While New Orleans is famous for great food, lively music, and party-til-you-drop decadence, there is an entire world of history, architecture, and beauty a short ride outside the city. Louisiana has a long and complicated history of race, class, and culture that makes touring its plantations a unique experience in the American South.
The manor houses along the southern shores of Mississippi River do not disappoint in their grandeur and the way they showcase the pageantry of the time. Several, however, have also taken care not to sugarcoat the reality, and the brutality, of how this extravagance could only exist on the backs of enslaved men, women, and children. Three plantations in particular have found ways to showcase the stories of these plantations – both the romantic and the tragic – that give visitors a glimpse of the true stories of antebellum plantation life.
Evergreen Plantation
For lovers of idyllic Louisiana scenery, Evergreen’s haunting and extensive grounds, awash with sunlight filtering through the Spanish moss, make for the most atmospheric and mysterious of the area’s plantations. But it is the twice daily tours that explore the estate’s dependence on slave labor as a way of maintaining the plantation system that make Evergreen a must-visit. The guided tour starts with an exploration of how the manor house’s architecture and design were influenced by its need to be a home, a business center, and a society venue. Guides bring the rooms to life with stories of the family that lived within its walls. Visitors then have the chance to explore the cabins of the extensively restored slave quarters. Tour guides provide insight into the harsh conditions slaves endured but also give guests quiet moments to wander this hallowed ground, reflect on the experience, and honor the memory of the enslaved people.
Evergreen’s current owners work hard to honor the complex histories of all the plantation’s inhabitants, sharing their voices and perspectives in a way that make it come to life. Movie lovers may also recognize Evergreen from Quinten Tarantino film, Django Unchained, where it starred as the plantation owned by Big Daddy (played by Don Johnson).
Where: 4677 Hwy. 18, Edgard, LA 70049 (approx. 50 min drive from New Orleans)
Tours: Monday – Saturday at 11:30am and 2:00pm; grounds open at 10:30am.
Admission: $20 per adult; $6 for children under 18.
Website: www.evergreenplantation.org
Laura Plantation
For the best view of Creole plantation culture, nothing beats colorful Laura Plantation. The Creole plantation families were traditionally Catholics of often mixed-race background and distinct from the predominantly Protestant Anglo Saxon gentry of the rest of the South. Creole culture was based on a hierarchy of class, rather than race, and was a system in which women played important roles in business and commerce. While uniquely Louisianan, Creoles of this area also had strong ties to their cultural cousins across the Caribbean. Nonetheless, slavery remained a mainstay of the success of the Creole economy and bondage undergirded everything at Laura. Guided tours of the plantation highlight both aspects of this life and includes visits to the Big House with its raised basement and galleries, the grounds of the sugar cane plantation, and a tour of the site’s restored slave cabins.
Where: 2247 Highway 18 Vacherie, LA 70090 (approx. 1 hour drive from New Orleans)
Tours: Daily every 40 minutes from 10:00am to 4:00pm; grounds open at 9:30am
Admission: $20 per adult; $6 for children age 6-17.
Website: www.lauraplantation.com
Oak Alley Plantation
Tradition and romance are on full display at Oak Alley, perhaps the most spectacular manor house on the Mississippi River. The plantation takes its name from the 28 ancient trees that frame the walkway from the river to the mansion. Guided tours of the Big House give a glimpse into the high-society of Louisiana plantation life and provide insight into the families that lived there… some of whom are purported to linger on as ghosts. Tours also include the Civil War encampment and the relatively small slave exhibit. (You’ll get a deeper sense of the harshness of slavery at Laura or Evergreen.) The ticket also gives you free access to the grounds of Oak Alley, so feel free to wander and take it all in. If the heat gets to you, grab an icy mint julep at the “Spirits Bar” and raise a toast to the paranormal history of the site. And if you just can’t manage to pull yourself away from this beautiful setting, the plantation does offer several onsite cottages for nightly rentals for about $250 and up.
Where: 3645 Highway 18 Vacherie, LA 70090 (approx. 1 hour drive from New Orleans)
Tours: Daily from 9:00am to 4:30 or 5:00pm (depending on the season); grounds open at 9:30am
Admission: $22 per adult; $8 for children age 13-18.
Website: www.oakalleyplantation.com
Any Easy Day Trip
Whether you are staying in New Orleans or Baton Rouge, these three plantations are an easy day trip with your own car. Each is within a few minutes of the others, so why not make it a morning at one and an afternoon at another? Each has its own unique feel and story, which will make for an engaging full day’s excursion without feeling redundant.