5 Best New Orleans Plantation Tours
Are you looking for the best plantation to visit in New Orleans? This article shares our 5 Best New Orleans Plantation Tours reviews. The best plantation tours in New Orleans provide important context about the history of slavery and enslaved people forced to work on these plantations. They show the brutal conditions of life of enslaved workers. It’s worth visiting some of them to learn about this important part of history. We made several tours like the famous Oak Alley Plantation, Laura Plantation, Whitney Plantation, and more. What is the best plantation to see in New Orleans? We share our opinions, photos, and tips from our favorites of the best New Orleans Plantations tours. This will help you decide which plantation tour to choose during your visit.
This article may contain affiliate / compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.
5 Best New Orleans Plantation Tours – Introduction
In this article, we describe only those plantations and places that Chris and I had the opportunity to see ourselves. Chris and I share our subjective opinions. We want to emphasize that this is not a sponsored post. On each visit to New Orleans, we purchased the plantation tours ourselves. So, we share first-hand tips and our observations. Moreover, we present you with photos that we took during these trips.
We present our list of the 5 Best New Orleans Plantation Tours and the best plantations near the NOLA area. We focus on the best tours, which allow you to learn the history of slavery.
These are trips to places that move you deeply. You will hear stories that will make you shiver, and many tears will run down your cheeks. So, check our reviews, photos, and tips. If you don’t have time to read the whole article, our favorite tour is below.
Oak Alley Half-Day Trip
During this half-day trip from New Orleans, you can visit the most famous Oak Alley Plantation. This is one of the best plantations we have experienced, so we highly recommend it.
New Orleans Activities
New Orleans is a wonderful city that mesmerizes with its charm, architecture, flavors, and music. We’ve described it in depth in two other articles that you can check out if you plan to visit. We have prepared a New Orleans 3-day Itinerary and Mardi Gras Festival Itinerary. We recommend places worth seeing and activities worth taking advantage of in NOLA.
But Louisiana also has a dramatic history of slavery. A past where people were enslaved and forced to work hard on plantations. It is a history of the pain and suffering of slaves, working in harsh, inhuman conditions, being beaten cruelly, and being humiliated. We believe facing this complex history and getting to know it is worth facing. It is possible during some best plantation tours from New Orleans.
The Best New Orleans Plantations
Visit to NOLA will not be complete without New Orleans plantations tours. The history of Louisiana is difficult, often touching to tears. If you want to really learn the history of slavery, go on a guided tour of the New Orleans plantations.
Only this way, you have a chance to understand the history and how this dark racial segregation system worked and how it finished. All people should learn about slavery history for a better perspective on everyday life.
Below, we describe and present our pictures of the best plantations near New Orleans. We hope our reviews help you select which plantation tour best suits your interests and needs. Most importantly, Chris and I personally visited these places and recommended what we checked.
Oak Alley Plantation New Orleans
In our opinion, Oak Alley Plantation is the best plantation to visit in New Orleans. It is also the most famous and popular plantation, so book your Oak Alley Plantation tour with transportation well in advance.
Yes, you can get there on your own without a guided tour, but a tour allows you to learn more about the place’s history.
Unfortunately, due to its popularity, the plantation can be crowded. A guided tour will save you time and prevent you from waiting in line at the entrance.
History of Oak Alley Plantation New Orleans
Oak Alley Plantation is located among the Great River Road sugar plantations alongside the Mississippi River. It’s famous due to its 300-year-old oak trees. The Oak Alley Plantation features 28 towerings of oak trees. It was originally called Bon Sejour Plantation and was established to grow sugar cane. The Greek Revival architecture of the Big House was built in 1837-1939. The mansion was restored in 1925.
The luxurious mansion, striking entrance, oak alley made the property the perfect setting for films and TV shows. Oak Alley, you can see in the movie Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles and on the first season of True Detective.
After entering the date of your trip to New Orleans, you can check the price and availability of this tour!
The best Oak Alley Plantation tours from New Orleans
This half-day trip to Oak Alley Plantation from New Orleans is a perfect choice. During this trip, you will tour the mansion with a costumed guide. The interior of the plantation property makes a great impression.
On the plantation, you will also visit the interiors of a dozen slave houses. You will see under what conditions they lived and how terrible their fate was. You will see a blacksmith shop and exhibits on slavery and the Civil War.
However, the Oak Alley is the fame and popularity of this plantation. Alley of centuries-old oaks leading up to the antebellum Big House. The alley is impressive. Photogenic, green oaks spread their branches over a huge space, giving shade to visitors.
Due to the size of the plantation, the number and variety of exhibits, and the richness of the mansion house’s interior, it is one of the best New Orleans plantation tours.
