Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World

Lonely Planet review

When there is no parade happening in New Orleans, you can get your fill of floats at Mardi Gras World where most of the best parade floats are made and stored. It's across the river from the French Quarter, in historic Algiers Point. The man behind the magic is Blaine Kern - 'Mr Mardi Gras' - who has been making parade floats since 1947.

Kern learned the trade from his father and passed it down to his sons, who now help run the business. The company's 6968 sq m (75,000 sq ft) warehouse is filled with dazzling floats and other props, all carefully crafted by some of the world's most talented floatbuilders.

Among the company's major accomplishments are the superfloats Leviathan and SS Captain Eddie, which are on display here when they're not running down the streets of New Orleans for the Endymion parade.

Tours include an introduction and a slice of king cake. Guests are invited to try on snazzy Mardi Gras costumes before being released for an unguided traipse through world's largest fleet of parade floats. Larger-than-life artists and celebrities (Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Salvador Dali, among others) rub their spraypainted elbows with a pantheon of gods and godesses (Medusa, Apollo, Hercules et al). In some rooms you'll see carpenters, sculptors and painters creating new floats, all spangly and colorful and lit up like Christmas trees.