquarium is an IMAX Theater. In the same general vicinity is the Canal Street ferry, which crosses the Mississippi River to Algiers Point every 20 minutes. While in Algiers Point you can go to Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World and check out how the floats are made. The ferry is free and a free shuttle meets the ferry to take visitors to Mardi Gras World.

The Audubon Zoo is one of the finest zoos in the country. The St. Charles streetcar is fun, and a nice way to check out the Garden District.

I agree with bamakelly that your daughter would love Jackson Square. If she likes music, there are lots of options for her. Maybe a gospel brunch at the House of Blues? Granted, the food isn't all that great, but the music is fun. Children are welcome at Preservation Hall, too, and they have some of the best jazz in the world.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. And yes, we DID take our children down Bourbon Street, but we went during the daytime.

There is also a park south of the city where Lafayette and troups stood off the French; otherwise that area would be France. Interesting eyeopener to one who is studying nation/international history. And the riverboat cruise. You can even take the riverboat cruise TO the park. Both things a teenager might enjoy.

No offense, Karl, but your brother and sister-in-law are clueless. I would suggest that your 14 year old would enjoy nearly everything an adult could enjoy EXCEPT Bourbon Street at night.

Try the Aquarium, Zoo, swamp tours, plantations, French Quarter architecture, French Market shopping, great restaurants, museums, the streetcar lines, the free ferry, Mardi Gras World, etc.

There are a lot of things a kid might be happy seeing as noted above. If you've never been to NO though you may not be prepared for how tawdry/tacky a lot of the French quarter is.

Not an issue for adults but for an impresionable teenager (esp if she's a naive rather than sophisticated one) all of the street drinking/rowdiness, public groping, semi-dressed hookers or wanna-bes, and party all night crowd (which can begin before dinner) may be unpleasant. If you go into the Quarter only during the day its much more subdued.

As a child, I went to NO with family. The zoo was great, the aquarium didn't exist, and Bourbon Street isn't 'adult' only at 10 a.m. Also went out into Cajun country and rode a street car. I found it wonderful.

By the way, I think I knew there was something to do with Bourbon Street, but I was too young to understand and we went early in the morning. My older brother probably knew what was going on, but my parents weren't going to let him do anything untoward. Probably the most graphic thing I saw was postcards of showgirls in the hotel lobby.

I agree with the others that NO is a great city with a lot to offer. In addition to what everyone has mentioned so far, there are a Loyola and Tulane universities are just off the St Charles streetcar line. It might be fun to tour the campuses and your daughter is just about the right age to start doing that.

Karl, my son and his cousins thoroughly enjoyed New Orleans, especially Cafe du Monde and beignets (unfortunately, I wore mine home on my hips). We didn't take them to Bourbon Street, an easy spot to avoid. Personally, I'm turned off by Bourbon Street and don't go there myself. But there are many things to do and see in the FQ. Try to go when the FQ Festival is going on -- there is free music and cheap food booths all over within walking distance in the quarter. I think it's two weeks after Jazz Fest (and don't go the wk of jazz fest or you'll be paying high prices for your room and be in the middle of a big mob scene as the crowds overtake the city).

Thank you all for your responses. We were originally planning a trip to Paris over her spring break but decided to scale back a bit due to the American dollar drop in value. We've done the Disney thing a couple times and looking for something different. Your replies are great appreciated.

Karl

I lived New Orleans w/my family when I was a girl (grade school). I loved it. City Park is nice as is the zoo. Aquarium wasn't there then. Plantations and Swamp Tours are great. We'd walk around the French Quarter as a family during the day. There used to be an ice cream place that sold bird food for the pigeons at Jackson Square (if you stood really still they'd perch on your outstretched arm to eat). Anyway, there isn't much that one would see during the day (even on Bourbon) that you wouldn't find on cable tv.

New Orleans is a fabulous city full of history, achitecture, art, and delicious food! There is plenty for a teenager to appreciate and enjoy.

We took our kids to NOLA three and a half years ago when they were 15 and 11. They still talk about it as one of the best destinations we've visited. Their favorite of all the things we did was Preservation Hall. They loved the two walking tours we did through Historic New Orleans Walking Tours; the voodoo/cemetery one and the haunted one (altho' I probably would've chosen not to do the haunted one had I known they take a break at a bar on Bourbon, the rest of the tour was great). They also enjoyed the free ferry across the river that you catch near the aquarium. And, of course, the Aquarium itself. They both got a kick out of taking the streetcar through the Garden District and having lunch at the Camilla Grill. The museums on either side of St. Louis Cathedral are great too. They especially enjoyed the Mardi Gras one. As you can see from the other responses and mine, there are a ton of things for kids to do in New Orleans!

One other thing, obviously I don't know what your daughter's interests are. But my daughter (who was the 15 year old at the time) and I took a tour of a home on Chartres that was owned at one time by Frances Parkinson Keyes (whose books I'd read in high school) and earlier lived in by General Beaureguard (probably spelled that wrong). We both really enjoyed it. Later that day we all went back and toured the church across the street, the oldest in New Orleans. It too was very interesting.

Not sure if your daughter is too old for the American Girl type novels but with all the historical novels out there, you may be able to bring the history to life. I read some good historical novels and it really enhanced my first trip to NO. I just fell in love with the place!
I think NO is a wonderful place to visit at any age!

New Orleans is one of my absolute favorite cities to visit and I agree with almost all of the suggestions already posted. Someone mentioned that the French Quarter area might be too tacky/tawdry for a teenager and I disagree with that. The French Quarter, with the exception of an easily avoidable 6 blocks of Bourbon Street, is lovely and historic and full of interesting shops and sites. There is lots for a teenager to do and see....just avoid the upper half of Bourbon Street, particularly in the evening.

Again, thank you all for your responses. Still not sure exactly what we are going to do but I can say that New Orleans if back on the list.

Thanks again,
Karl

I live in the area & my daughter asked to take 2 of her "sheltered" friends to the French Quarter for her 17th birthday. We had their caricatures done by Jackson Square, had their "fortune" told by the worst psychic (it was so funny), browsed the shops & the flea market- just did the general tourist thing. It was her best present- beating out our trip to Paris on her 16th. They really enjoyed seeing the street performers. You can also take a buggy ride through the Quarter. The "facts" the drivers share are usually funny if not quite historically correct.
If she likes perfume you might want to check out Hove on Royal St. It was there when I was a kid in the 60s & they have neat unusual perfume & bottles. A great souvenir of her trip.

The Quarter has a tacky side as do many other cities. It is like having a crazy Aunt Boopsie or Uncle Tipsy. You love them but they make you cringe at times. Depending on how sheltered she has been will make the difference on how she views things. My nephews (9 & 14) came here in Sept. All they said about Bourbon St (daytime trip) was that it smelled (Pinesol smell). They remembered the French Market, Cafe DuMonde & street performers the most. Get her a balloon hat made by the guy near Jackson Square. You're never too old for one!