Entry No. 29 — the New Orleans file — filed under: outdoor-weird

The Singing Oak

A roughly 125-year-old live oak hung with wind chimes the size of small flagpoles, some up to 14 feet long, painted black so they nearly vanish into the canopy. Local artist Jim Hart tuned every chime to a pentatonic scale, the same one underpinning West African gospel and New Orleans jazz, so a breeze turns the whole tree into one slow, resonant instrument. It is free, unfenced, and most people walking past have no idea the music is coming from the branches above them.

The move: Bring a blanket and a thermos and sit under the chimes on a breezy late afternoon, waiting for gusts to set the tree singing.

📍 Before you go The chimes only sound with a breeze; dead-calm days are nearly silent.

• 📍 City Park
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Big Lake area near New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park, New Orleans, LA 70124

Hours: Added 2026-06-22 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-22