Rolling Atlas

Audubon Aquarium

Checked on Oct 16, 2026

Provisional guide: the aquarium names ramps to its entrance, elevators, accessible restrooms and free wheelchairs, but its own pages disagree on whether there's accessible parking near the entrance. We'll update this guide as we confirm more.

Audubon Aquarium sits on the Mississippi riverfront at 1 Canal Street in New Orleans. It has an "ADA accessible guest drop off located at 302 North Front Street," and "All 4 restroom locations in our facility have ADA accessible stalls" (Audubon Aquarium accessibility page, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026). Its FAQ says "Audubon Aquarium & Audubon Insectarium are fully ADA-compliant. All pathways, exhibits, restrooms, dining areas, and water fountains are accessible to guests with disabilities" (Audubon Aquarium FAQs, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).

Call to confirm before you go: call the aquarium at (504) 861-2537 (Audubon Aquarium accessibility page, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026). Hours and exhibits can change.

At a glance:
  • Accessible restrooms
  • Family restroom
  • Loaner wheelchairs
  • Heads-up: accessible parking is described two ways
  • Heads-up: service animals can't enter two exhibits

Plan your visit

  • Drop-off and entrance: "Ramps assist with accessibility to and from the entrance" (Audubon Aquarium directions and parking, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026). The ADA drop-off and pick-up is at 302 North Front Street (Audubon Aquarium accessibility page, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).
  • Parking: "we do not offer public parking on-site." There are pay lots and metered street parking nearby, and under city rules a vehicle with a disability plate or hang tag can park at a meter "for up to a maximum of three hours without payment" (same page). "On popular days, the nearest available parking may be several blocks away" (same page).
  • Getting to the galleries: everyone goes up to the second floor for entry, and "Guests have the option of using the grand staircase or one of two lobby elevators" (same page).
  • Elevator for strollers and wheelchairs: the visitor map tells stroller and wheelchair users to "return to the entrance of the Amazon to access the elevator and continue your visit" (Audubon Aquarium & Insectarium visitor map, May 2, 2025, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).
  • Restrooms: accessible stalls at all 4 restroom locations, plus family restrooms on the first floor of the main lobby and on the second floor in the Insectarium (Audubon Aquarium accessibility page, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).
  • Free wheelchairs: "Manual wheelchair rentals are available at no cost on a first-come, first-served basis; please inquire at Guest Services upon arrival" (Audubon Aquarium FAQs, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).
  • Sensory support: the accessibility page describes KultureCity resources and social stories, and sensory bags and headphones are free at the ticket counter (Audubon Aquarium accessibility page, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).

Heads-up: accessible parking is described two ways. The directions page says "Designated accessible parking spaces are located close to the front entrance" (Audubon Aquarium directions and parking, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026). The accessibility page says "While we do not offer public parking on-site" (Audubon Aquarium accessibility page, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026). Call (504) 861-2537 to ask where to park before you go.

Heads-up: service animals can't enter two exhibits. "service animals are not permitted in two exhibits — Life in the Amazon, and the Butterfly Garden" (Audubon Aquarium accessibility page, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).

Heads-up: the entrance ramps. The official directions page names ramps to and from the entrance: "Ramps assist with accessibility to and from the entrance" (Audubon Aquarium directions and parking, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026). The latest reviews don't contradict it.

Worth your time

Checked Oct 16, 2026.

Accessibility and ratings

See how we rate

What we found

From the aquarium's official pages

From other sources

Details not published

  • Where accessible parking is (see Heads-up).
  • The touch tank's rim height.

Audubon Aquarium

Category Rating
Overall 5 of 5 · Fully accessible (parking not yet confirmed)
Average of the 4 rated categories.
Entry & Arrival 5 of 5 · Venue states ADA compliant
Facility-published info states it is ADA compliant; we have not personally verified this. "Ramps assist with accessibility to and from the entrance" (Audubon Aquarium directions and parking), plus an ADA drop-off at 302 North Front Street and two lobby elevators. No contradiction in the latest visitor reviews checked Oct 16, 2026.
Getting Around / Paths 5 of 5 · Venue states ADA compliant
Facility-published info states it is ADA compliant; we have not personally verified this. Two lobby elevators, and the aquarium says all pathways and exhibits are accessible. No contradiction in the latest visitor reviews checked Oct 16, 2026. Alan Vuong, a wheelchair user (2024), found "ramps where needed and an elevator to get to the second floor." The visitor map says to "return to the entrance of the Amazon to access the elevator and continue your visit."
Restrooms 5 of 5 · Venue states ADA compliant
Facility-published info states it is ADA compliant; we have not personally verified this. ADA accessible stalls at all 4 restroom locations, plus family restrooms. No contradiction in the latest visitor reviews checked Oct 16, 2026.
Parking & Drop-off Not verified
The aquarium's pages disagree on accessible parking (see Heads-up).
Staff & Info 5 of 5 · Venue states accessible
Facility-published info states it is accessible; we have not personally verified this. The aquarium publishes an accessibility page, lends free manual wheelchairs and lists a phone number ((504) 861-2537). The latest reviews don't contradict this.

Entry, Paths, Restrooms and Staff & Info score 5: the aquarium names ramps to its entrance and says it is fully ADA-compliant, with accessible pathways and restrooms, two lobby elevators, free wheelchairs and a phone number for help, and the latest reviews don't contradict this. Parking isn't rated yet because the aquarium's pages disagree (see Heads-up). Overall is 5 of 5, the average of the 4 rated categories.

Ratings tagged "not personally verified" rest on information the venue published or on trusted firsthand reports; we have not personally verified them.

Checked on Oct 16, 2026. Sources: Audubon Aquarium accessibility page (official), Audubon Aquarium FAQs (official), Audubon Aquarium directions and parking (official), Audubon Aquarium & Insectarium visitor map, May 2, 2025 (official), Alan Vuong, Accessible Travels & Vacations, Apr 1, 2024 (trusted firsthand source), WheelchairTravel.org New Orleans guide (secondary); TripAdvisor review of Aug 23, 2026 (secondary)