For over 170 years, New Orleans City Park has provided access to abundant natural and cultural resources, connecting Southeast Louisiana residents and visitors to the region’s most-iconic park – with something for everyone. The Park is home to the New Orleans Botanical Garden, Couturie Forest and Arboretum, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Louisiana Children’s Museum, and the largest grove of mature live oaks in the world, some of which are nearly 800 years old.
The Park’s 1,300 acres make it one of the largest urban parks in the United States, and a popular place to fish on the bayou, picnic, experience safe outdoor play, or engage in athletic pursuits – as evidence by more than 16 million visits each year. In addition to offering an array of recreation and cultural amenities, City Park is committed to preserving natural habitats and biodiversity in the Park. The Botanical Garden is home to more than 2,000 varieties of plants, the 30-acre Couturie Forest has eight distinct ecosystems, Birder’s World Magazine named City Park the best birding spot in New Orleans as 280 bird species have been sighted in the Park, and 819 species have been documented through the volunteer efforts of citizen scientists. City Park continuously improves quality of life in the region by promoting inclusivity, protecting natural resources and offering diverse park programming.
As the stewards of the Park, the Conservancy is committed to serving the public’s best interests and providing the oversight and expertise necessary to ensure that this world-class greenspace is accessible to all.
A conservancy is a private, nonprofit park-benefit organization, that often supports a public park by raising money, overseeing operations and management, and developing community programming under a mutually agreed upon plan with a government agency.
City Park Conservancy was formed in partnership with City Park Improvement Association, a state agency. The public-private partnership between the City Park Improvement Association and City Park Conservancy will ensure best practice management of City Park with direct fundraising, offering better services, and supporting the Park’s vital connection to the community.
The Park continues to rely on multiple income sources including funding earned from attractions such as Storyland, City Putt, as well as some limited governmental support. As a nonprofit, the Conservancy can augment the Park’s operating needs through fundraising and donations increasing financial resources to the Park.
City Park is home to the world’s largest stand of mature live oak trees – some are 800 years old.
City Park is one of the oldest urban parks in the country.
The Botanical Garden is home to more than 2,000 plant varieties.
More couples have tied the knot in City Park than anywhere else in New Orleans.