City Park

City Park covers about 1,300 acres of Mid-City New Orleans. The land became a public park in 1854, and it is now run by the City Park Improvement Association. Its great feature is its trees: the park has a celebrated collection of mature southern live oaks, some thought to be more than 600 years old, and they shade much of the park. One of the old duelling oaks still stands near the art museum.

Within the park there is far more than a single afternoon's worth. The New Orleans Botanical Garden grew from a formal rose garden built in the 1930s, and the park also has the Train Garden and the Pelican Greenhouse. Carousel Gardens Amusement Park keeps a carousel dating from the 1890s, and Storyland is a children's play area. The Louisiana Children's Museum is also here. At the southern end, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden sit beside Big Lake, where you can hire boats and bikes. Further north, Couturie Forest has walking trails and the city's highest point, Laborde Mountain.

The park is open daily. Individual attractions keep their own hours and charge separately, so check them on the official website before you go. Food options include a branch of Café du Monde, Parker's Pizza and Café NOMA. Hurricane Katrina flooded most of the park in 2005 and destroyed around 2,000 trees, and the recovery since then is a large part of its modern story.

The park suits almost everyone: families can fill a day with rides, playgrounds and the children's museum, couples can walk around the lagoons, and runners and cyclists use the long paths. The park also hosts seasonal events such as Celebration in the Oaks. Bring insect repellent in summer and allow at least two or three hours.

The easiest public transport is the Canal Street streetcar on the City Park line, which ends at Wisner Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, a short walk from the art museum. Several bus routes also stop near the museum end of the park, and there is free parking along Lelong Drive.