The Carousel Bar inside the Hotel Monteleone in the two hundred block of Royal Street is the only revolving bar in New Orleans. Installed on September 3rd, 1949, the 25 seat circular bar turns on 2,000 large steel rollers powered by a ¼ horsepower (190W) motor.
With one revolution every 15 minutes, a patron has an excellent chance of viewing every corner of the opulently decorated room. An adjoining room includes booths and tables with nightly live entertainment. Lena Prima and her band had many recent performances there, and currently you can hear Shannon Powell, Nayo Jones, and Richard Scott’s Twisty River Band in addition to other jazz vocalists and bands.
In its early beginnings, the Carousel Piano Bar and Lounge was a small room alongside the Swan Room, a nightclub where celebrities such as Liberace had evening performances. The (Assunto’s Original) Dukes of Dixieland also played in the Hotel in the 1960s. The currently named DUKES of Dixieland took over Louis Prima’s spot on the 17th floor in 1974 as Dukes’ Place. Often these musicians would join others in the Carousel Bar for a nightcap after the show. Pete Fountain’s Half-Fast Walking Club always stopped by during their Mardi Gras Parade route for a thirst quenching libation.
In 1992, the current carouse
