What a great addition to the Audubon Zoo! This was my first time to see the venue after hearing…read moreabout it for a while. The lazy river is artfully done, giving a nod to Louisiana wildlife and nature areas. There are a lot of skillful and friendly lifeguards around the area. There are several different food pavilions, restrooms, locker areas, and areas to sit. There is also a fun water slide, giving homage to the infamous alligators with albinism who have taken residence at the Zoo and Aquarium over the years. This would be a fun place to relax with your kids during one of the summer sessions. My friends and I attending the adults-only Sip and Dip event held on Fridays during the summer. It was very affordable for a private cabana for six with early access. Be sure to reserve your tickets for the event early online as it does sell out. It got a bit crowded toward the end, and they did run out of regular floats, though some preferred the thick floating noodles offered. Every Friday night has a different theme, so there is something for everyone. They bring in Dickie Brennans for the bar, and they were wonderful with decently priced drinks and quality alcohol. They were also creating with the mocktails. I certainly will return for another Sip and Dip either later this summer, if able, or next year. Absolutely worth it!

Four stars for Cool Zoo's beautiful grounds and water features that are artfully rendered. Two and…read morea half stars for Sip & Dip. Five stars for the incredibly friendly staff. My first time at Cool Zoo was for the adults-only Friday night party, Sip & Dip. This event is 2X a month during the heart of the summer and features theme nights with DJs and of course since this is NOLA, people get creative and might dress in theme. I went on 80s night and the music was so fun and I loved people wearing neon, 80s tshirts and even hair and make-up. Refreshments stands are spread out among the park and they do a themed cocktail and sell beer, hard seltzer and soft drinks, along with typical concession food and popcorn. I had the cocktail of the evening, the Purple Rain and while it was eye-catching, it was so sweet and possibly strong, too, that I couldn't drink more than 1/4 of it (and it's a huge cup, fairly priced at only $13). The grounds are beautiful with fountains and an area with slides and water features that you'd normally see children dominating (with perfectly good reason) but it was actually fun to see adults having at it on the slides and at the water sprayers. Then there's the lazy river, which is a decent size, warm and full of jets to move you along. We ended up not using flotation devices and swam/walked through it. My main issue and why this event isn't personally my cup of tea: it's too crowded. It sells out but I think they sell far too many tickets. We arrived 15 min after it started and there wasn't a lounge chair nor seat at a table to be found. Cabanas are so cheap here but they sell out immediately ahead of the event, likely the day that tickets go on sale. The only way I'd return was if I could get a cabana. The lazy river is completely packed 45 minutes into the event. We were lucky enough to get a locker (which also sell out so imagine being there without a space to put your things??? how is that fun?). People are in general nice enough to hand over the inner tubes but good luck ever getting a place to sit if you didn't line up in advance of start time. I keep going back between 3 and 4 stars for the main reason that everyone who works here is SO nice. The staff really made everything bearable for me, as they were so welcoming and helpful to point out where the lockers were (there's another set behind the set you initially encounter). I just think this isn't the event for anyone who avoids crowds of people. And the crowd that was there that night were totally fine (at least early in the evening). They just sell too many tickets for me to enjoy it.