I will admit, I am new to the New Orleans area and...

I will admit, I am new to the New Orleans area and had little to no expectations for this zoo upon my visit. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised with the overall quality and atmosphere of the zoo. Granted, a zoo is a zoo no matter how you look at it, so the variety of non animal viewing activities are relatively similar across the nation. You have you plastic mold machines and your motorized zoo train. You have your water features and your regionally themed cafeterias serving up overpriced burgers and tepid frys. But let's be honest, you don't visit a zoo for the cuisine or the fountains, you go to see the animals and in this department, the Audubon Zoo is exceptional. Each exhibit, regionally themed, allows for great viewing of a wide variety of animals. Many exhibits are open air with only a shallow, sometimes frighteningly shallow, ditch between you and the stars of Planet Earth. Many zoos today feature exhibits with massive panels of glass that obscure the animal and detach the audience from the experance but such is not the case at Audubon. The animals, each in their magnificent glory, are right there in front of you. In all, the zoo is large enough to spend a nice afternoon or morning at but small enough to see everything and not just drift aimlessly by, disregarding a Capybara or two along the way. The up close viewing and the in zoo waterpark make the Audubon Zoo a great destination for kids and adults alike looking to spend a couple of hours observing natures wildest animals in pens.