Visit the New Audubon Nature Center

When Hurricane Katrina laid waste upon swaths of the Gulf Coast, it also destroyed the beloved community icon of the Audubon Nature Center, a patch of protected forest and swamp in New Orleans.

The Nature Center was, for decades, a destination for school groups and families who came to stroll the boardwalks, attend Native American pow-wows, see a planetarium show, learn about science and meet some of Louisiana’s native snakes, birds, reptiles and mammals.

In October, the rebuilt Nature Center reopened after more than a decade-long closure. The 86-acre establishment now sports $10 million worth of new trails, wildlife exhibits, a planetarium, classrooms and outdoor learning spaces. There are more than two miles of trails traversing the area’s swamps and forests, where it’s not uncommon to spot alligators, deer, raccoons and snakes.

The hidden gem originally opened in 1980, until 2005’s Hurricane Katrina sent a six-foot wall of water into the area. In the time it was closed, invasive Chinese tallow trees took over, and workers had to remove them in a tedious process that, to date, has seen eight acres remediated, with another 50 to go.