Live oaks, Spanish moss and lazy bayous frame this masterpiece of urban planning. Three miles long and 1 mile wide, dotted with gardens, waterways, bridges and home to a captivating art museum, City Park is bigger than Central Park in NYC, and it's New Orleans’ prettiest green space. It’s also a perfect expression of a local ‘park,’ in the sense that it is an only slightly tamed expression of the forest and Louisiana wetlands that are the natural backdrop of the city.
Art- and nature-lovers could easily spend a day exploring the park. Anchoring the action is the stately New Orleans Museum of Art , which spotlights regional and American artists. From there, stroll past the whimsical creations in the Sydney & Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden then check out the lush Botanical Gardens. Kids in tow? Hop the rides at Carousel Gardens ; climb the fantastical statuary inside Storyland; play mini-golf at City Putt ; or rent a bike or paddleboat at Wheel Fun Rentals beside Big Lake. Across Big Lake, don't miss the Singing Oak and its wind chimes.
