Storyland is an outdoor storybook playground at 5 Victory Avenue in City Park, New Orleans, open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 4:30pm, with last entry at 4pm. Admission is $8.50 for anyone 36 inches or taller. Kids under 36 inches and Friends of City Park members get in free. It’s closed Mondays. Prices and hours are as of October 2026.
What Storyland is (and what it isn’t)
Storyland has been part of City Park since the 1950s. It holds 18 larger-than-life sculptures drawn from Grimm fairy tales, Mother Goose rhymes and folktales from around the world. Kids climb on them, crawl through them and sit inside them. Captain Hook’s pirate ship, Pinocchio’s whale and Jack and Jill’s hill are the named features.
It is not a ride park. The answer to “how many rides?” is none: everything here is a climbable sculpture or play area, with no mechanical rides at all. The rides are next door at Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, covered further down.
Storyland at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 5 Victory Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70124 |
| Phone | 504-483-9402 |
| Days | Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday |
| Hours | 10am to 4:30pm, last entry 4pm |
| Admission | $8.50 (36 inches and over); free under 36 inches and for Friends of City Park members |
| Parking | Available at City Park |
| On site | Restrooms, food and drink |
Opening time is the one line worth double-checking. The City Park page says 10am, while some third-party listings and videos say 10:30, and a footer on the park’s own site reads “open daily.” Go by the Tuesday-to-Sunday schedule, and call 504-483-9402 or check neworleanscitypark.org the morning you leave.
Storyland tickets and prices
Anyone 36 inches or taller pays $8.50, as of October 2026. Children under 36 inches are free, and so are Friends of City Park members. The height line decides who pays, so measure a toddler at home if there’s any doubt. A child a hair under 36 inches costs nothing; a hair over costs the full $8.50.
Some video and aggregator pages quote $8.00. The City Park figure is $8.50.
The Carousel Gardens daily ticket is the other option, and it bundles unlimited rides with Storyland admission:
| Carousel Gardens daily ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| 36 inches and over | $27 |
| Chaperone | $17 |
| Seniors | $14 |
| Under 36 inches | Free |
Friends of City Park members can also add a Carousel Gardens season pass: $40 individual, $80 dual or $160 family. The 2026 season runs February 28 to November 1, so look up current dates on the City Park site before buying a pass.
How to plan the visit, step by step
- Pick a day from Tuesday to Sunday. If the kids also want the amusement park, Carousel Gardens runs Saturday and Sunday only, 11am to 6pm.
- Measure small kids. The 36-inch cutoff sets the price.
- Arrive near 10am. The sculptures are outdoors and New Orleans heat builds through the day, so early means cooler air.
- Park in City Park and walk in. Enter 5 Victory Avenue in your GPS.
- Be inside by 4pm. The grounds stay open until 4:30, but the gate stops admitting people at 4.
- Eat on site or nearby. Food and drink are sold at Storyland, and City Park has a Café Du Monde location. The park map shows the walking distance.
Shade, heat and weather
Oak canopies shade much of Storyland, but shade is not the same as cover. The Pinocchio’s Whale area, for example, is shaded and open to the sky. New Orleans summers are hot and humid, and a child climbing a sculpture in July can overheat faster than the adult watching from a bench.
For real shelter from the sun, the Little Red Schoolhouse (air-conditioned inside) and the covered Storyland Castle are the clearest options. Both are party rental spaces, so ask at 504-483-9402 whether visitors can step in on an ordinary day.
Plan breaks under the oaks, bring water, and if someone gets flushed or sluggish, get them into shade, give them water and let them rest.
Rain changes the picture too. A wet pirate ship is a poor place for a four-year-old, and the sculptures have no roofs to wait under. If the forecast looks bad, phone ahead about closures.
Who gets the most out of it
Toddlers can explore the sculptures, and the official page describes going into the mouth of Pinocchio’s whale. Preschoolers and early elementary kids get the most from the pirate ship, the hill and the character sculptures, where climbing turns into pretend play.
Older kids may find it thin next to the rides at Carousel Gardens. Tell them what to expect before the car doors open, because “no rides” lands badly on a ten-year-old who heard “amusement park.”
For a stroller or wheelchair, the official page doesn’t describe path or sculpture surfaces. Call 504-483-9402 and describe the route you need.
Pairing Storyland with Carousel Gardens
Right beside Storyland, Carousel Gardens Amusement Park has 17 attractions and two cafés. Its “Flying Horses” carousel is among the oldest in the US. The park opens Saturday and Sunday only, 11am to 6pm.
On those two days the ticket math is short. The $27 daily ticket for visitors 36 inches and over already includes Storyland, so paying $8.50 at the Storyland entrance as well just doubles up.
A workable order: Storyland at 10am while the air is cooler and small kids still have energy, lunch, then the rides once Carousel Gardens opens at 11am. Height rules apply to the rides, not to the sculptures, so a child who climbs freely at Storyland may still be too small for a particular ride.
Tuesday through Friday the amusement park is closed. Storyland on its own is a lighter outing, so add another stop elsewhere in City Park to fill the day.
Parties and event rentals
Storyland rents several spaces for birthday parties and events.
- Little Red Schoolhouse: air-conditioned indoors, the only climate-controlled option.
- Pinocchio’s Whale: shaded but not covered.
- Cheshire Cat gazebo: the most seating of the group.
- Storyland Castle: covered stone structure with electrical outlets and ceiling fans.
Rates differ by space and aren’t published on the page, so ask for current pricing and open dates at 504-483-9402. For a summer party, the schoolhouse and the castle matter most, since a roof counts for more than seating once the temperature climbs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Story Land cash only?
The City Park page doesn’t list a payment policy for Storyland. Carry a card and some cash so either works at the gate, and call 504-483-9402 if you need a firm answer first.
What is Story Land, New Orleans?
People also search it as “storybook land” or “city park storyland,” but it is one place: a sculpture playground inside City Park. Children climb, crawl and sit in figures from fairy tales and rhymes, with the pirate ship and the whale among the favorites.
How much do tickets to Story Land New Orleans cost?
Admission is $8.50 for visitors 36 inches and over, as of October 2026. Children under 36 inches and Friends of City Park members get in free. The Carousel Gardens daily ticket costs $27 and includes Storyland. Confirm at neworleanscitypark.org.
How many rides does Story Land have?
None. Storyland consists of climbable sculptures and play areas. The rides are at Carousel Gardens Amusement Park next door, which has 17 attractions and is open Saturday and Sunday.
What are Storyland's hours?
Tuesday through Sunday, 10am to 4:30pm, with last entry at 4pm. Monday is closed. A few listings show a 10:30 opening, so check the City Park site on the day.
Is there parking at Storyland?
Yes, parking is available at City Park. Use 5 Victory Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70124 as your destination. Restrooms and food and drink are on site.
