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8 amazing spots housed in repurposed NOLA churches

Former houses of worship find new life and 21st-century appeal as yoga studios, theaters, restaurants, and more

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Although church services are one of many things millennials have been accused of killing, Catholicism looms large in New Orleans (see also: Mardi Gras, Voodoo, St. Joseph’s Day, Saints football). Our landscape is dotted with gorgeous cathedrals, including the oldest one in the U.S.

Many of these churches have been decommissioned, abandoned, re-envisioned, and renovated in recent years. They’ve become beautiful public spaces that fill the very human need to connect with one’s community and/or higher power. Here are a few to check out.

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Esplanade Studios

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Acoustically, it’s hard to beat Gothic Revival churches, which were specifically built to enhance the full, reverberant sound of worship songs. This Treme church opened in 1847, and it includes a pipe organ donated by Andrew Carnegie. Shuttered post-Katrina, the 14,000-square-foot church found new life as a recording studio. Clients ranging from Willie Nelson to Katy Perry have recorded there. This past summer, the owners opened Lamara, a plant-based coffee shop, adjacent to the studio.

A beautiful church with glossy wood floors and high arched windows, plus an organ Courtesy Misha Kachkachishvili

Southern Rep Theatre

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After wandering for years, Southern Rep Theatre found a permanent home in the former St. Rose de Lima church. Many elements of the circa-1915 Gothic Tudor church were preserved post-renovation, including its stained-glass windows and vaulted ceilings. The venue’s bar, Sanctuary, was built from the church confessional’s wood.

The interior of Southern Rep Theatre in New Orleans. There are stained glass windows, a wooden bar, and bar stools.
An atmospheric place for a drink.
Little Fang Photos

The Church of Yoga

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There’s a neon sculpture where the baptismal pool once stood, and yoga mats have replaced rows of pews, but the vibe at the 7th Ward’s Church of Yoga remains calm and sacred. Renovated to the studs by Concordia Architecture, the former Baptist church now hosts more than 35 yoga classes a week, including free beginner’s yoga, community classes, and morning mantras.

Vessel NOLA

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Housed in a former Lutheran church built circa 1914, this elegant New American restaurant features original stained glass windows, a 35-foot walnut bar, and exposed beams. The Mid-City destination is a gorgeous place to sit and sip a craft cocktail or nosh on shrimp and grits. In September, Vessel was featured in The Travel Channel’s “Dead Files.”

ArtSpace Bell School Apartments

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After undergoing a $37.4 million renovation in 2016, the former Andrew J. Bell school was converted into affordable housing, and its former chapel became a 2,000-square-foot community space. Built in 1904, its Gothic features include dormer windows with leaved stone finials, stained glass, and Corinthian columns.

A room with an arched ceiling. The ceiling is wooden and there are stained glass windows. The walls are exposed red brick. There are support beams running from the ceiling to the floor.
Exposed brick and arched ceilings create a texture, open feel.
Photo courtesy Leslie Doles

Hotel Peter and Paul

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A bar occupies the rectory at the former Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church and School campus in the Marigny. Cypress moldings, stained glass windows, and marble mantels remain intact at the circa-1860s church, which is now a 71-room boutique hotel.

The interior of Hotel Peter and Paul. There is a wooden bar with stools that have red cushions. The walls and ceiling are yellow with a pattern. There is a fireplace with potted plants.
Craft cocktails taste better in a setting like this.
Photo by Christian Harder courtesy of Hotel Peter & Paul

Marigny Opera House

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Designed by French architect Theodore Giraud and built in 1853, The Marigny Opera House now serves as a “church of the arts” (e.g., a theater, banquet hall, and events space). Solange saw fit to hold her 2014 wedding in the gorgeously weathered former Holy Trinity Catholic Church, which is now among the buzziest venues in New Orleans..

1314 Napoleon Ave

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The chapel at this orphanage-turned-condo-building was once owned by Ann Rice and pops on and off the market. It sold most recently for $1,650,000 in February 2019 and includes a dining area in the former altar, a home theater in the choir loft, 28-foot ceilings, crown molding crosses, and 16 stained-glass windows. Though the gorgeous space isn’t open to the public, you could always buy a different condo in the 28-unit St. Elizabeth building and befriend its owners.

