Mardi Gras World

Mardi Gras World is the warehouse and creative studio where the massive Mardi Gras parade floats are constructed and stored year-round, offering the only public behind-the-scenes look at one of New Orleans' most defining traditions. Located on the riverfront near the Convention Center, it's a straightforward, accessible cultural experience that gives context to Mardi Gras beyond what visitors see from the parade route.

The experience is a guided tour through warehouses filled with enormous float figures — the character sculptures and set pieces that tower 15-25 feet overhead. For kids who've seen Mardi Gras parade footage but have only a vague sense of the scale involved, standing next to these figures creates genuine perspective. The tour explains the construction process (these things are built from scratch every year by a team of artists), which resonates particularly with older kids and tweens who appreciate craft and process.

The costume try-on area lets kids (and adults) dress up in actual Mardi Gras regalia for photos — feathered headdresses, sequined masks, elaborate gowns. For kids who love dress-up, this is the highlight. For everyone, it's an Instagram-friendly moment that personalizes the experience.

The included king cake sample introduces visitors to the quintessential Mardi Gras sweet — a sugar-glazed ring cake in Mardi Gras purple, green, and gold. Kids who've never had one are usually fans immediately.

At a 4.4-star rating with over 5,000 reviews, Mardi Gras World is a proven experience. It's not trying to be a theme park — it's a genuine cultural institution that happens to be very engaging for families. The 1-1.5 hour format is ideal for children's attention spans.