Touring through Louisiana’s Plantation Alley

On my personal quest to see history and travel as much as I can, I can’t help but be drawn to historic places. Having visited South Louisiana more than 5 times, here’s a list of plantations you can visit so you can immerse yourself in the history (the good and the bad) of the area. It is nice to imagine being a Southern Belle, but also realizing that the wealth of a few was built on the backs of many. 

Most of these plantations are within the River Parishes except for Houmas House. The River Parishes are located around 40 minutes from the French Quarter and the New Orleans airport (more if there’s traffic). 

Looking for more Louisiana Travel? Click on the links below:

• One Day in Lafayette Louisiana (A History Tour)
• Things to Do in New Orleans with Toddlers or Babies
• How to Spend a Weekend in New Orleans (Itinerary)
• Complete Guide to New Orleans City Park
• Things to do in Kenner LA: Rivertown
• Plantations near New Orleans or Baton Rouge LA

Oak Alley Plantation: The Best Plantation in Louisiana 

Address: 3645 LA-18, Vacherie, LA 70090

Entrance Fee: $30++ per person

The most visited plantation in South Louisiana, Oak Alley Plantation, is known for its Alley of Oaks, which frames the big house in such a photographic way. If you imagine what plantation houses may be, it’s easy to think of Oak Alley. If you’re a millennial like me, you would remember this house was used as a filming spot for the movie “Interview with the Vampire” starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, not the TV series. 

Ever since I saw that movie, I knew I had to visit the plantation, and I finally had my chance. Even better, I got to stay in one of the historic cabins and got the iconic shot of Oak Alley without the crowds of people. And yes, anyone who can pay can stay in the historic or newly renovated cottages located on Oak Alley’s premises. It acts like a hotel where you can just pick the cottage you want, pay, and book. Since the restaurant is closed in the evening, you’ll get room service left on your cabin’s refrigerator (which you’ll get to pick before you check in).  

Undoubtedly, this plantation is the most expensive out of the ones I’ve mentioned below, but if you only have the money to visit one plantation outside of the New Orleans area, make it Oak Alley.  

Felicity Plantation: A Woman-Owned Plantation

Address: 3535 LA-18, Vacherie, LA 70090 

Entrance Fee: $24 per person

Focuses more on Felicite, the daughter of Francois Gabriel “Valcour” Aime as a dowry when she married. It also focuses on how Felicit managed to run the plantation after the Civil War. The Civil War devastated the fortunes of planters’ families since they had gotten rich by relying on slave laborers. After the civil war, the families had to adapt: hire workers and pay them, or run the plantations themselves using family or their own labor.  

These families are now dealing with a new reality, and as you can imagine, most family plantation houses failed after the Civil War, with the land being sold so the families could survive, seeing as most plantation families are land-rich but cash-poor. 

Felicity Plantation was a success story for a time. The family held on to the plantation for almost 10 years after the Civil War until they were forced to sell it, since they could not pay for the upkeep of the home, plantation grounds, and the crops. 

Tours run every hour from 9:30 am to 3 pm. The best deal is to get a combination pass to both Felicity and St Joseph Plantations, where you save $5 off the entrance fee.

St Joseph Plantation: A Working Sugar Cane Plantation

Address: 3535 LA-18, Vacherie, LA 70090 

Entrance Fee: $24 per person. Cheaper when bundled with Felicity Plantation. 

St Joe, as it is commonly referred to, is the sister plantation to Felicity. This is the older plantation, originally owned and built by Francois Gabriel “Valcour” Aime, who then gave it as a dowry when his daughter, Josephine, married. At the time, Valcour was the wealthiest man in Louisiana (and the South), and St Joseph plantation was one of many land investments he owned. 

St Joseph Plantation tours focus on the history of the Aime family, and its connections to Felicity Plantation, Oak Alley Plantation, and a burned plantation called Les Petites Versailles, which had a garden to match Versailles. The Aime family history is fascinating, and thanks to their sugarcane plantations, we now get to see a glimpse of the world they built in the 1800s. 

