Imagine Santa’s workshop with giant toys. That’s what it’s like to tour Mardi Gras World in New Orleans, the world’s leading maker of floats and props.
One of the 10 best things to do in New Orleans, Mardi Gras World falls into the unique attraction category.
This working studio is a 300,000-square-foot warehouse brimming with familiar and frightening figures. Each year, the studio builds hundreds of floats and thousands of props for Mardi Gras. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras celebrations are held about two weeks and through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent in the Christian religion). Typically, there is one large parade each day. Some days have several large parades. In the last 5 days of Mardi Gras, the most elaborate parades and balls (some are masquerade balls) take place. 
Is Mardi Gras World worth it?
After a brief video of the history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, you walk the warehouse floor and watch the artists at work. You get a behind-the-scenes tour into a world of creativity and color. 
A chance to see foam, wood, and paint transformed into gigantic floats and characters for the Mardi Gras parades.
The self-guided tour takes about one hour, but you’re allowed to stay longer.
Just don’t climb on the floats which can cost anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of dollars. 
At Mardi Gras World, you’ll learn the history of the krewes. A “krewe” (pronounced “crew”) is a private social club whose members sponsor balls and parades as part of the Mardi Gras festivities. Corporate sponsorships of the parades are prohibited.
Mardi Gras World History
During the Great Depression, Roy Kern was a New Orleans artist who painted signs. Roy’s son, Blaine Kern, was also an artist.
Blaine was able to pay for his mother’s medical bills by painting a mural at the hospital. In 1932, a doctor – who was the captain of a Mardi Gras krewe – admired the mural and hired Roy and Blaine Kern to build floats for his krewe. 
After traveling through Italy, France, and Spain to apprentice with the world’s finest costume and float makers, Blaine Kern became the leading parade designer and builder in New Orleans.
In 1947, Blaine founded Kern Studios, which now builds floats every year for 18 krewes, in addition to other festivals and projects around the world. 
In 1984, Kern Studios opened its working studio to the public after many requests for private tours. Today, Mardi Gras World attracts over 200,000 visitors each year.
About Mardi Gras World
Except for Mardi Gras Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas, Mardi Gras World is open 7 days a week, 9am to 5:30pm (last admission at 4:30pm). Learn more about Mardi Gras World tours. Mardi Gras World address 1380 Port of New Orleans Place (next to the Convention Center) Parking ($20): Lot J in front of the Mardi Gras building How to get to Mardi Gras World Free Mardi Gras World Shuttle (not for groups) from Canal Street shuttle locations. Call 504-361-7821. You can also take the streetcar to Canal Street and get the shuttle from there. Looking for breakfast or lunch? Except for Tuesdays and Wednesdays, try Stanley of New Orleans (2 miles by car), 547 Saint Ann Street. Excellent food from crab cakes benedict and double cheeseburgers to vegan gumbo.
See more Places to Go: Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Ride Millicent Rogers Museum Authentic Native American Jewelry Jane Austen House Lacock Abbey England Cape Cod Lavender Farm Harwich 
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