21 Top Team Building Activities in New Orleans for 2024

It’s easy to find fun things to do in New Orleans for couples and friends, but what are good team building activities in New Orleans for larger groups and corporate events?

New Orleans is an incredible destination for food, culture and nightlife, and the ideal team building program will pull from all of these elements.

Step outside the usual team building tactics and check out some of the more creative corporate event ideas in New Orleans. These ideas for team building activities in New Orleans are sure to inspire you to plan the perfect event for your group. 

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• Foodie Team Building Activities in New Orleans
• Creative Team Building Activities in New Orleans
• Unique Team Building Activities in New Orleans
• Team Building Games

Foodie Team Building Activities in New Orleans

1. Cooking Classes

So, what are some fun team activities? New Orleans is a fabulous city for food, and the best way for your team to experience the local cuisine is through a cooking class.

When you sign up for cooking classes in New Orleans, not only will you get to learn more about the city’s rich culinary culture, but you’ll also get to practice some creativity and problem-solving as a group.

If you’re looking for online team building activities in New Orleans, you can also arrange for online cooking classes. 

2. Food Tour

For another food-themed team building activity in New Orleans, organize a food tour. New Orleans has an endless supply of unique bars and restaurants that your team can explore.

You can book a formal tour and learn more about the city’s culinary history, or you can make it an informal tour and check out a list of the best-rated dining spots in New Orleans.  

3. Team Building Picnic

If the weather is nice, take advantage of some of the city’s beautiful parks and host a team building picnic. For example, you can go to New Orleans City Park, an expansive public park that features gorgeous scenery and plenty of recreational activities. 

4. Dinner Cruise

If you want to give your team a posh dining experience, look into a dinner cruise on a classic New Orleans riverboat. Your team can take in beautiful views of the city and enjoy a good meal while listening to live jazz music, making for an awesome holiday work party or team building activity in New Orleans. 

Creative Team Building Activities in New Orleans

5. Paint and Sip

If your group has a creative side, they’ll have a great time at a paint and sip. Paint and sips make art accessible and relaxed, with the added social element of a nice glass of wine.

Your team members will have fun comparing their painting results, and the activity works well as an icebreaker for starting out a team building weekend. 

6. Pottery Classes

Pottery classes are another art-oriented team building activity in New Orleans. With the city having such a big art scene, you won’t have trouble finding pottery classes in New Orleans.

Pottery classes are nice employee engagement ideas that provide your team members with a cute keepsake of their trip to NOLA. For an extra thematic flair, you can encourage the group to take inspiration from the city’s architecture when designing their pieces. 

7. Mardi Gras

If you want to plan a truly memorable team building activity in New Orleans, take your team to the Big Easy during Mardi Gras and come up with your best Mardi Gras party ideas.

Your group will have a great time experiencing the city’s biggest party of the year, but you can also incorporate some spirit week ideas, including Mardi Gras masks or parade float decorations. Mardi Gras group trips can also be thoughtful as retirement gifts or for another special celebration. 

8. Jazz at Preservation Hall

Impress your team with your knowledge of local history by planning a team building activity in New Orleans at one of the city’s most iconic jazz clubs, Preservation Hall.

Established in the 1950s, Preservation Hall has hosted some of the biggest icons of New Orleans jazz. Listening to a jazz performance at Preservation Hall would be amazing at the end of a day of team building workshops. This spot is popular, so be sure to reserve your tickets in advance. 

Unique Team Building Activities in New Orleans

9. Volunteer

Organize a volunteer team building activity in New Orleans so you can give back to the city. There are plenty of things to do in New Orleans for a group volunteer experience, such as the NOLA Tree Project or Animal Rescue New Orleans.

No matter your team’s skills or interests, you can find a special volunteer experience that will have an impact on both your group and the broader community. 

10. NOLA Motorsports Park

Let your team have some childlike fun at NOLA Motorsports Park. NOLA Motorsports Park, conveniently located right outside of New Orleans, has 30 acres of racing tracks for go-karts, as well as ample space to serve a catered meal or just hang out and watch the cars whizz by.

