City Park’s Storyland closes July 8 for upgrades

Since 1956, Storyland has been a sweet, whimsical place for children to play and explore in fairy-tale tableaus. It consists of 18 life-sized sculptures (created by float builders) of characters ranging from The Little Mermaid to Old King Cole, all scattered beneath City Park’s live oaks.

On July 8, Storyland will close for upgrades and reopen at an unspecified date in fall 2019.

“Storyland is a treasured part of New Orleans. Generations of children have memories of the dragon slide and three little pigs,” said Bob Becker, CEO for New Orleans City Park. “This true gem in City Park will be revitalized this year, restoring the existing site and adding new additions creating an environment that will bring deeper interaction with the fairytales through fun, play, and education.”

The upgrade will improve all existing sculptures, including the Storyland Castle, Captain Hook’s pirate ship, and Pinocchio’s whale. It also will bring four new installations to Storyland: Jack and the Beanstalk, Humpty Dumpty, Tortoise and the Hare, and Boudreaux the Zydeco Gator.

Storyland has not been upgraded since 1984. More exhibits will be converted to be ADA compliant as well. More than 90 percent of the artists hired to improve Storyland are local.