One of the reviews on this trip is: “The house was lovely and you get a good feel for the antebellum lifestyle. Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave us excellent information on the history of the home. The slave quarters were eye-opening and gave a look at the slavery lifestyle on the plantation too. But the most beautiful thing of all was the majestic 200+-year-old oak trees….breathtaking! I would highly recommend this tour”.
You can check more reviews and availability of the Oak Alley Plantation tour from NOLA by entering your trip date below:
Whitney Plantation New Orleans
History of Whitney Plantation New Orleans
It was one of our most significant and touching museum experiences. Whitney Plantation is one of the best plantations near New Orleans. It is a museum of slavery on a historical sugar, rice, and indigo plantation established in 1752. On your tour, you will learn about the lives of people held in bondage for over 100 years. Whitney Plantation Tour was most touching for us.
In 2014, Whitney Plantation opened its doors to the public for the first time in its 262-year history – the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery. You will see memorials honoring over 100,000 people held in slavery in Louisiana, original slave cabins, outbuildings, and an owner’s house built in 1790.
But what is most touching about Whitney Plantation is its children’s slave statues and the history of children’s slavery. Whitney Plantation owner John Cummings commissioned artist Woodrow Nash to create a series of sculptures that represented the former slaves who lived here.
The statues – modeled using original photos – are set in the church, sitting on porches and outside of buildings. You shudder as you look into their empty eyes. You can imagine the suffering of slaves. Check out availability of this tour by entering your trip date below:
The best Whitney Plantation tours from New Orleans
We can highly recommend this Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans. It’s a guided tour that has huge knowledge and introduces you to slavery and Louisiana plantation history. Pack a tissue for rubbing the tears. It is one of the best plantations to visit in New Orleans.
This tour and plantation are a bit different from Oak Alley Plantation. Whitney Plantation presents a lot more in-depth history from the perspective of the slaves. It is a very emotional and informational tour. In our opinion, it is one of the best New Orleans plantation tours which touch you deeply.
On the way to the Whitney Plantation, you will see the marsh of Lake Pontchartrain and an elevated expressway going through the Louisiana swamp.
One of the reviews of this trip is: “This was an excellent tour. It is self-guided with a device and headphones but I loved that because I could go at my own pace. Our bus tour guide John was awesome and told us so much about New Orleans! Definitely recommend this place to visit.”
Laura Plantation New Orleans
History of Laura Plantation New Orleans
Laura Plantation is named after its owner, Laura Locoul, who lived to almost 100 years old. Originally purchased by Laura’s family in 1804, this over 200-year-old sugar plantation has three gardens, Creole architectural accents, and colors. The Laura Plantation Big House is full of antiques, artwork, and decorated rooms. Four generations of Creole families lived here, with four generations of women running the plantation.
The best Laura Plantation tours from New Orleans
If you want to visit this plantation, choose the Laura Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans. This Creole plantation is notable for its colorful manor house. It is one of the best historic plantations in the region. You can admire unique Creole architecture, gardens, and sugar cane fields. It is one of the best plantations to visit in New Orleans.
However, if you have your own car, you can get there on your own. Just book an entrance ticket with a 75-minute guided tour to skip the line.
Combo New Orleans Plantation Tours & Swamp Tours
If you only have one day for additional trips during your visit to New Orleans, combine the plantation tour with a swamp boat trip. In a separate article, we describe and show photos of alligators, raccoons, and turtles from the best swamp tours in Louisiana.
It’s a fabulous wildlife adventure, and swamp boat trips are an amazing experience; you can combine those two activities!
Oak Alley & Airboat Swamp Tour
On a guided day trip, Oak Alley Plantation & Airboat Swamp Combo Tour, you can visit the iconic Oak Alley Plantation and enjoy an exciting airboat tour in the Barataria Basin. This combo tour from New Orleans includes tickets and pickup.
After entering the date of your trip to New Orleans, you can check the price and availability of the combo tour!
Moreover, you can consider the Whitney Plantation and Swamp Tour Combo or Oak Alley Plantation and Large Airboat Swamp Tour. It depends on which plantation you want to see most.
We love Oak Alley and highly recommend visiting it, as it’s an iconic place, especially for a first visit to New Orleans. Our second choice is Whitney Plantation and Swamp Tour Combo because you have an additional stop at Evergreen Plantation, where Django Unchained was filmed.
Moreover, it’s a place where Queen Sugar, the miniseries on the Oprah Winfrey Network, was filmed. In our opinion, it is one of the best New Orleans plantation tours combined with Louisiana swamps.
How to prepare for New Orlenas plantation tours?
Most of the time, plantation tours are outside, so we recommend preparing for the weather appropriately. Take comfortable walking shoes, a light windshield jacket, or a hoodie. Also, pack an umbrella or raincoat. During summer visits, also remember about sunscreen, sun hut, and bug spray.
New Orleans plantation homes make a great impression. These places will remain in your memory forever. For sure, they are a must-see during the New Orleans trips.
