Audubon Nature Institute Celebrates Opening of New Riverfront Park

With kites flying overhead, jazz music filling the air, and a fireboat in the Mississippi River, hundreds of people gathered for the official opening celebration for the newest park along the Mississippi riverfront in New Orleans. What was once a warehouse at Governor Nicholls Street Wharf is now a six-acre riverfront park full of lush landscaping, shade trees, a marsh-themed playground, and open area meeting space dubbed “NOLA Front Porch,” a nod to the city’s origins along the riverfront.

This morning, Audubon officials joined with business and City leaders to introduce the community to the park. Among them, former Mayor Mitch Landrieu who represented the Landrieu family in celebrating the new park and expansion of the Moonwalk, named for his late father Mayor Moon Landrieu who long championed the growth along the riverfront.

Mayor Helena Moreno spoke about the importance of the park for the city’s future.

“This is what progress looks like, turning underused spaces into community assets, strengthening our neighborhoods, and creating places where people can come together and experience the spirit of New Orleans every day,” said Mayor Helena Moreno.

The new park provides contiguous public access to the Mississippi River from Spanish Plaza to Crescent Park, spanning two and a quarter miles and making it one of the longest contiguous riverfront parks in the country.

“New Orleans has always been a riverfront city, and today, for the first time in generations, people can truly enjoy walking along this stretch of the river. This park not only reconnects neighbors and visitors with the river itself but also represents a long-awaited milestone for the city. We believe it will become a powerful driver for tourism and economic growth in the years ahead,” said Michael J. Sawaya, CEO of Audubon Nature Institute and L. Ronald Forman Chair in Conservation Leadership.

Development of the park followed extensive research and public input on ways to best utilize the riverfront. Audubon Nature Institute worked with nationally recognized designers EskewDumezRipple and Hargreaves Jones to bring the park to reality.

Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park will be open Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Planning for the next phase of construction along the riverfront will begin later this year and will include the demolition of part of the warehouse at the Esplanade Street Wharf.