Things to do in Kenner LA: Rivertown
Don’t let the facade of the Rivertown Museums and Planetarium fool you: the area is bigger than you think. For history lovers like us, Rivertown delivers. Here’s a list of things to do at Rivertown in Kenner Louisiana.
Less than a 2-mile drive from the car rental place of New Orleans airport is Rivertown. If you want to spend a couple of hours close to the New Orleans airport, Rivertown is an amazing destination to go to.
A downside of Rivertown Museums and Planetarium is the hours of the museums in Rivertown are very limited. The Science Center and the Space Station Exhibition are only open from 11 AM to 3 PM on Saturdays unless you’re part of a school group on a field trip. You’ll really have to make a conscious effort to visit on a Saturday to experience the planetarium, science center, and space station exhibition.
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Thank you so much to Visit Jefferson Parish for planning this Rivertown trip for me!
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Located within a building that looks historic is Rivertown Planetarium. When I first parked the car and looked at the planetarium building, I was thinking “Am I in the right place?” The dome of the planetarium is not visible from the road, unlike other planetariums, but when you step inside, you’ll be whisked into a different world.
As of this writing, the first show costs $6, but if you buy more than one show, you get $1 off for every show, making it $5. Shows are done and rotate hourly, so you won’t be bored. There are combination tickets, so for $10, you can watch 2 shows at the Planetarium and get entrance to the Space Shuttle exhibit as well as the Science Museum exhibit on Saturdays. Otherwise, the Science Center and the Space Shuttle exhibit costs an extra $5 to enter.
It could be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, with a short presentation before and after the show. The pre-show mostly talks about the different planets and explains why Pluto is not a planet anymore. Technically, Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet and is not part of the original 9 planets of the solar system we were taught when I was growing up.
The second part of the show talks about stars and the various constellations you’ll see. The stars are projected on the domed ceiling and are based in a place without light pollution. What you may see outside your house may be different than what is projected, but the brightest stars can help guide you to them.
Yes, when I visited, the shows did not rotate on the same day. Here are the shows that were cycling through when I visited in April 2023.
Of course, you can! This is the best place to teach and entertain your child at the same time. The best show to bring your younger children to is One World One Sky. However, it’s best to bring 5+-year-old children to the Planetarium. For younger kids, it depends on your child’s temperament.
When traveling with a child, especially a toddler, we try to make it a point to find places to visit where he would love hanging around and playing. Rivertown Science Center does that. There are a few hands-on exhibits that you and your child can try out. Experiences like cycling to make a skeleton move, or to learn about electricity, and to even be a weather person on TV.
For little kids, there is a dedicated area for them to learn and play at the same time. There are a ton of books and exhibits that they can spend their time learning. It is a quiet area, which is perfect for children who are a bit more sensory than others.
Entry to Rivertown Science Center is free on Saturdays for the general public if you buy a Planetarium ticket. Otherwise, it costs $5 to enter (and includes entry to the Space Station Exhibit)
Another room from the Science Center leads to the Space Center exhibit. As soon as you enter, you’ll see a lifesize space center you can walk in. Inside, you’ll see how the astronauts live in space: how they learn how to work in space with their suits (it’s harder than it looks!), and what life in space is like.
Another part of the exhibition is a timeline of technological progress. It is an inclined ramp that is divided across the decades and exhibits items from the time. What really set me off down memory lane were the floppy disks and the Walkman. Having used those items myself when I was a child, it really unlocked a few memories and how far we have gone technologically!
Who would have thought that all these years later, I would be able to have terabytes of memory that I can use to store photos and videos? It is a real game-changer. The exhibits are highly engaging in my experience and definitely brought a feeling of nostalgia.
Entry to the Space Station Exhibit is free on Saturdays for the general public if you buy a Planetarium ticket. Otherwise, it costs $5 to enter (and includes entry to the Rivertown Science Center)
Rivertown’s Heritage Center is made up of historic buildings, but one can only view the facade from the outside. Several places like the church can be rented for events. There is a square in the middle that acts as an open-air area that has a small bridge you can cross as well as a fountain.
Many historic buildings in Rivertown have been repurposed temporarily to serve as government offices that were damaged during Hurricane Ida. You can still walk around and view the buildings from outside, though, and they are all within a 2-minute walk from Rivertown’s Heritage Center.
