18 Best and Fun Things To Do In Covington LA (Louisiana)

The small, charming town of Covington, Louisiana is located in the New Orleans metropolitan area. Covington has a diverse cultural landscape, excellent dining options, and interesting boutiques. 

It’s a lovely place to spend the day if you’re in New Orleans, and the people there are friendly and helpful.

Things To Do In Covington LA, Numerous breweries, galleries, museums, trails, bike rentals, and other activities are available. Tourists can even visit a gator ranch. Call ahead to confirm that the places you plan to visit (attractions or restaurants) are still open when you plan to visit New Orlean.

18 Best Things To Do In Covington LA Today

1. Abita Brewing Company

Approximately thirty miles north of New Orleans, in the piney woods of Covington, you’ll find the Abita Brewing Company. The brewery’s state-of-the-art brewing facility generates more than 151,000 barrels of beer and more than 9,000 barrels of root beer annually.

Small batches are used to brew ales and lagers. Visit the brewery and sample some of Abita’s brews on a guided tour that lasts about thirty minutes. Visitors can get an education in all things beer, brewing, and the company’s rich history. Self-guided tours and the Craft Soda Tour are also available.

21084 LA-36, Covington, New Orlean LA 70433, Phone: 985-893-3143

2. Abita Roasting Co. Covington

Abita Springs Cafe and the Abita Roasting Company have joined forces to form Abita Roasting Co. in Covington. The end result is a cafe with a wide variety of options on the menu and the best artisan coffee in the area.

The cafe and coffee shop serves full meals and drinks, with a menu modeled after that of the famous Abita Springs Cafe. Abita Roasting Co. has been importing, roasting, and serving high-quality coffee from around the world since 2006. 

Different hours are maintained for the counter, cafe, and drive thru at Abita Roasting Co. Covington on different days of the week.

1011 Village Walk, Covington, LA 70433, Phone: 985-246-3345

3. Brooks’ Bike Shop

For the past seven years, since its original 2010 opening in Covington, Brooks’ Bike Shop has been serving the bicycling needs of both locals and tourists. The shop’s mission is to provide all clients with outstanding service and competitive prices on bicycles.

A veteran runs the family business, Brooks’ Bike Shop, which specializes in bicycles of all shapes and sizes. 

The store deals in both new and used bicycles, and it also rents out and repairs bikes. Covington and the surrounding area are explored on brewery tours, downtown explorations, and river trips along the Bogue Falaya.

416 E. Gibson St, Covington, LA 70433, Phone: 985-214-6920

4. Cafe Du Monde

Established in 1862 in New Orleans’ French Market, Cafe Du Monde was originally a simple coffee stand. While not open around the clock like the original Cafe Du Monde, the Covington, Louisiana northshore location is still open for a good chunk of the day.

The Cafe Du Monde in Covington features a drive-through service at louisiana northshore. On the menu, you’ll find beignets, orange juice, and dark roasted coffee.

70437 LA-21, Covington, LA 70433, Phone: 985-893-0453

5. Children’s Museum of St. Tammany

The Children’s Museum of St. Tammany aims to provide a stimulating and enjoyable learning environment where children are encouraged to use their imaginations, creativity, and curiosity. The children’s museum’s Kids Town caters to the museum’s youngest guests.

The museum has a number of educational displays that are primarily aimed at younger children (toddlers and preschoolers), but it also has specialized programming for older children (teens and preteens). 

The supermarket and diner exhibits provide interactive play for kids. Children can also enjoy a climbing wall, a magnetic ball wall, and a fun exhibit that shows them how to build their own roller coaster.

21404 Koop Dr, Mandeville, LA 70471, Phone: 985-888-1555

6. Columbia Street Tap Room and Grill

At the Columbia Street Tap Room and Grill, both locals and tourists can enjoy a wide selection of beers, from regional favorites to rare imports, as well as some of the best food in town.

Thirty beers on tap, sixty in bottles, wine by the glass, and a full bar are all available at the Columbia Street Tap Room. There are also daily specials, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and other items on the food menu. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the taproom hosts live musical performances.

434 North Columbia St, Covington, LA 70433, Phone: 985-898-0899

7. Lake Ramsay Preserve

The Lake pontchartrain causeway Ramsay Preserve features a well-marked boardwalk that allows visitors to explore the area while learning about the various types of high-quality forest communities that can be found there, such as a small stream forest, and longleaf Flatwoods, and longleaf pine savanna.

Orchids and carnivorous pitcher plants are just two of the many fascinating plant species that call this nature preserve home. 

The Horse Branch Trail is an interpretive hiking trail maintained by the Lake Ramsay Ramsay Nature Conservancy that leads hikers through a variety of habitats, including a rare pine savanna.

Horse Branch Rd, Covington, LA 70435, 985-809-1414

8. Covington Trailhead

Trail users can hop on the Tammany Trace, which passes through Covington, at the trail’s official beginning, known as the Covington Trailhead. Around 31 miles in length, the paved path links the cities of Covington, Slidell, Lacombe, Mandeville, and Abita Springs.

The trailhead is conveniently located near Covington’s central business district. A clock tower, green space, amphitheater, restrooms, a covered marketplace, a visitor’s center with a museum, and more make the location feel like it could have been plucked straight out of the 1930s and transplanted to this location from a historic railroad station. On Wednesdays, you can visit the farmers market at the Covington Trailhead.

419 N New Hampshire St, Covington, LA 70433

9. Fairview-Riverside State Park

Picnic tables can be found all over the grounds of Fairview-Riverside State Park, which are partially or wholly shaded by a thick forest of oak trees. Facilities include restrooms, a playground, and a pavilion for larger gatherings.

