Mardi Gras World

Mardi Gras World is a rare place- a gigantic warehouse full of impressive Mardi Gras floats where you can watch artists at work creating the floats for next year. It's wonderful to stand up close to the floats and see them in their colorful splendor. There are all varieties, including ones covered in flowers or ones with super heroes. The tour guide shows you a video about Mardi Gras and then leads you through the warehouse explaining to you how the floats are made and who pays for it all. It is fun to learn about how beaded necklaces, stuffed animals, and other prizes are thrown out to the audience from the floats, and this is required by the city- prizes by the hundreds.

There are many traditions behind Mardi Gras and you will learn about them. It's very interesting to watch the talented artists carve the foam molds, paint blazing colors onto their creations, and discuss their sketches with each other. The sketches of what the artists imagine their finished product will be are very interesting. 
The warehouse is not air-conditioned. I brought my family here in the middle of a summer day thinking an indoor activity would be a good relief from the heat. Bad mistake! I can't believe they let the artists work in such hot conditions, but then it would be hard to air condition such a large warehouse. After your tour, you are given a small slice of free King cake in the restaurant, with a view of the brown Mississippi River. 
After your tour, head over to Little Gem Saloon for the best food and music in New Orleans!

Directions

Mardi Gras World is located at 1380 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans LA 70160, call (504) 361-7821.
You can call them to come and pick you up from your hotel or location. Or you can drive and park in the large lot for $15.
Open daily 9:30-5:30. One-hour tours offered every thirty minutes. Last tour at 4:30.
Closed Mardi Gras Day (March 5, 2019), Easter Day, Thanksgiving (fourth Thurs in Nov), and Dec 25.
Admission for adults is $22, seniors and students with ID $17, children (aged 2-11) $14.

Click on map for interactive view