The interior of a room with high ceilings, a chandelier, arched windows. There are couches, a table, chairs, a fireplace, and murals.
The former altar, with its hand-painted murals, has become a sitting area.
Photo courtesy Kelly Waltemath of Keller Williams Realty

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Esplanade Studios

Acoustically, it’s hard to beat Gothic Revival churches, which were specifically built to enhance the full, reverberant sound of worship songs. This Treme church opened in 1847, and it includes a pipe organ donated by Andrew Carnegie. Shuttered post-Katrina, the 14,000-square-foot church found new life as a recording studio. Clients ranging from Willie Nelson to Katy Perry have recorded there. This past summer, the owners opened Lamara, a plant-based coffee shop, adjacent to the studio.

A beautiful church with glossy wood floors and high arched windows, plus an organ Courtesy Misha Kachkachishvili

Southern Rep Theatre

After wandering for years, Southern Rep Theatre found a permanent home in the former St. Rose de Lima church. Many elements of the circa-1915 Gothic Tudor church were preserved post-renovation, including its stained-glass windows and vaulted ceilings. The venue’s bar, Sanctuary, was built from the church confessional’s wood.

The interior of Southern Rep Theatre in New Orleans. There are stained glass windows, a wooden bar, and bar stools.
An atmospheric place for a drink.
Little Fang Photos

The Church of Yoga

There’s a neon sculpture where the baptismal pool once stood, and yoga mats have replaced rows of pews, but the vibe at the 7th Ward’s Church of Yoga remains calm and sacred. Renovated to the studs by Concordia Architecture, the former Baptist church now hosts more than 35 yoga classes a week, including free beginner’s yoga, community classes, and morning mantras.

Vessel NOLA

Housed in a former Lutheran church built circa 1914, this elegant New American restaurant features original stained glass windows, a 35-foot walnut bar, and exposed beams. The Mid-City destination is a gorgeous place to sit and sip a craft cocktail or nosh on shrimp and grits. In September, Vessel was featured in The Travel Channel’s “Dead Files.”

ArtSpace Bell School Apartments

After undergoing a $37.4 million renovation in 2016, the former Andrew J. Bell school was converted into affordable housing, and its former chapel became a 2,000-square-foot community space. Built in 1904, its Gothic features include dormer windows with leaved stone finials, stained glass, and Corinthian columns.

A room with an arched ceiling. The ceiling is wooden and there are stained glass windows. The walls are exposed red brick. There are support beams running from the ceiling to the floor.
Exposed brick and arched ceilings create a texture, open feel.
Photo courtesy Leslie Doles

Hotel Peter and Paul

A bar occupies the rectory at the former Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church and School campus in the Marigny. Cypress moldings, stained glass windows, and marble mantels remain intact at the circa-1860s church, which is now a 71-room boutique hotel.

The interior of Hotel Peter and Paul. There is a wooden bar with stools that have red cushions. The walls and ceiling are yellow with a pattern. There is a fireplace with potted plants.
Craft cocktails taste better in a setting like this.
Photo by Christian Harder courtesy of Hotel Peter & Paul

Marigny Opera House

Designed by French architect Theodore Giraud and built in 1853, The Marigny Opera House now serves as a “church of the arts” (e.g., a theater, banquet hall, and events space). Solange saw fit to hold her 2014 wedding in the gorgeously weathered former Holy Trinity Catholic Church, which is now among the buzziest venues in New Orleans..

1314 Napoleon Ave

The chapel at this orphanage-turned-condo-building was once owned by Ann Rice and pops on and off the market. It sold most recently for $1,650,000 in February 2019 and includes a dining area in the former altar, a home theater in the choir loft, 28-foot ceilings, crown molding crosses, and 16 stained-glass windows. Though the gorgeous space isn’t open to the public, you could always buy a different condo in the 28-unit St. Elizabeth building and befriend its owners.

The interior of a room with high ceilings, a chandelier, arched windows. There are couches, a table, chairs, a fireplace, and murals.
The former altar, with its hand-painted murals, has become a sitting area.
Photo courtesy Kelly Waltemath of Keller Williams Realty