Mardi Gras World

"You might walk right by this anonymous warehouse by the Port of New Orleans, but inside is a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the country's biggest free party—Mardi Gras. The huge floats take months to build and decorate, and this is where a large part of that happens. Painters and sculptors are actually working on pieces as you take this 90-minute walking tour, so it feels like you’re being let in on a secret." - Paul Oswell

"Zoom out. What’s this place all about?An anonymous warehouse by the Port of New Orleans is home to a huge working studio, and inside, it looks like something akin to a movie production. It’s not somewhere you’d pass by ordinarily, but most tour companies and hotels will promote it. What will we find in the collection?It’s not so much a collection as it is a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the country's biggest free party–Mardi Gras. The huge floats take months to build and decorate, and this is where a large part of that happens. Painters and sculptures are actually working on pieces as you walk through, and it feels like being let in on a secret. The space houses whatever is being built that year, so it’s luck of the draw what you see—although just nearly all the floats are impressive in their scale and level of detail. Do we need a guide?It’s a guided tour–you can't just wander around on your own given the working nature of the venue. Thankfully, the tour delivers fascinating historical context to the festival, and dives into the significance of each of the floats and the various organizations they belong to. Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged?The tour lasts 90 minutes, the perfect amount of time here, and you'll leave with a renewed appreciation of all those Mardi Gras floats and festivities." - Paul Oswell

"Where it's always Mardi Gras Mardi Gras World, located in the Port area of New Orleans near the convention center, is a fun stop any time of year. Your tour starts with a brief history of Mardi Gras, a chance to try on some of the elaborate costumes and a taste of New Orleans ' famous king cake.Your are then taken behind the scenes to witness a team of artists constructing floats for the next Mardi Gras season as well as a look at the warehouse that houses past years' floats."

"Where it's always Mardi Gras Mardi Gras World, located in the Port area of New Orleans near the convention center, is a fun stop any time of year. Your tour starts with a brief history of Mardi Gras, a chance to try on some of the elaborate costumes and a taste of New Orleans ' famous king cake.Your are then taken behind the scenes to witness a team of artists constructing floats for the next Mardi Gras season as well as a look at the warehouse that houses past years' floats."

"Mardi Gras World is the venue for the first ever booze-free 'portfolio party' during the Tales of the Cocktail event, sponsored by William Grant & Sons. Guest bartender Julia Momose from Chicago will demo her self-branded ‘spirit-free’ cocktails." - Beth D'Addono