The New Orleans Treehouse

Hidden in the backyard of a house on Esplanade Avenue, the New Orleans Treehouse was a two-story installation constructed in the limbs of a golden rain tree.

Composed primarily of materials salvaged from abandoned sites in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the structure included a rope bridge, canopy lookout tower, and water slide.

The installation underwent continual change as new materials were discovered and acquired. The house at 1614 Esplanade was known as the NOLA Art House, and was home to HomeMade Parachutes, the group responsible for the construction of the Treehouse. 

The crumbling Creole mansion in front of the Treehouse was home to a rotating group of artists as well as a core group of long-term residents. The original home was partitioned off to create small bedrooms for independent residents. The house had a total of fifteen bedrooms, two kitchens, and four bathrooms.

The people who lived at the Treehouse and Art House were more than happy to welcome visitors. When you visited, you could walk in the gate and find a resident artist to give you a tour. Un-official hours were sunrise to sunset.