Day-trippers have the option of lounging on the riverbank or venturing out on the water in search of additional outdoor recreation. Fairview-Riverside State Park is home to beautiful scenery, and the nature trails that wind through the park will lead you right along the river. 

To accommodate visitors who plan to spend the night, the park features a campground. River and boat fishing are common pastimes.

119 Fairview Dr, Madisonville, LA 70447, Phone: 985-845-3318

10. H.J.Smith & Sons General Store

Established in 1876, the Smith family of Covington, Louisiana, has run the H.J.Smith & Sons General Store continuously since that time. Originally opened in 1870, the General Store is now a museum housing hundreds of artifacts from that era and the turn of the twentieth century.

There are many interesting artifacts on display in the museum, including a 20-foot cypress dugout boat, vintage farming equipment, a cast-iron casket, a wooden hand-operated washing machine, a gas pump from the 1920s, and much more. The store hours for H.J. Smith & Sons are Monday through Saturday.

308 N. Columbia St, Covington, LA 70433, Phone: 985-892-0460

11. Insta Gator Ranch

Here at the Insta Gator Ranch, visitors can watch alligators swim around in pristine, temperature-controlled water. More than 2,000 alligators call Insta Gator Ranch, a working ranch, home. Visitors can learn about the alligator industry in Louisiana on one of the ranch’s informative guided tours.

Whatever the weather, you can visit the Insta Gator Ranch. Visits can be tailored to guests’ interests with options like the Alligator Ranching Program, a tour of the climate-controlled barns, and a presentation on the American alligator’s anatomy.

74645 Allen Rd, Covington, LA 70435, Phone: 985-892-3669

12. Movie Tavern

Louisiana’s Covington is home to the Movie Tavern, a cinema that combines the traditional movie theater with a restaurant to create a novel and tasty experience for moviegoers. People looking for a place to watch movies, eat, and drink margaritas can do all three at the Movie Tavern.

With its in-theater dining service, the theater is leading a movement to revolutionize the way audiences consume film, liquor, and food. There are high-end drinks and dishes prepared by a chef that can be enjoyed in the plush surroundings.

201 N Highway 190, Covington, Las Vegas 70433, Phone: 985-247-0757

13. Otis House, Covington

On the grounds of Fairview-Riverside State City Park sits the Otis House, a National Register of Historic Places-recognized structure. Artifacts from the 1880s through the 1930s are on display in this historic home, which can be toured by visitors.

It is the hope of the tour guides that visitors will leave with a better understanding of the home’s historical significance and its place in the fabric of Madisonville and the state of Louisiana. Tuesday through Saturday, you can take a guided tour of the Otis House.

119 Fairview Dr, Madisonville, Las Vegas 70447, Phone: 985-845-4010

14. St Tammany Art Association

In 1958, a number of concerned citizens in western St. Tammany Parish came together to form the St. Tammany Art Association. As a result, the St. Tammany Art Association has expanded and now counts over 800 members.

Covington Arts Association is a driving force in the local arts scene, supporting both seasoned and up-and-coming artists while also exposing the public to the arts through exhibitions and educational programming. The Miriam Barranger Gallery is the association’s main gallery, showcasing a wide range of media and styles through a schedule of rotating exhibitions.

320 N Columbia St, Covington, Louisiana 70433, Phone: 985-892-8650

15. UCM Museum/Abita Mystery House

Abita Springs, Louisiana is just outside of Covington and is home to the UCM Museum, also known as the Abita Mystery House. The home has been transformed into a museum showcasing thousands of found objects and homemade inventions in an atmosphere of folk art.

Visitors can see a miniature version of a southern town with animated “displays” that can be activated by pressing buttons, as well as vintage arcade games that they may or may not be able to play, memorabilia, unusual collections, and even some items that could be classified as “pure junk.” 

The museum also features a Louisiana Creole home built around the turn of the twentieth century and the House of Shards, a reconstruction of a nineteenth-century home.

22275 LA-36, Abita Springs, LA 70420, Phone: 985-892-2624

16. Ridemore Farm

Ridemore Foarm in Covington, Louisiana is a U-pick berry farm that welcomes visitors of all ages to come and pick berries straight from the bush, with the added bonus of tasting the berries to ensure they are ripe and delicious.

The farm produces not only a wide range of berries, but also potatoes, green beans, peppers, tomatoes, corn, green onions, cucumbers, and zucchini. In addition to picking berries, guests can also have a relaxing picnic lunch at Ridemore Farm and kids can visit with the resident goats, chickens, and horses.

22154 John T Prats Rd, Covington, LA 70435, 985-875-1965

17. Marianne Angeli Rodriguez Gallery

The Marianne Angeli Rodriguez Gallery in Covington, Louisiana is a great place to find unique artwork for the home or a gift for friends and family.

Many of Marianne Angeli Rodriguez’s vibrant, contemporary paintings can be found in the gallery, making it a must-see for colorists.

Unique hand-painted planters, fine art prints, and contemporary paintings of all sizes can be found at the 2,000-square-foot Marianne Angeli Rodriguez Gallery. Covington’s downtown is home to a vibrant art gallery housed in a historic building from the early 20th century.

323 N Columbia St, Covington, LA 70433, 985-238-0842

18. The ICONS Museum

Visitors to the ICONS Museum can admire works of art honoring some of the most influential people in the fields of sports, film, fashion, music, and the visual and performing arts.

Matthew Montero, an artist born and raised in Covington, created each of these works entirely freehand, leaving no brushstrokes or other traces behind Southern hotel.

In order to see the artifacts in the ICONS Museum, a scheduled visit is required. A visit to the museum will be more personal because visitors will be able to see the exhibits in private and take a tour led by the artist who created them.

Covington Post Office Box 435, 75533 River Rd., LA 70435; Telephone: 800-789-5840

FAQs Things To Do In Covington LA