Sep 4, 2024 - Food and Drink
Carousel Bar turns 75 ... and keeps turning
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The Hotel Monteleone's iconic Carousel Bar turned 75 on Tuesday, and the venue staff are kicking off a week of birthday celebrations starting Sept. 15.
Why it matters: It's not you that's spinning.
The big picture: Thanks to the slowly rotating bar that lends the venue its name and a cozy corner perch in the French Quarter, Carousel Bar has been both host and witness to plenty of historical moments.
- That includes the invention of the classic New Orleans cocktail, the Vieux Carré.
- It's served as a backdrop in movies like "Girls Trip" and TV shows like "CSI: New Orleans," along with being a playing or drinking venue for Liberace, Billy Joel, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and William Faulkner.
By the numbers: The revolving bar was installed in 1949. The 2,000-roller system leads bar patrons on a spin around the room once every 15 minutes.
- The bar has rotated more than 2.6 million times since it opened. (That assumes no power outages, which is unrealistic, but you get the point. It's a lot of spinning!)
If you go: Carousel Bar beverage manager Marvin Allen will have a cocktail making class on Sept. 11.
- The birthday celebration week begins Sept. 15. Expect guest bartenders from Sept. 16 to Sept. 19, plus live music and signature cocktails all week.
- See the full event schedule.