Just two blocks from the Rivertown Heritage Center is Lasalle’s Landing. Named after Rene-Robert Cavalier De La Salle, this was the place where he landed when he was exploring the Mississippi River. What used to be an Indian settlement, is now known as Kenner. He claimed this area for France and named it Louisiana (La Louisiane in French).
I studied in De La Salle, so this landing place had a bit of a connection to my past, so I made a point of visiting. When you go up the stairs, you’ll be at the top of the levee overlooking the Mighty Mississippi. There is a small boardwalk that you can walk in to get a closer look at the water and the boats that traverse it. However, the boardwalk was still being repaired when I got there, having been damaged by Hurricane Ida.
The top of the levee has a multi-purpose path, which one can use to walk around or cycle. There are also benches you can sit on if you want to look out the water or have a picnic.
If you’re confused about what a levee is, don’t worry, I was too. A levee is essentially a French term for a dyke (dike) or an embankment. They’re built by the sides of the rivers to keep the waters from flooding into the structures adjacent to them. A majority of Louisiana is below sea level, so it is not uncommon to see levees in areas that are adjacent to the Mississippi River.
You can also see dikes, embankments, or levees in other countries like the Netherlands, and also in London! I haven’t seen them as common here in the US, but New Orleans and the adjoining parishes have them.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Rivertown during a show at the Performing Arts theatre, go and watch! The musicals are family-friendly. Some shows that were playing include Spongebob Squarepants and other Disney musicals. The ticket prices are also reasonable, from $40 per person (less for children). Since the theater is small, there are no bad seats in the theatre.
In front of the theatre is Stewart Plaza, which is often decked out with Christmas lights if you are visiting during the Holiday season. Two blocks away from the theatre is Morgan Park, which has a playground. Perfect if your child wants to find a new playground to discover and play in. Our boy is always looking for new playgrounds to visit whenever we travel.
Whether you are looking for lunch options that are within walking distance to the Planetarium in Rivertown, or you suddenly become peckish for a snack, here are places to eat in the Rivertown area.
Gendusa’s is located right beside the Rivertown Heritage Center and in front of the Rivertown Planetarium. You can park in the History Center or the main parking lot and walk to Gendusa’s (it is an easy 5-minute or less walk).
If you love Italian food, this place is for you. Gendusa’s offers pizzas, pasta, and soups or salads as a starter. Best of all, your pasta entree usually comes with that soup or salad without any additional cost!
The portions are gigantic, and the desserts are divine. In fact, the desserts are proudly on display in front of the restaurant, ready for those who want to bring them home. The prices are not that expensive, given the portion you’ll be given. It’s enough for two meals, so pack your leftovers back and heat them up in a microwave (if your hotel or hostel offers them).
If you just want a quick snack or you have a sweet tooth, head on over to Debbie’s on the levee. They serve sandwiches, waffles, and other breakfast-type items that you can have for lunch as well. They are famous for their take on the Doberge, a 7-layer cake that originates from nearby New Orleans.
I personally haven’t had a chance to eat here since I went to Gendusa’s, and if I didn’t have a tiramisu from Gendusa’s and had more room to eat (and more time), I would have definitely gone here too!
A newly opened restaurant in Rivertown, this joint serves American food (burgers and fries). I have not had a chance to eat here yet but is another place to consider if I’m in the area again.
For a self-confessed not-so-amazing driver like I am, I always worry about parking when I am at a destination I’m not familiar with. Here’s a guide for the not-so-brave drivers out there.
There are three parking lots in Rivertown:
You can also park on the street if there is any street parking available, but they are all parallel parking. I for one don’t know how to parallel park so I always try to look for parking lots that have enough space for me to back in and out of.
Completely free. Public parking is also readily available. There are also no time limits but no overnight parking. If the Planetarium closes, you can still leave your car by the Heritage Center and walk around there or by the levee near Lasalle’s Landing.
Hopefully, this article helped you plan your day in Rivertown in Kenner, Louisiana. This is the closest attraction to New Orleans airport’s rental car facility and is a quick and easy drive away. Another attraction that’s very close to the airport is Lafreniere Park, which we will cover in a different post. Rivertown is a very historic neighborhood that we enjoyed visiting, and wouldn’t mind going back to again and again. Which places did you visit?
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