Mardi Gras World-Riverfront

I had such a great time at Mardi Gras World. It's definitely a place that I would recommend to tourists and locals alike.

Pro-tip; check Groupon for discounted tickets.

They had tours every half an hour or so and they give you beads which is a fun way to start of our Mardi Gras experience. Then we watched a 15 minute movie explaining how Mardi Gras in New Orleans came to be. Once the movie was over we were served some King's cake which was a delicious surprise.

Our tour guide took us through the entire warehouse and spoke about the process of creating the floats for Mardi Gras. We were able to explore the colorful larger than life sculptures and take pictures of everything. I was very impressed with the craftsmanship and the fact that almost everything is man-made in house.

Lastly, there's a shuttle that afterwards dropped people off at different places in the city. We made sure to take advantage of that!

Overall I had a lovely time!

When

Protip: Check groupon if there are any discounted tickets!

We got a pair of tickets same day on Groupon for ~$10 cheaper than the webpage and were able to book the next time slot (on a Monday).

You start with a movie talking about the history of Mardi Gras and the significance of the floats. Just not anyone can create a float and especially not big brands as they want to keep the integrity of the parades as a local community experience versus a walking brand commercial. We also got a taste of King Cake at the end before going into the warehouse!

I enjoyed seeing the floats up close. The staff talked through the float-making process, pointed at a few note-worth pieces to view and then was nice enough to let you roam on your own a bit and explore. I personally loved the flexibility to explore on our own (while being respectful of the pieces) and it was really neat seeing floats being carved out in action.

We spent about one hour here and I enjoyed it!

Amazing. Artist colony vibes and the tours are excellent. Would love to do an actual event here, but that will have to wait.

In the meantime, if you're coming off a cruise or just in town - definitely worth a visit.

The work they do here is incredible!! Seriously mind-blowing artistry at this place. Besides that the tour here at Mardi Gras World is something you must do while visiting the city of New Orleans. We had a great tour guide at the facility who was very clear and informative about everything they do there. It was amazing to learn the history of mardi gras in the city as well as some of the traditions that go along with it. I won't spoil the entire tour by giving the run down but just know that you'll be free to wander and see as much as you want. I was very impressed!

Looking for something to do while we were in town over Thanksgiving, my dad, husband, and I came to Mardi Gras world to take a tour. We came the day before Thanksgiving and took an afternoon tour. I was surprised to see how many people were there, but the space is quite large and there is ample parking.

It was definitely a fun experience to learn about the history of Mardi Gras and the tradition of the parade and floats. It was also very exciting to get to see some past float pieces, as well as some of the ones they are working on for the upcoming year.

I would definitely recommend visiting this place if you have never been before and are even the slightest bit curious about the Mardi Gras tradition. Not to mention, getting to try a slice of king cake was an added bonus!

Tourist or Local, Mardi Gras World is worth a visit while in the Big Easy. Practically all floats are stored in this massive warehouse.

This location is where creativity happens. The design team/artists do all the work within these confines and while on tour we got a chance to see them in action.

Our tour was under an hour in length. Durrell was our tour guide for the day. He did an awesome job providing the history of Mardi Gras, how krewes were involved in the festivities and overall provided fun facts behind the scenes when pulling off an elaborate event like this year after year.

You can get a decent deal off of Groupon but where they hit you is the parking.

Parking costs more than the ticket itself! I think we paid under $15 per person for the Groupon entrance fee but the parking was at least $20 and you had to download the city's parking app (Park Mobile) to park in the facility lot.

The onsite gravel lot has plenty of signage prompting you to download the Park Mobile QR code. Make sure to park on the visitor side. Don't forget to do this and pay the fee otherwise run the risk of a ticket or, in the worst-case scenario, get towed.

Something fun to do in New Orleans.

They offer a shuttle that will pick you up and drop you back off (check out their map for the shuttle stops). If you are using their shuttle I wouldn't take it if I'm in a rush, as at times we were waiting for 15-20 minutes before getting on. It's free though so I can't complain.

They have tours at the top of every hour. They start with an entertaining video and then the tour guide speaks for a small portion. You also get a piece of king cake.

It was nice walking around the warehouse and seeing all the floats. It was cool to see the machine that creates some of their sculptures.

Good gift shop as well.

Lots of fun and plenty of education about Mardi Gras. Much more to the production and history than I ever knew. Worth the visit!

The venue is amazing. Watching artists at work on floats year round is stellar. Our tour guide was well versed and answered all questions. I have visited this attraction a half dozen times over the past 15 years.
So. Why THREE stars? The unprecedented rudeness of the support staff.
To the bearded glorified cashier-when a family has already been waiting for an extended period of time for your free shuttle and you're asked politely if you know how often the shuttle runs try not barking that you'll announce its arrival over the PA with a tone of absolute F off.
To the lousiest shuttle driver in NOLA. Try not yelling at a TEN year old kid getting on your sh*twagon "BEADS!" When they are already prominently displayed right in front of your face. Oh. And if you only offer one single stop on Canal street at the FARTHEST point humanly possible why does it take you OVER FORTY MINUTES to complete a loop!?

My friend Birdie M.'s review inspired my visit here and this review! I have been here once before but it was in the old location for an event years ago, so I was excited to see it again recently.

First, this is in a massive warehouse on the river and I don't know why (oh cause it's hot in New Orleans, that's why) I assumed it would be air-conditioned. It was not. We went during one of the hottest summers on record so yeah, it was pretty hot. Parts of it have ac...like the gift shop and theater area where the movie is shown but the warehouse itself? Nope. They did have some fans blowing here and there but please keep in mind it's gonna be hot during the summer months. It'll still be hot in December...who am I kidding...but summer will be worse.

Hot or not, this museum is so worth a visit. I'm a huge art lover and this is art on a massive scale. It was so cool to see the entire process come to life- from idea to drawing to sculpting! Of course, our culture is infused in all the pieces and so is our unique sense of humor. The tour is self-guided, which is what we did, or you can request a guide for a more in-depth visit...New Orleans tour guides always have such a wealth of cool knowledge so that is sure to be fun!

Don't turn your nose up at this just because you're a local, its very cool and and an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Kid friendly, too!

Parking is in a lot right across the street so that was easy peasy and tickets can be purchased on Groupon for a few bucks cheaper than at the door.