Audubon Aquarium

About

Audubon Aquarium sits on the Mississippi River in downtown New Orleans, between Canal and Bienville streets. Exhibits include the Maya Tunnel stingray habitat, a South African penguin colony, a 13,000-gallon Shark Discovery touch pool, a Gulf of America exhibit, the Down the Bayou gallery with white alligators, and an Undersea Explorer virtual reality display. Admission now includes Audubon Insectarium, a bug-focused attraction with a Butterfly Garden, housed in the same building one floor up, so a single ticket covers both.

The aquarium is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last ticket sales at 4 p.m. and final entry at 4:30 p.m. It closes on Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. As of 2026, adult tickets run $45 to $55 and children's and senior tickets run $40 to $50, with children under two admitted free and a 10 percent membership discount for military members.

The building has no private parking lot. Street parking and metered garages sit nearby, and an ADA drop-off point is marked at 302 North Front Street. The aquarium sits on the Riverfront streetcar line, several RTA bus routes stop close by, and the French Quarter is a short walk away. Woldenberg Riverfront Park runs along the water next to the building, with paths for a walk before or after a visit.

Visitors enter through a ground-floor lobby and reach the main exhibit level, one floor up, by the grand staircase or one of two elevators. Free manual wheelchairs are available at the entrance on a first-come, first-served basis, and benches are placed throughout both the Aquarium and the connected Insectarium.

Accessibility

Audubon Aquarium is wheelchair accessible. The venue's own accessibility page describes ADA-compliant pathways, restrooms, and dining areas throughout the building, along with specific accommodations for guests who use wheelchairs, have sensory processing needs, or travel with a service animal.

The building has no private parking lot. Street parking and metered garages sit nearby, and Audubon marks an ADA accessible drop-off at 302 North Front Street. On busy days the closest open parking may be several blocks off, so budget extra time.

Guests enter through the ground-floor lobby and reach the main exhibit level, one floor up, by the grand staircase or one of two lobby elevators. All four restroom locations in the building have ADA accessible stalls, and family restrooms sit on the first floor near the nursing room and on the second floor near Bug Appetit.

A free manual wheelchair is available at the entrance on a first-come, first-served basis and stays on the property. Staff wearing an Audubon badge, along with trained Guest Engagement staff and volunteer guides, help with directions or exhibit questions. The aquarium is certified sensory inclusive by KultureCity: guests can check out a free sensory bag with fidget toys and noise-reducing headphones, borrow a weighted lap pad, and use marked quiet zones or headphone zones. A free low-sensory event called Sensory Sunday runs periodically at Audubon venues, with advance online registration. Service animals that meet ADA standards are welcome throughout, except in the Life in the Amazon and Butterfly Garden exhibits, and there is an outdoor relief area at nearby Woldenberg Riverfront Park.

Audubon does not publish details on braille signage, audio description, ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices, or captioning, so call ahead if you need one of these. The building is generally quietest one to two hours before closing, especially in fall and winter, and school groups tend to clear out by around 2 p.m. on weekdays.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Louisiana

• New Orleans Museum of Art (New Orleans)
• The National WWII Museum (New Orleans)
• The National WWII Museum (New Orleans)
• Louisiana Children's Museum (New Orleans)
• New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint (New Orleans)
• Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium (New Orleans)

Photo credits

• Stingrays glide overhead through a sunlit glass tunnel tank at the aquarium.: Gary J. Wood, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)
• Glowing moon jellyfish drift inside a circular tank display at the aquarium.: Gary J. Wood, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)
• Sharks and schooling fish swim together in a large tank at Audubon Aquarium.: Gary J. Wood, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)