Cool Zoo at Audubon Zoo
✓ Last confirmed for the 2026 season
Where: 6500 Magazine St, New Orleans, Louisiana
Season: May 2 through Labor Day (September 7); weekends early season, daily in summer
Hours: 10am-5pm
Cost: $39.50
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Audubon Zoo's seasonal water playground pairs a giant alligator water slide with the Gator Run lazy river, splash zones for little kids and white-sand beach areas. Combo zoo-plus-waterpark tickets run $39.50-$44.50, with free inner tubes and life vests plus cabana rentals for shade.
What's on site. OpenStreetMap maps parking at this location. No public toilets are mapped here — worth knowing before you commit to an afternoon.
When to go. Peak summer highs in New Orleans average 92°F. Mornings and late afternoons are far more comfortable than the middle of the day, and shade is worth planning around.
How long it's open. Roughly 18 weeks a year, from May to September. Seasons shift year to year and municipal pads often close early for maintenance, so check before a long drive.
If this one's closed or packed
Splash pads close for maintenance, run short seasons and fill up on hot weekends. There are 0 other pads within 5 miles and 5 within 15. These are the ones worth the drive — ranked by shade, toilets and cost first, then by how close they are: