In this West Bank warehouse, visitors get a glimpse of how Mardi Gras is created.

by Contributor

Overview
Believe it or not, most of what gives New Orleans' Mardi Gras its splendor starts in this West Bank warehouse. In this unassuming spot--if you ignore the gigantic alligator king at the entrance--the notoriously creative Kern family and its legion of artists work their magic, churning out floats and fantasies for most of the superkrewes.

The Experience
A tour of Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World allows a peek into the nuts and bolts of the Carnival parade, with craftspeople constructing and painting the characters that have defined generations of Mardi Gras floats and entire organizations in New Orleans and Metairie. You can actually walk through the work areas, expansive rooms littered with colorful limbs and heads like delightful and surreal massacre scenes.

06/13/04

Off the beaten path

by jmunoz98

We lived 3 hours from New Orleans and drove. It was a little hard to find in the warehouse district but the tour boats will bring you right over. It was rather enjoyable. Bring your camera they have a prop room to dress-up and pose. They also do a king cake and explain the tradition. Its one we know include when we celebrate Mardi Gras

• Pros: Informative

08/14/02

floating tour

by mdibruno

This is a very interesting place to see the history of the Mardi Gras parades and the floats themselves....how they are made and shipped over. And the floats are not just for MG. Check it out.