completely off the radar for everyone else, leaving the water wide open to swim, fish, kayak, and camp alongside. LSU TIGER HABITAT Where : LSU Campus, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Price : Free Most college campuses have a mascot, but LSU has a living, breathing Bengal tiger in a state-of-the-art on-campus habitat you can visit for free. Mike the Tiger is one of the most iconic sights in all of Louisiana. A fascinating bonus on campus are the LSU Campus Mounds—among the oldest human-made edifices in the Americas—found a short walk from Mike’s habitat.
Forget everything you think a “nature tour” is, because these airboats will take you 50 mph through cypress trees surrounded by gators. The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest swamp in America, and the only way to really see it is on an airboat. USS KIDD MUSEUM AND PORT Where : 305 South River Rd., Baton Rouge, Louisiana Price : Adults: $14+; Children ages 6–12: $10+; Military ID: $12+; Seniors: $12+ A real WWII Fletcher-class destroyer is permanently docked on the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge. Kids get free reign of the engine room, gun turrets, torpedo tubes, and crew quarters of a ship that actually saw combat in the Pacific. HOLLY BEACH Where : Cameron Parish, Louisiana Price : Free access Most Louisianians don’t even know the state has a real Gulf beach worth visiting, but the beaches along the Gulf in Southwest Louisiana have been named one of the top 15 places in the world to collect seashells. Pack a bucket, leave your shoes in the car, and let the kids go wild hunting for treasures along the shoreline labeled as the “Cajun Riviera.”
half-alligator named Darrell. There’s also a barn made entirely of pottery and mirror shards out back. Afterwards, head right down the road to Abita Brewery for tours and tastings.
GOODMAN IMAX DOME Where: Sci-Port Discovery Center, Shreveport, Louisiana Price: Adults: $16+; Children: $14+
There is only one IMAX dome in the entire state, and it’s hiding inside this riverfront science center in Shreveport. Sci-Port has a children’s museum, 200+ hands-on science exhibits, a planetarium, and a 4K laser IMAX dome all under one roof. The dome itself is a 60-foot screen that wraps completely around you with laser-sharp visuals and sound so immersive you’ll forget you’re in Louisiana.
FOUNTAINBLEAU STATE PARK Where : 62883 Hwy. 1089, Mandeville, Louisiana Price : $3; Seniors and children 3 & under: Free
WHITNEY PLANTATION Where: Wallace, Louisiana
Right on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain sit the ruins of an 1800s sugar mill-turned park. The 2,800-acre park has a splash pad, beach access, hiking trails, and some of the most beautiful live oak canopies in the state. While you’re in St. Tammany, hop on the Tammany Trace—a scenic 31-mile biking and walking trail that winds through the heart of the Northshore. POVERTY POINT WORLD HERITAGE SIGHT Where : 6859 LA Hwy. 577, Pioneer, Louisiana Price : $4; Seniors and children 3 & under: Free Around the same time ancient Egyptians were building the pyramids, an indigenous civilization in northeast Louisiana constructed one of the most sophisticated complexes in the ancient world. Several massive earthen mounds were planned with elaborate geometric precision, turning it into the UNESCO World Heritage Site today. Experience guided tours, demonstrations and programs, hiking, picnicking, and more. MARDI GRAS WORLD Where : 1380 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, Louisiana Price : Adults: $29.95; Seniors, Active Duty/ Veterans, and Students: $24.95; Children ages 2–12: $24.95 Ever wonder how those massive Mardi Gras floats actually get made? Get up close to the grandest floats and sculptures to see for yourself at Mardi Gras World. It’s as New Orleans of an experience as you can get, and runs year-round so you don’t have to wait for carnival season to view the spectacles.
Price: Adults: $25+; Children: $11+; Residents of St. John and St. James Parish & church 6 & under: Free This is the only plantation museum in Louisiana dedicated entirely to the story of the enslaved people who built it. It’s a deeply moving, beautifully curated experience that tells an honest story most plantations skip entirely, and it’s best for families with kids ages 10 and up who are ready for a meaningful conversation. MUSIC BOX VILLAGE Where: 4557 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, Louisiana Price: Adults: $12; Children ages 5–18: $5; Children 5 & under: Free This one-of-a-kind outdoor sonic sculpture garden is made up of 16+ artist-built musical houses that visitors can walk into and actually play. Every house is inspired by the unique musical and architectural culture of New Orleans. Family concerts happen regularly, but the whole place is open to explore and make noise in.
LIGO OBSERVATORY Where : Livingston, Louisiana Price : Free with registration
Hidden in the pine forests of Livingston Parish is one of the more extraordinary scientific instruments—a facility that detects ripples in spacetime from colliding black holes billions of light years away. On the first Saturday of most months, they open for free Science Saturdays with 40+ interactive exhibits and guided tours of the actual control rooms. PREHISTORIC PARK Where: 1145 North Barn Rd., Breaux Bridge, Henderson, Louisiana Louisiana’s only dinosaur park sits at the edge of the Atchafalaya Swamp, and the setting alone makes it feel like Jurassic Park came to life in Cajun Country. Walk a shaded 12-acre trail past life-sized animatronic dinosaurs that actually move and roar, then dig for fossils, mine for gems, and stuff your own plush dino to take home. Price: Adults: $14; Seniors: $12; Children: $10; Group rates offered
LANDRY VINEYARDS Where: West Monroe, Louisiana Price: Tasting: $10; Tours: $25
North Louisiana’s only vineyard sits on 50 acres of rolling hills, producing over 20 different wines made entirely on site. Tours take you through the vineyards, cellar, winery, tank room, bottling facility, and more. Harvest festivals are hosted in the summer where visitors can pick grapes and stomp them themselves, and their outdoor concert series draws in lawn chairs and locals.
ABITA MYSTERY HOUSE Where: 22275 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs, Louisiana Price: Children 5 & up: $5
AIRBOAT SWAMP TOUR Where : Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana Price : Varies by operator
Part funhouse and part art gallery, the house is packed wall to wall with taxidermy hybrids, arcade machines, oddities, and a half-dog
NOLAFAMILY.COM | JUNE 2026 17
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