What a great addition to the Audubon Zoo! This was my first time to see the venue after hearing…read moreabout it for a while. The lazy river is artfully done, giving a nod to Louisiana wildlife and nature areas. There are a lot of skillful and friendly lifeguards around the area. There are several different food pavilions, restrooms, locker areas, and areas to sit. There is also a fun water slide, giving homage to the infamous alligators with albinism who have taken residence at the Zoo and Aquarium over the years. This would be a fun place to relax with your kids during one of the summer sessions. My friends and I attending the adults-only Sip and Dip event held on Fridays during the summer. It was very affordable for a private cabana for six with early access. Be sure to reserve your tickets for the event early online as it does sell out. It got a bit crowded toward the end, and they did run out of regular floats, though some preferred the thick floating noodles offered. Every Friday night has a different theme, so there is something for everyone. They bring in Dickie Brennans for the bar, and they were wonderful with decently priced drinks and quality alcohol. They were also creating with the mocktails. I certainly will return for another Sip and Dip either later this summer, if able, or next year. Absolutely worth it!

Four stars for Cool Zoo's beautiful grounds and water features that are artfully rendered. Two and…read morea half stars for Sip & Dip. Five stars for the incredibly friendly staff. My first time at Cool Zoo was for the adults-only Friday night party, Sip & Dip. This event is 2X a month during the heart of the summer and features theme nights with DJs and of course since this is NOLA, people get creative and might dress in theme. I went on 80s night and the music was so fun and I loved people wearing neon, 80s tshirts and even hair and make-up. Refreshments stands are spread out among the park and they do a themed cocktail and sell beer, hard seltzer and soft drinks, along with typical concession food and popcorn. I had the cocktail of the evening, the Purple Rain and while it was eye-catching, it was so sweet and possibly strong, too, that I couldn't drink more than 1/4 of it (and it's a huge cup, fairly priced at only $13). The grounds are beautiful with fountains and an area with slides and water features that you'd normally see children dominating (with perfectly good reason) but it was actually fun to see adults having at it on the slides and at the water sprayers. Then there's the lazy river, which is a decent size, warm and full of jets to move you along. We ended up not using flotation devices and swam/walked through it. My main issue and why this event isn't personally my cup of tea: it's too crowded. It sells out but I think they sell far too many tickets. We arrived 15 min after it started and there wasn't a lounge chair nor seat at a table to be found. Cabanas are so cheap here but they sell out immediately ahead of the event, likely the day that tickets go on sale. The only way I'd return was if I could get a cabana. The lazy river is completely packed 45 minutes into the event. We were lucky enough to get a locker (which also sell out so imagine being there without a space to put your things??? how is that fun?). People are in general nice enough to hand over the inner tubes but good luck ever getting a place to sit if you didn't line up in advance of start time. I keep going back between 3 and 4 stars for the main reason that everyone who works here is SO nice. The staff really made everything bearable for me, as they were so welcoming and helpful to point out where the lockers were (there's another set behind the set you initially encounter). I just think this isn't the event for anyone who avoids crowds of people. And the crowd that was there that night were totally fine (at least early in the evening). They just sell too many tickets for me to enjoy it.

The Ridgeway of Old Metairie was an excellent choice for our 50th Anniversary Celebration. Staff…read moremember Tina LaBeaud was a most thoughtful and creative event planner, the food was excellent (many positive reviews by guests), and the young professionals who worked the event could not have been more helpful and accommodating. Mary, who supervised the operation on the day of our party, was on top of every detail, and she quickly resolved any issues that came up. Trina and Re made the place spotless. I might add that the sound system was clear from front to back. When I have another special occasion, I will return to the Ridgeway.

Really nice well kept banquet facility. Great new entry doors and the food and drinks were really…read moregood also. The servers were friendly and professional. Looks like the owners are really trying to spruce up the facility.

Our Daughter's Gender Reveal Party was here . Great Atmosphere and Clean park . We had so much fun…read morewith Family and Friends

Mel Ott Park has had so much redone lately that it definitely deserves a review!…read more I have been going to this park my whole life. I grew up here. It has a really nice playground and play area for kids and a lot of nice greenery. It's not the biggest park, but it's really nice for what it is. There is a good number of different covered areas that can be used for picnics as well as a large baseball field. There is also a gazebo that can be rented for parties and other gatherings. Recently the park added a huge recreation center that contains a full size basketball court complete with retractable bleachers. This was built in order to encourage kids in Gretna and surrounding areas to play sports and stay involved in their community. There is also a huge meeting space that can be rented for different events or meetings.

I booked The Princess HideAway for my daughters birthday party and it was beyond what I was…read moreexpecting. It was extremely clean, great energy and set up so nicely . The staff , I can't get over the staff. All of the ladies were so welcoming , caring and genuinely went out of their way to make sure everything was perfect (I appreciated that SO much)... PERFECTION!! I highly recommend The Princess HideAway and I can't wait to go back with my girls.

My kids absolutely Love the Hive and the owners are amazing. The kids have grown so much through…read moreart, working out, and play.

The actual rink is good, but bring earplugs if you don't want permanent hearing damage.read more

good place to skate. children like it. sometimes you can get free tickets for admission and rentalread more

The Antler Room at the Elks Lodge #30 has been renovated /updated !…read more Beautiful ! must see if you are looking to rent a space for an event ! Great parking and kitchen use is included !

The Elks Lodge was gracious in donating their space to local caregivers of veterans, to give the…read morecaregivers a few hours of respite. The event was hosted by the VA but there was an Elk's member that was helping with the food and was very kind. She was helpful and even brought out saran wrap so that people could take food to go! The venue was clean and comfortable. There were several tables and chairs set out and plenty of room to do activities as well. The bathrooms were clean and easily accessible. Parking lot is available at the lodge with many spaces. I think that this building would make a great venue for events such as receptions, birthday parties, baby showers, etc.

Visited the aquarium with my wife and we enjoyed our visit. It wasn't very busy when we visited…read more They had a lot of big tanks and big fish, including some sharks and stingrays. You can pet the sting rays. The insectarium was very cool. I saw some insects that I've never heard of before. They had some living individuals that were very large. Our favorite part was the butterfly exhibit. My wife loves butterflies and to be able to walk amongst 1,000 of them was a great experience and another first for us. The staff was very friendly too.

If you like fish, and other aquatic species, and you have some time to kill in NOLA, this may be…read moreyour place to visit. The way this space works is that you buy your ticket and you enter via the Insectarium. That's not really my cup of tea but the butterfly exhibit, within that space, is great. From there, you go into the Aquarium. What you will find there is tons and tons of fish orientated exhibits. If you've every been to an Aquarium, in any large city, this one is very much the same. You know what to expect. If you want to check out a lot of various versions of fish, this is you place to go. They also have a nice penguin exhibit within the Aquarium. They seem to be very friendly and interactive. There is also a large space housing rescued owls and falcons and the like. Just like in the case of the penguins, personally, I always feel kind of sad for large birds housed in a space like this, as they are basically trapped. The good news is, I guess, is due the fact that they were injured in the wild they can live out their years in safety while being well taken care of. Overall, if your NOLA you may want to check this place out.