Oak Alley Plantation (All Inclusive Private Tour From New Orleans)

Oak Alley Plantation (All Inclusive Private Tour From New Orleans)

In front of the plantation’s “Big House” stands a row of 28 evenly spaced 300 year old Southern Live Oaks. These trees are not only beautiful to look at, but the tunnel they form forces air from the river to the house, creating a continuous and cool breeze. While the alley trees are very old, the average age for a Live Oak is 600 years, making these only middle aged! The 28 trees, match the 28 columns on the “Big House”. The largest tree, “Josephine Stewart” has a girth of 30 ft in circumference and has a 127 ft. limb spread. Its namesake, Ms. Josephine, was the last owner of Oak Alley, and it was she who established the Oak Alley Foundation, which preserves the plantation today. A green fern grows on the trunk and limbs of the trees. This is called the “Resurrection Fern.” It gets its name because it dies back when there is not enough water, but with one good rain, the fern “resurrects” by turning bright green again. Come see one of the World's most famous plantations, OAK ALLEY!

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Oak Alley Plantation, 3645 Highway 18, Vacherie, LA 70090-7079

I'm Paul, a born & raised 49 year old native of New Orleans. I have given hundreds of tourists from around the world my Oak Alley Plantation Experience! Feel the gentle breeze of Southern hospitality on a tour that takes you back to the glory of the Old South! You'll experience a bygone era in one of the South’s most beautiful settings-Oak Alley Plantation. I will walk with you through each exhibit (The Landscape, The "Big House", The Sugarcane, The Slave Quarters, & The Blacksmith Shop) & share with you the history of this 200 year old plantation.

The Landscape: From its 28 evenly spaced 300 year old Southern Live Oak Trees to its open spaces, to its hidden nooks and crannies, Oak Alley’s landscape tells the story of a plantation in its evolution. Wide pastures stand where a Pecan Grove once thrived. A 1920’s formal garden quietly preserves the remains of a 1830’s kitchen hidden under its turf. As a landscape that speaks truthfully of its past with the parts that remain, it offers visitors an unrestricted opportunity to detach, contemplate, and imagine.

The "Big House": Plantation mansions were called “Big Houses” referencing their relative difference in stature compared to the enslaved dwellings and other outbuildings that made up the sugar plantation complex. The "Big House" at Oak Alley is no exception. Built with success, prestige and power in mind, the Oak Alley "Big House" commands attention. We will tour Jacques & Celina Roman’s "Greek Revival" style mansion, built in 1837 by their slaves. The architecture has classical elements, and is also well-suited to Louisiana’s weather.

The Sugarcane: With a 3 dimensional map of the Roman family empire & exhibit detailing how sugarcane was grown & processed when Oak Alley was an operating plantation as well as today. It is packed with stories of how the plantation functioned, & how important slavery was to creating the plantation and the mansion.

The Slave Quarters: Oak Alley as a sugar plantation was built by and relied on enslaved men, women, and children. This exhibit focuses on some of the individuals who were owned and kept on the plantation, their lives and living conditions. It also includes a look into life after emancipation, as laborers continued to live in the increasingly squalid housing until the 20th century.

The Blacksmith Shop: You will learn the enduring legacy of Louisiana craftsmen and share the history of forging metalwork on plantations.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The following is a list of productions filmed in part or entirely on location at Oak Alley Plantation:

Interview with a Vampire, Beyoncé's "Déjà Vu" Music Video & "B'Day", Days of our Lives, Nightrider, Primary Colors, Midnight Bayou, Ghost Hunters, Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, Dixie: Changing Habits, & The Long Hot Summer

Bring a camera, there will plenty of picturesque shots to take of Oak Alley's 200 hundred year old history.

Your Transportation, Admission, Lunch, & Beverages are included in the price of the experience.

THIS IS A PRIVATE EXPERIENCE, ONLY YOUR GROUP WILL ATTEND.

Duration: 4 hours