Landmarks

Carousel Gardens at City Park

Known as the beloved “Crown Jewel” of New Orleans, this 1,500 acre park in the heart of the city has been delighting locals and travelers alike with everything from mini-train rides to whirls on its famed antique carousel for 100 years. The popular carousel is one of only 100 antique wooden carousels in the entire country and is the last one in Louisiana. For this, it’s garnered national attention and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On April 25, 2006, 20 volunteers from Louisiana worked together to refurbish the antique landmark to prepare the carousel for its next 100 years and to help the clean-up effort after Hurricane Katrina - what is now recognized as one of the busiest hurricane season in history. The carousel itself and surrounding landscape sat in several feet of water for six weeks following the hurricane, resulting in a myriad of needs including everything from replacing ruined platforms and roofs to pulling out the dead foliage and planting all new landscaping. To restore the park back to its pre-hurricane state, Hampton Inn volunteers provide the manpower and the resources to breathe new life into this landmark, helping to ensure it will be enjoyed for many generations to come. With rolled up sleeves and a lot of supplies, volunteers will clean, paint, plant, polish and fix until the landmark is one again the sparking jewel of the city.