Worth The Drive :: Carousel Gardens Amusement Park
With the arrival of beautiful Fall weather, many families may be looking for outdoor outings to do together during the weekend. Carousel Gardens Amusement Park may be a great option for your family as the central activity for a day trip or weekend trip to New Orleans!
Carousel Gardens Amusement Park is located within City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is open only on the weekends and closed on some holidays, so check their schedule before planning your trip! The amusement park offers 18 unique rides for families to enjoy, and each one has slightly different height and chaperone requirements.
Carousel Gardens is not like the typical amusement park that is loud, gimmicky, crowded, and overwhelming. In contrast, Carousel Gardens is charming, beautiful, calm, and surrounded by beautiful oak trees. The park has historical features that make it feel magical and enchanting and a perfect place to create family memories.
One of the main attractions of Carousel Gardens is its namesake, the antique carousel called the “Flying Horses.” The Flying Horses carousel is one of the oldest carousels in the United States and has been running for over 100 years. Fun Fact: This historic carousel has been featured in several movies and television shows!
Other than the carousel and other rides, the park also has plenty of clean bathrooms, a snack shack, and a cafe. All of these amenities, in addition to beautiful weather, allow for Carousel Gardens to be a wonderful location for a family to spend the day!
It is also worth noting that Carousel Gardens is a part of Celebration in the Oaks, a holiday lights festival put on by City Park each year during the holiday season! If you don’t make it to Carousel Gardens during the Fall, make sure to visit during the holidays when the park is decorated with Christmas lights!
When planning your trip, check the following chart to observe which rides will be appropriate for your children’s ages!
| Children must be at least 36” to ride | Monkey Jump, Red Barron, Umbrella Cars |
| Children must be at least 36” to ride or be accompanied by a parent. | Construction Zone, Slime Buckets |
| Children must be at least 42” to ride or be accompanied by a parent. | Carousel, Wacky Shack, Fun Slide, Rockin Tug |
| Children must be at least 42” to ride. | Coney Tower |
| Children must be at least 46” to ride. | Tilt-A-Whirl |
| Children must be at least 48” to ride. | Bumper Cars, Ferris Wheel, Scrambler, Train |
| Children must be at least 52” to ride. | Lady Bug Rollercoaster, Music Express |
