Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

Address:	1 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Phone:	+1 504-565-3033
Site:	audubonnatureinstitute.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 9

Ashley Drewes

UPDATED - 9/28/2016 Im so disappointed. It had been a while since Ive been here and when we came, it wasnt the same at all. The tanks are nice and large, however, the parakeet exhibit has gone down hill. The netting is in front the plants - basically teasing the birds where they cannot get to them. The feeding stick prices went up to $1.50 from $1, which isnt bad except the food portion is drastically smaller. You used to get a full or half stick of food. You now get a speck of food at the tip of the stick. Literally the speck is about the size of my 2 year Olds thumb. On top of that, they have ads of various paid options plastered throughout the whole aquarium. Where the shark gulf tank is, for example, where they have the circle glass where you can look down and see the sharks, there were 2 other glass walls to view that tank on the 2nd floor. Those 2 glass walls are now covered with an advertisement. Like I said, the place is beautiful, its clean, friendly staff, but these changes are very disappointing and a let down. Definitely wont be coming back any time soon though. ☆ original review ☆ Huge! Lots to see, fun & educational for the whole family. Prices are pretty high though unless you have a membership than its free.

Jenni Chauvin

Ive been to several other aquariums and was very under-impressed with this one. While they have quite a few unique fish they are missing some huge elements! And for the price I expected it to be more detailed and quite a bit larger. I did enjoy that they had a toddler play area (not huge, but was ample enough for my young grandbabies to expend some energy) and the sting ray petting area was a nice surprise! It is a little confusing to first time visitors as to which way to go though, maybe some more signs? I didnt see a stroller rental area, its possible I missed it, but that would be a great option as this is a very touristy area and not everyone will have their stroller (like us). I think if the price had been lower I might could give it more stars. But for the price I will not be back. It was just over $100 for 3 adults, a 2yr old and a 1yr old......WITH a discount! $22 for a 2yr old is IMO excessive! YIKES! Plus parking! We had more fun outside feeding the pigeons along the river than we did at the aquarium...and thats FREE!

A Private User

The parking lots surrounding the Aquarium are not owned by the Aquarium or the Audubon Nature Institute. Audubon simply has an agreement with Central/Park One/Riverside Parking and offers validation for guests who park in some of their lots. Much to the organizations chagrin the parking lot staff, condition of the lots, and prices for parking are out of Audubons control. In order to have your parking validated you have to park in one of the designated lots and you must bring the parking ticket itself to the Aquarium, IMAX, or Insectarium where they will punch it for you. The current offer is $5 off @ The Jax Brewery lot, Badine lot, Sugar lot, and the Canal Place Parking Garage or up to 6 hours for $8 at the Hilton "Whale Wall" and World Trade Center lots on Convention Center Blvd. More info on parking is available on their site. Validated lots will have a sign with the official Audubon logo at the entrance. I suggest skipping the lots and parking in the Canal Place garage. Especially during the summer. Its close and its cool.

TDDC TDDC

They really need to redesign this place, modernize it and bring in a larger tank to incorporate some larger mammals like a Whale shark and more rare sea creatures, this place was once the largest of its kind and one that other cities modeled their Aquariums after but The Georgia Aquarium put the breaks on Aquarium of Americas when it opened and dropped a giant behemoth beast into their tank and designed their building for growth and modern upgrades, the only thing bad about Ga Aquarium is its in the middle of nowhere and it look more like a giant church and less like an aquarium on the outside however the only saving grace to visit this aquarium of Americas is that you get to leave out to a vibrant exciting city with lots to do and your right by the riverwalk thats being revitalized to be skateboard parks, a huge jogging/ river viewing path, interactive ground water fountain, courts, shopping centers and condos, where in Atlanta you walk back to your car and go home because theres nothing around for MILES!

Rachel Schwartz

The Backstage Penguin Pass is worth every penny! After a quick intro lesson, the aquarium team brings your small group into a room where they choose an exceptionally social penguin to play with you. Our group met Mariana the penguin who created "finger paint" art with her feet for us to take home. Next aquarium keepers show you how the penguins food is made, and then they take you inside the exhibit to feed the penguins yourself! Most of the penguins are so excited to eat a snack (read: a small uncooked fish... yes, you have to touch it) that they immediately swarm you to get your attention. You spend a good bit of time inside the animals living space, so be sure to wear clothes and shoes that you dont mind getting dirty! Its about two hours of real interaction with adorable penguins.

Elaine Private

I have been to many aquariums and this one is rather small in comparison. The building is relatively large but does not make the best use of the space it has. The flow was really good, I knew where I should go next and it felt natural. At the beginning there is a tunnel tank, much like the one at the Atlanta aquarium. The large spacious tanks are somewhat disappointing though the sharks within are extra menacing. Very Nice. Be careful with most of the open exhibits as you can lean over and reach into the water. That does include small children. It is well worth the money with a great assortment of fish and other water beasts.

Scott F

Growing up in South Louisiana, this Aquarium was really my first experience. Its themed as the name suggests and is broken into sections that are mostly relevant to wildlife and marine life in the Americas with a special focus on Louisiana. To this point, having visited other popular venues such as the Georgia Aquarium and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Id say that the Aquarium of the Americas holds its own and is worth a visit. Its a lot less commercial and more educational than many Ive seen. For best value, buy one of their package deals and visit the other Audubon Nature Institute venues (Zoo, Insectarium) as well.

Sepideh Miller

Stylistically, there were elements of this aquarium that are similar to the aquarium in Atlanta and also the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The signage in the first room you enter with the water falling over the silver scales was similar to the aquarium in Atlanta. The rain forest section was somewhat like the one in Baltimore. In the rainforest section, I spotted an owl and a red-tailed hawk. The white alligators are definitely unique to New Orleans, and the otter was cute. The penguins were quite playful and tried to get the attention of the visitors standing near their tanks.

Amanda Nguyen

This place is much smaller than I expected. We were done in 2 hours and that includes a 24-minute IMAX movie. I didnt feel the price of admission was justified. However, it was a nice place overall. There is a rain forest-type area, stingray touch tank, and a large tank with various fish and sharks that you can sit and watch for a while. Beware that parking closest to the aquarium falls under the same astronomical rates as the rest of the French Quarter. Two hours of parking was $28. Taking a street car is much more economical and there is a stop right in front of the aquarium.