The motorsports park is used to hosting team building activities and has an easy booking form online for coordinating your event. 

11. History Walking Tour

For a daytime team building activity in New Orleans, sign up for a history walking tour. The French Quarter is home to beautiful architecture and incredible stories, making it a great destination for corporate event ideas in New Orleans.

You can look for a traditional walking tour or find a themed experience, such as a ghost tour. 

12. Comedy House NOLA

Give your team the gift of laughter by taking them to Comedy House NOLA as part of a New Orleans corporate retreat. Watch stand-up or an improv show and take a much-needed break from work stress.

Comedy shows are a good ice breaker since all your team members need to do is sit back and watch. Hopefully, this team building activity in New Orleans will help grow your friendship bonds and give you something to talk about during your next team building event. 

13. Kayak Bayou Tour

Get outside with a Kayak Bayou Tour. A lot of the team building activities in New Orleans focus on the food and art scene, but the area is also home to some beautiful nature, including the scenic bayou.

Kayaks are a less noisy and more engaging alternative to motor boats, and with the right tour opportunity, you can even turn it into an eco-friendly trash cleanup activity. 

14. Audubon Nature Institute

The Audubon Nature Institute is a team building activity in New Orleans that has it all, including a zoo, aquarium and nature park. There’s some incredible wildlife that your team will get to experience, plus there are various event spaces you can reserve for meals or meetings. 

Team Building Games

15. Escape Room

Escape rooms are a popular team building activity in New Orleans, and for good reason. These team building games have all the problem-solving and teamwork elements you want from a team building activity while being genuinely entertaining for participants.

If an in-person escape room in New Orleans isn’t a good fit, you can also look into a virtual escape room. 

16. Trivia Games

If an escape room in New Orleans isn’t your speed, consider trivia. Trivia is a simple yet engaging team building activity, whether you do trivia games in person or sign up for online trivia games.

You can arrange for the trivia to be themed around New Orleans history and pop culture, or perhaps personal fun facts and inside jokes related to your team. For a team building activity in New Orleans that helps your group experience the city, try looking for some local bar trivia nights, as well. 

17. Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are excellent team building activities for destination cities. A New Orleans scavenger hunt encourages your team to get a little competitive and explore all the amazing attractions that New Orleans has to offer.

If physically exploring the city isn’t an accessible option for your team, virtual scavenger hunts are great virtual events for learning more about New Orleans. 

18. Game Night

Don’t forget about the classic team building game: an old-fashioned game night. You can plan a virtual game night, set up camp in a hotel conference room, or, if you want to get out on the town, look for a New Orleans nightlife spot that offers board games, such as Barcadia New Orleans.

To make it the best game night possible, be sure to survey your team members ahead of time to find out their favorite games. Or explore more fun ice breaker games to encourage team bonding.

19. Loop NOLA

Loop NOLA is a highly praised obstacle course in the New Orleans area. The complex ropes course incorporates several trust exercises and problem-solving challenges for your team to explore. Loop NOLA also offers hiking and canoeing experiences. 

20. Paintball

If your team wants a high-energy team building activity in New Orleans, consider making a reservation for paintball. Paintball is a colorful and exciting way to blow off steam and encourage your group to bond over some friendly competition.

The city has several popular paintball locations, so you won’t have trouble organizing this team building event. 

21. Rock'n'Bowl

Bowling is the quintessential bonding activity for adults. If you need to come up with a good team building activity in New Orleans, you can’t go wrong with bowling.

The sport is fairly easy to participate in, encourages friendly competition, and comes with food, drinks, and a cozy atmosphere. New Orleans has several nice bowling alleys, such as Rock’n’Bowl, a bowling alley with an eclectic bar vibe that regularly plays live music. 

Team building activities in New Orleans are anything but boring. New Orleans corporate retreats can range from bayou adventures to a New Orleans scavenger hunt.

So, whether your team wants to live it up during Mardi Gras or relax at a paint and sip event, your team building activity in New Orleans is sure to offer an unforgettable team bonding experience.

For even more fun team building ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!