New Orleans City Park is free to enter; tickets only apply to Storyland, rides, gardens, mini golf, and events.
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The money-saving rule for City Park New Orleans tickets is simple: do not buy anything just to enter the park. New Orleans City Park has free grounds, trails, playgrounds, disc golf, and the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, while the paid attractions each use separate admission.
The paid choices most visitors compare are Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, Storyland, the New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Putt mini golf, and seasonal events. A family with young kids usually gets the most value from Storyland or Carousel Gardens; adults without kids often do better with the Botanical Garden, City Putt, or a free park day paired with Cafe du Monde.
Once you know which attraction you want, compare the current ticket choices before you set your day around the wrong gate.
Do You Need A Ticket To Enter City Park?
New Orleans City Park does not sell one park-wide admission pass. The 1,300-acre park is free to enter, then individual attractions charge their own prices.
That distinction matters because a low-cost City Park day is easy to build. You can walk the oak-lined paths, use the playgrounds, visit Big Lake, see the free sculpture garden, and stop for beignets without paying City Park admission. Tickets only become necessary when you choose a gated attraction, a ride area, mini golf, or a dated event.
Cashless payment: City Park Conservancy lists its events and facilities as cashless, so bring a card or mobile wallet for paid attractions.
New Orleans City Park Ticket Options: What Each One Covers
New Orleans City Park ticket options split into free entry, single-attraction admission, ride admission, mini golf, train rides, and season passes. Prices can change for events, weather closures, and seasonal schedules, so confirm the day’s hours before crossing town.
The current official listings put the main choices in these ranges:
| Ticket Or Entry Type | What It Covers | Current Listed Price |
|---|---|---|
| Park Grounds | Trails, playgrounds, Big Lake areas, disc golf, and open green space | Free |
| Storyland | Outdoor storybook playground with 18 large storybook sculptures | $8 for guests 36 inches and over; free under 36 inches |
| Carousel Gardens Daily Ticket | Unlimited rides plus Storyland admission on the ticketed day | $25 for 36 inches and over; $15 chaperone; $13 senior; free under 36 inches |
| New Orleans Botanical Garden | Ten-acre garden, Conservatory of the Two Sisters, Train Garden area, and sculpture garden inside the garden | $25 nonresident adult; $15 Louisiana resident adult; $7 ages 3–12; free ages 2 and under |
| City Putt | One 18-hole round on the New Orleans or Louisiana mini-golf course | $12 adult; $10 ages 4–12; free ages 3 and under |
| Weekly Train Ride | Miniature train ride on posted operating days | $5.50 plus admission to either Storyland or the Botanical Garden |
| Storyland And Carousel Season Pass | Unlimited seasonal access to Storyland and Carousel Gardens | $85 individual; $265 family of four; $66 per extra person |
Free Entry Versus Paid Attractions
Free entry works well when you want a relaxed park day, but paid attractions are better when kids need a structured activity or adults want a defined stop. The biggest mistake is assuming every famous City Park attraction is covered by the same ticket.
Storyland and Carousel Gardens sit near each other around Victory Avenue, so those are the easiest paid attractions to pair. The Botanical Garden is also close, but it has its own admission rules and a Louisiana resident discount. City Putt sits at 33 Dreyfous Drive and runs on a separate mini-golf price structure.
New Orleans Museum of Art is inside City Park, but its admission is separate from City Park Conservancy attraction tickets. The free Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is next to the museum and works well as a no-cost add-on before or after a paid City Park stop.
Carousel Gardens And Storyland Prices
Carousel Gardens is the better buy when rides matter, while Storyland is the lower-cost choice for a slower playground visit. City Park Conservancy’s Carousel Gardens ticket page lists daily ride admission, chaperone pricing, senior pricing, and season passes.
Carousel Gardens daily admission includes unlimited rides and Storyland access for that day. That makes the $25 ride ticket more useful than a Storyland-only ticket if your group wants the carousel, the Ladybug Roller Coaster, the Ferris wheel, and other rides rather than just the storybook play area.
Storyland alone works better for toddlers, grandparents, and families who want shade, climbing structures, and a shorter visit. The posted Storyland hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10am–4:30pm, with last entry at 4pm; Carousel Gardens has a more limited seasonal ride schedule, so check the operating day before building a kid-focused itinerary around it.
Botanical Garden, City Putt, And Train Tickets
The Botanical Garden and City Putt are the strongest paid City Park choices for adults, couples, and mixed-age groups that do not need amusement rides. Both are separate from the Storyland and Carousel Gardens tickets.
The New Orleans Botanical Garden lists Tuesday through Sunday hours of 10am–4:30pm, with last entry at 4pm. Adult pricing is split between Louisiana residents and nonresidents, children ages 3–12 pay less, and Louisiana residents get free admission on Wednesdays with valid ID.
City Putt is a cleaner choice for a casual evening because the current schedule runs Wednesday through Friday from 3–10pm and Saturday through Sunday from 10am–10pm, with last rental at 9pm. A second same-day round costs less than the first, so playing both 18-hole courses is better value than returning on a separate day.
- Pick the Botanical Garden for plants, WPA-era garden design, and a slower daytime visit.
- Pick City Putt for a date, teens, older kids, or a group that wants a set activity.
- Add the train only if your chosen admission already gets you into Storyland or the Botanical Garden.
Where To Stay For An Easy City Park Visit
New Orleans City Park is easiest from Mid-City, Bayou St. John, Lakeview, and the French Quarter if you plan to use a car or rideshare. Staying near the park saves time for families, while the French Quarter works better when City Park is one stop in a wider New Orleans trip.
City Park’s own pages describe City Putt as about 10 minutes by car from the French Quarter, but traffic and event nights can stretch that. If City Park is your main family outing, compare hotels around Mid-City and Bayou St. John first; if food, music, and nightlife matter more, stay in the French Quarter or CBD and ride out for the day.
Use the map to compare New Orleans stays by distance to City Park, the French Quarter, and the airport before locking in the neighborhood.
Which City Park Ticket Should You Buy?
The right City Park ticket depends on whether your group wants rides, a playground, gardens, mini golf, or a mostly free day. Most visitors should buy the smallest ticket that matches the one paid attraction they will actually use.
- Buy no ticket if you only want trails, playgrounds, Big Lake, disc golf, Cafe du Monde, or the free sculpture garden.
- Buy Storyland for toddlers and younger kids who want climbing areas, storybook figures, and a shorter outing.
- Buy Carousel Gardens when rides are the point, since the daily ride ticket includes Storyland admission.
- Buy Botanical Garden admission for adults, garden fans, and families who want the Train Garden rather than amusement rides.
- Buy City Putt for older kids, teens, couples, and groups that want a timed activity with evening hours.
- Buy a season pass only if you will use Storyland or Carousel Gardens several times; an $85 individual pass beats four $25 ride days.
For most first-time visitors, the cleanest plan is a free walk through the park plus one paid attraction. Families with ride-age kids should choose Carousel Gardens; adults should choose the Botanical Garden or City Putt; anyone trying to keep costs low can skip tickets entirely and still have a full City Park afternoon.
Before you go, compare live attraction inventory and dated ticket availability here:
References & Sources
- City Park Conservancy.“Carousel Gardens Amusement Park.”Lists current Carousel Gardens admission, included Storyland access, season pass pricing, train-ride pricing, and operating notes.