Aquarium of the Americas 🇺🇸

Located along the banks of the Mississippi River right at the edge of the historic French Quarter off Canal Street, the Audubon Aquarium offers you an immersive look at aquatic life across North and South America. Set at the upper end of Woldenberg Park in New Orleans, Louisiana, this facility originally opened in 1990 and recently underwent a major 41 million dollar renovation, reopening on June 8, 2023, after merging with the Audubon Insectarium to bring you updated exhibits and brand-new experiences. Home to 10,000 animals across 530 species, it provides plenty to see during your visit.

You can walk through a clear 30-foot tunnel inside the 132,000-gallon Caribbean reef exhibit to spot tarpon, angelfish, and colorful marine life. Step into the Amazon exhibit—a humid, climate-controlled glass cylinder greenhouse featuring macaws, piranhas, an anaconda, and freshwater stingrays. In the Mississippi River gallery, you will encounter local wildlife like catfish, paddlefish, owls, and a rare leucistic white alligator.

Finally, do not miss the 400,000-gallon, 17-foot-tall Gulf of Mexico exhibit, which simulates ocean life beneath an oil rig platform with sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays swimming all around you.

What to see at Aquarium of the Americas

• 30-foot clear tunnel inside the Caribbean reef exhibit
• Amazon glass cylinder greenhouse with macaws and piranhas
• Mississippi River gallery featuring a leucistic white alligator
• Gulf of Mexico tank simulating life beneath an oil rig platform

Visiting tips

Be prepared for warm conditions when stepping into the Amazon exhibit, as it is housed inside a humid, climate-controlled glass greenhouse.

How long: A few hours · Best time: Not specified

How to get there & what’s nearby

Aquarium of the Americas is easy to reach on New Orleans’s public transport, and pairs naturally with St. Louis Cathedral and New Orleans Museum of Art. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our New Orleans travel guide.