New Orleans Plantation Country

Discover the beauty and storied history of nine of Louisiana’s most famous and historic plantation homes along the Great River Road.

DAY 1: Travel Through Time

Begin your tour in Vacherie at Oak Alley Plantation, one of the world’s most photographed plantations with its alley of 300-year-old oak trees and Civil War history. Spend a little time shopping Oak Alley’s vast gift shop on the grounds. Nearby St. Joseph Plantation is a working Creole sugar plantation with tours provided by descendants of Joseph Waguespack who acquired the property in 1877. After a full morning of touring, cross the river at Hwy. 641 and stop for lunch at Nobile’s Restaurant. Nobile’s was founded in 1895 during the logging boom and still serves authentic Louisiana dishes in an historic atmosphere. There are several historic churches in the area to tour before heading east to Garyville, where the opulence of San Francisco Plantation with its vivid colors and intricate architecture will stand in stark contrast to the more modest Creole homes. Leave time for shopping at Roussel’s Antiques in LaPlace or a Cajun Pride Swamp Tour before dinner at Frenier Landing Restaurant & Oyster Bar. LaPlace-area hotels will provide comfortable accommodations for your group. refreshed for one more day of touring.

DAY 2: Touring and Swamp Tours

Take I-10 to Darrow for a tour of Houmas House Plantation & Gardens, stopping off at its lavish gift shop. Then take I-10 to Exit 220 and head to tours at Ormond Plantation and Destrehan Plantation. Ormond is a West Indies-style plantation, and Destrehan is the oldest documented plantation home in the lower Mississippi Valley and boasts skilled artisans and displays of the original Louisiana Purchase documents. Ormond Plantation serves lunch during the weekday, or Zydeco’s in Boutte is also a good option for groups. An exhilarating Swamp Adventures or Airboat Tours by Arthur Matherne will round out the afternoon. Dinner at Mario’s Cypress Café and another night’s accommodations in the area will leave you

DAY 3: African American Heritage

Explore our African American heritage. Laura: A Creole Plantation has tours based upon Laura’s detailed memoirs of life in Creole Louisiana in 1805 and the interaction between the slaves and her family. This plantation is also noted as the place where the tales of Br’er Rabbit were first recorded. A wide variety of gifts, including Laura’s memoirs are available in the gift shop. Stop for lunch at B&C Seafood Market & Cajun Restaurant, a quaint spot known for its mouth-watering, down-home Cajun and Creole dishes. Evergreen Plantation in Edgard has the most intact plantation complex in the South with 37 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including 22 slave cabins. Both Evergreen and Laura: A Creole Plantation are featured on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail because of their dedication to preserving the true stories of slaves, as well as their contributions to art, history and Louisianaculture. Then cross the Mississippi to Reserve to visit Our Lady of Grace Church. Then head toward New Orleans or Baton Rouge along the River Road or I-10.