Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

On a hot day, rainy day, or even a pleasant day when you just want to get out of the unrelenting New Orleans sun, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on the riverfront is a perfect location.

On the weekends, the destination can get packed full of families, however, but the tanks are large enough that you mostly won't notice them.

Sharks, sting rays, fishes of all shapes and sizes, sea horses and even penguins fill this Aquarium along the waterfront. The sea horse exhibit is beautifully done, tanks filled with both sea horses and magnificent fish of all colors.

There are two exhibits that the kiddos love, the otters and the penguins. Both the otters and the penguins were evacuated before Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and thusly saved.

The aquarium also has an IMAX theatre that shows educational films that you can purchase with your aquarium ticket, and regular, box office movies, as well. If the line for aquarium tickets is long, head into the IMAX ticket lobby, where you can purchase tickets into the aquarium from their air conditioned lobby with very little waiting.