Kern says the studio, in a 75,000 square foot building across the Mississippi River from Downtown New Orleans, was a great place to grow up. He remembers playing hide-and-go-seek among the floats with his brother, Barry, head of the Kern Sculpture Company, a company that creates sculptured props and figures for Walt Disney World, as well as for casinos, amusement parks and building facades all over the world.

Their grandfather, Roy Kern, became involved in the float-making business in the 1930's. Their dad, Blaine, known in New Orleans as "Mr. Mardi Gras," started the company Blaine Kern Artists in 1947 and opened Mardi Gras World to the public in 1984. Now, 150,000 people tour the studio every year. The free, 15-minute ferry ride across the murky waters of the Mississippi to Mardi Gras World sets the stage for the amazing array of characters. The trip alone makes the outing an adventure.

A van driver picks visitors up at the ferry dock in Algiers and drives them through neighborhoods of restored shotgun-style houses to Mardi Gras World, nestled close to the levee. Tours start with a video of old footage of Mardi Gras parades, of celebrities who have attended Mardi Gras and of New Orleans native Harry Connick, Jr. reminiscing about the annual celebration.

After sampling authentic cinnamon-flavored purple, green and gold Mard Gras cake, visitors are guided through rooms of the giant warehouse. Two huge rooms are filled mostly with Mardi Gras floats, many lighted by tiny fiber optic lights. One of the most elaborate is a 240-foot-long riverboat that would look right at home on the mighty Mississippi.

Another room is filled with floats depicting mythological themes. Medusa is here, along with a siren, Apollo, Hercules and Hades. The largest room is a hodgepodge of fish, cowboys, the Wright Brothers, angels, musicians, championship wrestlers and Mardi Gras masks.

Giant heads of Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger--or is it Harry Connick, Jr.?--Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and dozens of others peer down on visitors from a shelf lining one large room.

Even those who never plan to go to the real Mardi Gras would probably like visiting Mardi Gras World. After all, how often do you get to see Spiderman, Marilyn, Scarlett and Rhett all in the same room?