Laura Plantation

Address: 2247 LA-18, Vacherie, LA 70090 

Entrance Fee: $28 adults

Like Felicity, Laura was named after the woman who eventually runs the plantation on her own. This plantation was originally owned by Guillaume Duparc, and Laura Locoul, a part of the Duparc-Locoul family, eventually inherited the property. The plantation focuses on slavery and its impacts on plantation life for the haves and the have-nots. 

The Laura Plantation team has conducted extensive research to uncover what happened to the descendants of the enslaved people who once worked there. 

If interested in more history and context about the plantation, you can buy the book, “Memories of the Old Plantation Home”, available in the Laura Plantation gift shop and online. It tells more history about the plantation than the tour can cover, and has pictures of the former slaves and the residences. 

Whitney Plantation

Address: 5099 LA-18, Edgard, LA 70049 

Entrance Fee: $25 for self-guided with audio tour; more for a guided tour

This plantation hits hard and heavy compared to others in the area. Access to Whitney is via audio guides, with guided tours available. The main focus of Whitney is slavery. Many statues and exhibits show the plight of the slaves on this plantation. I would not recommend bringing younger children here, as their young minds may not understand and comprehend what slavery is. 

Destrehan Plantation

Address: 13034 River Rd, Destrehan, LA 70047 

Entrance Fee: $27 per person

The closest plantation house to New Orleans airport, Destrehan Plantation, is popular for those who want to visit a plantation without the need to rent a car. Destrehan is the only plantation you can Uber to and from the airport or the city of New Orleans without worrying about getting stranded. 

Destrehan is only available to visit with a guided tour. It also focuses on slaves and shows slave quarters on-site. 

Poche Plantation (and RV Park)

Address: 6554 LA 44, Convent, LA 70723 

Poche isn’t your typical plantation since the main house was built before the Civil War era. This is a plantation that still has a great “big” house, but what sets it apart is that it also has a restaurant and an RV park on-site. 

I’ve had a chance to eat in the restaurant and tour the house, and if you have a chance to tour the house when you’re in the area, do so. The second floor acts like an Airbnb, where one can rent the whole floor, so you can say you have stayed inside a plantation. The Airbnb’s living room does look like it has been left behind in the 1970s/1980s, so fair warning before you book. 

Houmas House 

Address: 40136 LA-942, Darrow, LA 70725 

Entrance Fee: $20 self guided tours, more for guided tours

The farthest plantation from New Orleans, Houmas House, is actually closer to Baton Rouge. If you’re within the Baton Rouge area, dropping by is worth your time. The garden itself is huge and is very well-maintained by the current owner. Houmas House is owned privately, so you may also get a chance to meet the owner when you visit. 

San Francisco Plantation

Address: 2646 LA-44, Garyville, LA 70051 

This plantation is one of the easiest to see from the road, but it is now privately owned. It is also one of the prettiest plantations in terms of how colorful and intricate the exterior decor is from the main house (also known as the Steamboat Gothic style). The plantation and its grounds are now owned by a refinery, but due to the main house’s designation in the National Register of Historic Places, the exterior and main plantation house have been kept in limbo and remain closed to the public. 

Evergreen Plantation 

Address: 4677 LA-18, Edgard, LA 70049 

Evergreen Plantation is the hardest plantation to visit since it’s still temporarily closed, with no news on when it will reopen. I myself haven’t been to this plantation. Like the other plantations, the highlight is the main house and the 22 slave cabins located on the property. Like the other plantation houses on the list, the main house as well as other buildings are inscribed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Louisiana’s Plantation Alley

And that’s the list of every plantation you could visit in Louisiana’s Plantation Country. Hopefully, this article helped you plan your trip to the area and decide which plantations to visit. Every single one is unique and a great way to discover and learn about history from the period. 

Thanks to Louisiana’s River Parishes for hosting me on this trip.