If you are interested in the history of slavery, it is also worth visiting The Historic New Orleans Collection. THNOC is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to preserving the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South.
A list of plantations in Louisiana and plantation houses in Louisiana that are National Historic Landmarks, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or are otherwise significant for their history can check here.
Do you like it? Pin it!
Now I am going to have to admit, about twenty years ago plantation and similiar places like this did not interest me in the slightest. Then my youngest brother moved over to the USA to work at a plantation (we are from the UK), I visited it whilst he was there and got a tour and I was amazed! It is so much different (and bigger) in the states. This plantation I would certinaley do a visit when I eventually get to New Orleans (it is on the list), but here, there is more history. I know slaverly can still be a hot topic and it is something I would want my young children to know, why it is wrong and why it is part of the history of the UK/USA, the lessons to learn from it. It is a huge subject, but to understand something like this, I always say you learn more at the places where events took place or in museums (much better than stuck at a desk in a classroom). I can understand what you felt when you saw the children slaves here, the only experience of this I have had (but not slaverly), was at Auschwitz in Poland and seeing photos of children at the death camps and reading what they experienced and what the Nazi Doctors did to them still haunts to me to this day. Great blog post and would love to explore here.
Wow, I think visiting a plantation is a wonderful idea for self-education on racial injustices that occurred not too long ago. It must have been a very emotionally moving journey. So great that New Orleans keeps these tours available for long-standing public education. Thanks for sharing!
The swamp tour sounds very interesting. I am certainly going to watch True Detective and The Vampire Diaries now. The children’s statues are heart wrenching though. The plantation looks beautiful but the slavery past is a little overwhelming.
I have always wanted to visit New Orleans one day, but to be honest I never thought of visiting a Plantation. It’s definitely something I feel a bit hesitant about visiting, but at the same time I think it is important that people are educated about the dark history of slavery and the lasting impacts that it has had.
On the other hand, the swamp tour sounds really interesting, that would be so cool to see an alligator up close!
Those old houses in New Orleans are quite similar to many old Victorian houses and buildings here in Australia. It is amazing that New Orleans has preserved these places. So much history that tells a story, that needs to tell the new generation and not to forget.
As someone who loved public street art & sculptures, I’m really intrigued by the ones here in New Orleans, depicting the difficult past of the region and the people. Oak Alley Plantations is indeed picturesque. No wonder it was used for filming movies. The Children Slave Statues are just so touching indeed. The imagine the difficulties that they have endured, it is just so heart-wrenching.
Learning about the slavery past pained me quite a lot. But this destination is otherwise fabulous. Being inside a plantation area has it’s own charm and I can feel it right here. Reminds me of our visit to a tea plantation although the experience was a whole lot different. Would love the Swamp tour which would be a good change as have never experienced anything like this before.
Woah! I did not realize there are many plantation tours available in New Orleans. I am particularly interested in visiting the Oak Alley Plantation and see those centuries-old oaks. Thank you for sharing these.
I’m in the southern US, but I haven’t even been to New Orleans. I need to change that! It’s so good that they honor the slaves by teaching the history. It’s so important to focus on them b/c they were such a huge part of daily life. I also had no idea you could take a swamp tour – so fun!
I had no idea there were so many plantations available to tour in NO. I love your photos and how they help to tell the story of the dark time in our country for slaves.
I have never been to New Orleans and would love a chance to visit to learn more about the history. Thank you for making recommendations on places as well as tips for visiting. Very thorough post.
We have not yet taken a plantation tour on our visits to New Orleans. But those views certainly bring up echos of Gone With The Wind in my mind. A great way to get a glimpse of a different era in the south. I would love to do a combo tour although I may be too freaked out about the idea of alligators to be that close to the water in the swamp.
Loved this post. The plantations have always been something that has fascinated me but i think i’d find myself crying too.
My first trip to the US was to the so-called Deep South and the still existing ‘segregation’ was quite shocking for a European. Since I wasn’t all wrapped in the gone-with-the-wind-feel but was mainly interested in how ‘the other half’, hence the slaves, lived, I go asked if I was doing studies. Yet, New Orleans was one of the less rassist cities on that trip – and I also went on a tour to the plantations and the bayous. No matter what – inspiring memories.
Those tree tunnels are so iconic! I have not been to Louisiana yet, but it’s high up on my list. Definitely going to visit for the food, and also to learn about the history, even though it’s sad I feel that it’s important in the history of our country.
This is the side of New Orleans we have not explored. I will remember the Oak Valley Plantation Tour. Those photos are awesome!
I love plantation tours. And New Orleans seem to have quite a lot of them! A comprehensive guide I must say!
Thanks for this post . I am very interested in learning about the history of slavery in Lousiana. I visited museums in West Africa, in Togo and Senegal, where the journy of many slaves started. Are the plantation tours done by PoC?