Houma's House Plantation and Gardens. Embrace the jewel of Louisiana's River Road as you relive the magnificent plantation era with a visit to this Greek-Revival mansion built in 1840.

A grand antebellum estate, Houmas House is home to stories of sugar cane farming, Civil War history, furnishings of early Louisiana craftsmanship, movie settings and formal gardens beneath 200-year old moss-laden live oaks.

Experience the southern splendor of "The Sugar Palace" when you step into 16 rooms filled with period antiques and Louisiana artwork. Enjoy the breeze off the Mississippi as you stroll through 12 lush acres of gardens, ponds and the shadows of majestic ancient oaks. Visit www.houmashouse.com

Oak Alley Plantation House. Located on the Mississippi River on 25 acres between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Oak Alley Plantation is the “Grande Dame of the Great River Road.”

The quarter-mile canopy of 28 giant live oak trees, nearly 300 years old, forms an impressive avenue leading to the classic Greek-revival antebellum estate from the Mississippi River.

Oak Alley was named for the remarkable double row of live oaks, planted in the early 1700's by a French settler. The most stunning feature of this beautiful 2-story antebellum house made of pink-painted brick is the colonnade of 28 Doric columns that support the hip roof.

Allegedly haunted by the ghosts of former residents, Oak Alley Plantation is open daily for tours. Enjoy a delicious meal in the Oak Alley Restaurant or browse the Oak Alley Gift Shop and blacksmith's shop.  [Top]

Nottoway Plantation. At the edge of sugar cane fields, Nottoway Plantation overlooks the Mississippi River. This enormous mansion, completed in 1859, reflects a blend of Greek-revival architectural elements and many innovations that were rare in the mid-19th century, such as indoor plumbing and hot/cold running water.

Take a guided tour, stay overnight, have dinner, or get married in this magnificent plantation. Come for the Christmas Champagne Candlelight Tour & Dinner. Visit www.nottoway.com.

Laura Plantation. Enter the world of Louisiana's Creole culture at Laura Plantation, a historic sugar plantation built in 1805. Named by Lonely Planet Travel as the "best history tour in the US,” the guided tour is based upon 5,000 pages of French documents and Laura's "Memories of the Old Plantation Home,” dramatically detailing 250 years of Creole women, slaves and children.

Surrounded by sugarcane fields, Laura boasts 11 historic buildings on the National Register, including slave cabins where the West-African folktales of Br'er Rabbit were recorded over 125 years ago. Laura Plantation Store offers gifts, books and souvenirs on Louisiana and Creole culture, slavery, music, arts and crafts and cuisine, including Laura's Memories and the original Br'er Rabbit folktales. Visit www.lauraplantation.com.

St. Joseph Plantation. Journey through time as you enjoy a glimpse into the lives of the people who have called St. Joseph Plantation "home." Take a guided tour of this restored plantation that preservs the heritage of the land and the families who lived and died here.

The St. Joseph Plantation gift shop offers many unique items, including paintings and gifts crafted by family members. St. Joseph Plantation is the birthplace of H. H. Richardson, one of America's important architects of the 19th century.

Learn about the sugar cane industry in South Louisiana from 1795. View the renovated slave cabins, Creole cottages, detached kitchen, barns, chicken coops, and blacksmith and carpenter shops. Visit www.stjospehplantation.com.  [Top]