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 story
If you wander past Big Lake in City Park on an afternoon when the breeze moves through the canopy, you'll hear a deep, resonant hum long before you see where it's coming from. Most joggers on the Zemurray trail keep moving, assuming someone nearby is playing a cello or running sound checks. Look up into the branches of a 125-year-old live oak near the museum, and you'll catch the glint of black metal suspended among the Spanish moss.
The tree hides a massive sound installation conceived by local artist Jim Hart. He hung heavy wind chimes—some measuring up to 14 feet long—high in the upper limbs, coating every tube in matte black paint so they vanish against the dark bark. Hart didn't just hang scrap metal; he precision-tuned every pipe to a pentatonic scale. That's the exact five-note sequence underpinning West African gospel and New Orleans jazz, meaning no matter how wildly erratic a storm gust strikes the clappers, the tree never drops a sour note.
What it's like
Head toward the New Orleans Museum of Art and follow the path along the south shore of Big Lake until you hear cathedral-like tones floating down from above. There are no velvet ropes, admission fees, or formal plaques identifying the oak, just a comfortable wooden bench tucked right under the canopy. The entire phenomenon depends on the weather: on muggy, dead-calm swamp days the tree stays entirely silent, but when a late-afternoon breeze kicks up off the water, the branches hum like an acoustic organ. Grab a blanket, skip the weekend crowds, and sit still beneath it while passing walkers look around in total confusion.
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.
Pair it with
- The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA — Walk two minutes behind NOMA to trade acoustic oak branches for 11 acres of world-class outdoor sculpture framed by 200-year-old trees and lagoons.
- Bayou St. John / Magnolia Bridge (Cabrini Bridge) — Follow the park edge east to cross this historic iron bridge over Bayou St. John, an old gathering site for local Voodoo ceremonies.
- City Putt — If you need a playful change of pace after sitting under the chimes, head half a mile across the park for two 18-hole mini-golf courses themed around Louisiana.
Good to know
How much does it cost to visit?
It is completely free. The tree stands on open park grounds with no fences, gates, or ticket booth.
Where exactly is the oak located in City Park?
It sits in the Big Lake area along the three-quarter-mile Zemurray Multi-Use Trail, just a short walk from the New Orleans Museum of Art.
What if there isn't any wind when I go?
If there is zero wind, the tree won't play. Check the local wind forecast or aim for late afternoon when breezes tend to stir across the lake.
Why are the wind chimes so hard to spot?
Artist Jim Hart specifically painted the chimes black and tucked them high into the foliage so they would blend into the oak's dark bark and canopy rather than cluttering the view.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · vianolavie.org · matadornetwork.com · Yelp · neworleanscitypark.org
last checked: 2026-06-22