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She was so knowledgeable and also shared stories that made us laugh. The gardens were amazing and actually were the prettiest we have seen so far. We are on a Mississippi River Boat cruise, and this was one of our stops. There was also a very large gift shop and a great restaurant on the grounds. Off the menu specials are offered daily and posted on the Houmas House Facebook page. The estate also had a formal English garden with a central walkway, as well as carriage pathways meandering off through the older oaks.
Houmas House Gardens
The family left for Columbia, South Carolina, where the young girl then died. They never returned to Houmas House, but those back in Louisiana who knew of the child’s love for the plantation mourned the loss. Once a sprawling plantation of more than 300,000 acres, Houmas House is a magnificent historical landmark that has survived wars, floods, abandonment — and the test of time. The historic Houmas House showcases what life was like on a sugarcane plantation in the 1800s and provides insight on the families who once lived there. The estate remained in the original family until 1925, when it was purchased by Andrew and Josephine Stewart. The plantation was inherited by the Oak Alley Foundation in 1972, after the Stewarts died, and became open to the public.
Plan Your Visit
Immerse yourself in a captivating landscape with sunlight filtering through majestic oaks, inviting you to explore a remarkable mansion. Louisiana’s River Road boasts the jewel of the 1840 Houmas House Plantation—a timeless attraction blending history and promise. Travel through time, envisioning the splendor it held and still exudes 250 years later. Houmas House remains a preeminent sugarcane plantation in Louisiana.
Dates Closed: Christmas Day, New Year’s Day
You’re probably wondering about the ghost of Myrtle Plantation and why it is considered the most haunted plantation in Louisiana. I love that the ladies and gentlemen’s parlors are mirrored reflections of one another, being identical in size and both exhibiting magnificent open pierced freizework molding. Most people say that Myrtles Plantation is the most haunted plantation in Louisiana. The hours of the Houmas House Plantation and Garden are open daily 9 a.m. If you enjoy Southern Plantation and Garden tours as much as I do, you may want to read The Splendor of Middleton Place in South Carolina.
John Burnside, 48 years old when he acquired the Houmas, immediately began enlarging his holdings and purchasing other sugar plantations along the Mississippi River. In a very short time he was dubbed “The Sugar Prince,” by attaining the largest sugar empire in the South. Along with his properties on the Mississippi, Burnside also purchased the largest estate in the City of New Orleans, then known as the Robb Mansion. He collected great furnishings and great works of art to appoint both his city estate, later named “Burnside Place”, and his country estate, “The Houmas”. He shared his time between the two grand properties and entertained lavishly. At the age of 71, John Burnside, feeling ill, traveled to White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia for what he hoped would be a restful recovery.
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Proceed on Hwy 22, past the turnoff to Donaldsonville, the Cajun Village and in front of the Ascension Parish Visitor’s Center. Turn left on Hwy 44 and proceed less than half a mile to the River Road. Turn right at the levee and look for the entrance to Houmas House Plantation and Gardens about half a mile down the road, just at the end of the white fence that spans the front of the property. Passing under the Interstate, you will proceed straight ahead on Hwy 22, past the turnoff to Donaldsonville, the Cajun Village and in front of the Ascension Parish Visitor’s Center. Houmas House Estate and Gardens is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. Overall we were very impressed with the Houmas House and cannot wait to visit again someday.
Louisiana Plantation Haunted Down To Its Roots
Nestled within the lush gardens, these cottages provide a tranquil escape and a chance to experience the Southern charm of the plantation after hours. The mansion is completely handicap accessible and each room provides several places to sit throughout the guided tour. If staying in New Orleans and seeking transportation, we suggest renting a car and visiting multiple plantations while seeing Houmas House. Houmas was the inspiration for The Antebellum, an 8,212 sqft estate and gardens in Grogan's Point. It is one of six historically inspired estates developed by the Westbrook Building Company in 1988.[10] In-kind, The Antebellum inspired three additional plantation estates in East Shore of The Woodlands.
Dating back to the 1700s, Wright's Chance is a Colonial period plantation house. Take a tour of the grounds, book a stay at the inn, plan your next special event with us, or learn more about local restaurants, things to do and what to see in the area. Although the plantation went on to change hands several times, the current main house was constructed by John Smith and Caroline Preston. This breathtaking Greek Revival structure is distinguished by its hipped roof and majestic Doric columns.
In 1857 the Prestons sold the house, twelve thousand acres, and 550 slaves to John Burnside, an Irish immigrant and New Orleans merchant, for $1 million. Burnside expanded the plantation’s acreage, built four sugar mills, and acquired other plantations in Ascension and St. James Parishes. By 1862 Burnside was the nation’s foremost sugar producer, turning out 5,150 hogsheads of sugar (approximately five million pounds). Burnside was also known for the lavish balls he held at Houmas House. During the Civil War, General Benjamin Butler attempted to occupy the plantation house, but Burnside claimed immunity by convincing Butler he was a British subject. The house is stately and majestic inside and out, with period antiques, artwork and artifacts helping tell the story of plantation life.
Sign up for special tips, offers, and info about all the latest happenings around NOLA with our monthly Insider’s Guide, delivered right to your inbox. After our museum visit we packed up and took a view of the river before hitting the road home. Upon arriving at the Houma House we were immediately impressed with the gardens and everything that the Houmas House had to offer.
The Houmas house is significant in the area of architecture as an excellent example of a plantation house designed in the peripteral mode of the Greek Revival. It represents an important regional variation of the Greek Revival, which typified many of the grandest residences in the deep South. Houmas house is also historically important because under owner John Burnside in the 1850s and 60s it was the center of the largest slave holding in Louisiana. With over 800 slaves, it represented the largest economic unit in the prevailing slave economy of the state's pre-Civil War period. The plantation house began in the late 18th or early 19th century as a two-story, pitched roof brick building with end wall chimneys and a stuccoed exterior. The house had two rooms on each floor with a central staircase, six over six windows, and exposed beams, some of which were beaded.
During that historic event, the area around Houmas House was inundated with water for weeks. Two other crew members also reported seeing the little girl in the blue dress when they were working late, but no one knew who she was. Everyone who saw the girl said she had dark eyes and brunette hair, but disappeared before they could question her about her name.
This beautiful and spacious two room suite features a King size four poster bed in a private bedroom with a separate living room with a sofa sleeper. Comfortable and romantic, each room is decorated with old world furnishings, unique artwork and comfortable seating nooks. While enjoying the bygone era, the need for modern amenities is not overlooked. Each room includes a large flat screen TV, Wifi, coffee and tea makers, and an iron to name a few.
Rare and period artwork and artifacts are displayed and used to explain plantation life. This historic estate boasts 38 acres of the South’s most beautiful gardens, three restaurants, a luxurious inn, and a historic mansion open daily for tours. The guided mansion tour leads you through the architectural evolution of the mansion and details how a succession of owners and the Mississippi River grew this manor house into the grand estate it is today.
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