The Hill They Built for Kids Who'd Never Seen One
In a city that sits below sea level, where the highest natural point is a levee and the closest thing to a mountain is a highway overpass, somebody in the 1930s decided the children of New Orleans needed to know what a hill looked like. So the Works Progress Administration — the same Depression-era federal program that built bridges, dams, and post offices across America — constructed a small hill inside Audubon Zoo. They called it Monkey Hill, and for nearly a century it has been the tallest point many New Orleans kids ever climb before they leave the city limits.
The rumor — and it's one of those New Orleans stories that's too good to fact-check too aggressively — is that the hill was built specifically so the flat-land children of New Orleans could experience the sensation of elevation. Whether that's the literal truth or an embellishment that grew over decades of retelling doesn't much matter. The hill exists, the kids climb it, and the story has become part of the city's mythology about itself: a place so flat it had to import its own topography.
A Small Hill With a Big Personality
Monkey Hill stands about 28 feet tall, which wouldn't qualify as a speed bump in Denver but represents a genuine summit in New Orleans. It's located inside Audubon Zoo, surrounded by the monkey exhibits that gave it its name. On any given afternoon, you can watch kids sprint up the grassy slope, roll back down, and sprint up again with the tireless energy that only comes from discovering gravity for the first time.
For locals, Monkey Hill is less a geographic feature than a rite of passage. You climbed it as a kid on school field trips. You climbed it with your own kids years later. You've probably climbed it as an adult after a few drinks at the zoo's annual holiday celebration, which is a different experience entirely. The hill doesn't change, but your relationship with it does.
The WPA's Gift to New Orleans
The Works Progress Administration left its mark all over New Orleans — the lakefront seawall, Lakefront Airport, City Park improvements, public murals, and dozens of other projects that employed thousands of workers during the Depression. Monkey Hill is one of the smallest of these projects but arguably one of the most beloved. It's a reminder that sometimes the best public works aren't the grand infrastructure projects but the small, slightly absurd gestures that give a city character.
And there's something charming about a hill that exists purely because someone thought kids should know what one felt like. It's a public amenity built on imagination rather than necessity, which makes it perfectly suited to a city that has always valued the whimsical over the practical.
Frequently Asked Questions About Monkey Hill
How tall is Monkey Hill?
Monkey Hill stands approximately 28 feet tall. In a city that sits largely below sea level, this makes it one of the highest points in New Orleans.
Why was Monkey Hill built?
The hill was constructed by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. Local legend says it was built so the children of New Orleans — who lived in one of the flattest cities in America — could experience what a hill looked like.
Where is Monkey Hill?
Monkey Hill is inside Audubon Zoo in Uptown New Orleans. You'll need zoo admission to access it.
Why is it called Monkey Hill?
The hill is located near the monkey exhibits at Audubon Zoo, which gave it its name. Despite the name, the monkeys don't actually live on the hill.
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