Last year I had my son’s first birthday party at home. To be honest, the party was more for me than him and I had a great time but it was messy and exhausting. This year, things were different. I have a newborn and felt guilty that my two year old no longer gets all the attention he is used to. I wanted his second birthday party to be special, something I could enjoy with him and also, have great photo opportunities. After researching party venues around New Orleans, I decided the Audubon Zoo was by far the best way to go. There are five main reasons I chose the Audubon Zoo and why it was such a wonderful birthday party.
1. Convenience
This is the most convenient way to throw a birthday party! I could have literally shown up at the Audubon Zoo with only my kid, and the party would have been a success! Even if I forgot the cake, it would be easy to run to a concession stand and buy a bunch of those chocolate covered frozen bananas that all kids love. Most importantly, Being able to enjoy the party with my son and not having to worry about the little details, such as a lighter, candles or making sure everyone is served a piece of cake was well worth it. I didn’t know this before, but there is an entire unit dedicated to creating fabulous birthday parties at all of the Audubon attractions. Planning the party was very easy through emails and phone calls. I was never put on hold or had to wait for a response. The zoo even called me to see if I had any last minute questions the day before.
2. Entertainment
First of all, every kid loves the zoo! All the adults at my son’s party commented how much fun it was for not just their child, but for them too. Any Audubon Zoo birthday package includes free zoo admission, unlimited carousel and unlimited train rides. This is a great perk for your party guests because the carousel usually costs $2 per person and the Swamp Train is $5 per person. All of my friends and their kids used the train and the carousel several times. The train stops at the swamp, sea lion, and reptile encounter exhibits which makes it perfect for those little feet that can’t make it through the whole zoo. The carousel features exotic animals such a pandas, giraffes and tigers. I feel like having a picture of your child riding a zoo animal carousel is the best party favor too! The last thing I had to worry about at this party was entertaining people.
3. Zoo Staff
Alicia Armstrong, Audubon's Special Events Sales Manager, was extremely helpful throughout the entire process of planning the birthday party. Alicia and I were in contact from day one of planning until the day of the party, and I even received a lovely thank you card from her afterwards. The moment we arrived at the party room, a very nice and polite zoo staff member, Ali, introduced herself and said she would be there if we needed anything. I had no idea before the party that I would be given such a great assistant! Ali was very accommodating and checked in frequently. She is actually a college student studying event planning and I have to say she will be very successful in her career. For example, I originally thought I wanted pizzas to be brought out at 11:30 but ended up wanting them sooner and it was no problem for Ali to quickly bring the pizza and make sure everyone had a plate and napkins. The best part was that Ali and another staff member even cut the cake and served everyone while I was able to spend that time watching my son enjoy his party. Having a helper was an unexpected gift from the zoo, she was like a day-of wedding planner.
4. Party Room and Location
Our party room, the Safari Den, comfortably fit fifteen children and their parents. In total, I had around forty people attend. My son even had his own chair at the head of the table with a large crown so that everyone knew he was the birthday boy. The room never felt too crowded because guests could come and go as they pleased. Located directly outside the party rooms is a playground, carousel, Cool Zoo and swamp train entrance. My dad even mentioned how he felt it was a safe location for children if they became separated from their parents because many zoo staff members are present and it makes for a good meeting place.
5. Food and Beverage
Last year, food was the biggest hassle and expense having the party at home. I wanted to enjoy the party with my family rather than run around like a caterer! Every Audubon Zoo party package includes three pizzas with unlimited water and lemonade. We also had the option to bring finger sandwiches, a vegetable tray and of course, a cake. The three large pizzas were more than enough for all the kids. I also brought finger sandwiches just in case. Although, the zoo has a large catering menu with some delicious options such as crawfish etouffee, pasta, chicken tenders and ice cream that was very tempting. The room also came stocked with plates, cups, napkins and utensils. My mother, who is somewhat of a pizza connoisseur, thought the cheese pizza was delicious.
My family could not have been more happy with our son’s birthday party at the Audubon Zoo. You may be asking, who cleans up after all of this? They do! I even left the other half of untouched birthday cake for the animal handlers. I hope they enjoyed it. So, if you’re researching a place to have a birthday party definitely check out the Audubon Zoo, and Cool Zoo during the summer. I promise you will not be dissapointed.
To learn more about birthday parties at Audubon Zoo, click here.
Disclosure: I received a hosted birthday party in exchange for my review article and additional advertising on Macaroni Kid.
