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2247 Highway 18
Vacherie, LA 70090
Phone: 888-799-7690
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The "Laura" that the plantation is now named for is Laura Lacoul, the granddaughter of the home’s first owner. Laura kept an extensive diary of the plantation’s daily affairs, making life on this farm and home among the best-documented and researched in all of the South. So while tours of other plantations may deal in generalities, this home prides itself on specifics, and there are over 300 family heirlooms on display throughout the house. Also of note are the slave cabins behind the house. The story goes that it was here that the now famous Br’er Rabbit stories were first collected from enslaved workers living on the plantation.
Longue Vue House
7 Bamboo Rd
New Orleans, LA 70124-1007
Phone: 504-488-5488
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This estate and grounds look like something out of an old English novel. In fact, this stately mansion was built in the 1940s, but its architecture WAS based on those classic European styles. Inside the house, there are many of the original furnishings, and guided tours are given of this twenty-room mansion on a daily basis. With its lovely landscaping the home may be more gorgeous on the outside than on the inside.
Louisiana State Museum
Jackson Square
New Orleans, LA 70116
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On either side of the St. Louis Cathredral are two historic buildings which now house the Louisiana State Museum. One, the Cabildo, was the seat of colonial government in Louisiana in the 18th century. Throughout this grand old building are numerous relics from the state’s sometimes colorful past. It was here in the Cabildo, in a meeting room on the second floor, that the paperwork was signed for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Also part of the Louisiana State Museum is the building on the other side of the cathedral, the Presbetère. This building, originally built for the priests of the Cathedral, houses a comprehensive exhibit dedicated to the New Orleans Mardi Gras. This permanent exhibit traces the history of Mardi Gras from its earliest days in New Orleans, and it’s got some great historical artifacts from days gone by on display.
820 Saint Louis St
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: 504-525-5661
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The Hermann-Grima House is a perfect specimen of 19th century life here in the Quarter. Built in 1831, the house looks a bit out place in the French Quarter for good reason. It was designed in the Georgian style, popular on the East Coast of the U.S., and was perhaps the first home in the Quarter to be influenced by American architectural styles. Inside the home are all the expected trappings of upper class life, from the front parlor and dining room, to the washroom in the back of the house, to the elegant bedrooms on the second floor. For nearly 100 years, this house has been in the careful hands of the city’s Christian Women’s Exchange, and they have taken great pains to see that every detail of the house is an authentic recreation of antebellum life here in the French Quarter.
Historic New Orleans Collection
533 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: 504-523-4662
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As one might guess from the name, the Collection is actually several different structures that are open to visitors. Highlights of a visit here include the Counting House, with its beautiful meeting room. In addition to the meticulously preserved homes, there’s a second floor museum full of artifacts and memorabilia of Louisiana History. Between the homes here are three breathtaking courtyards, which are the very height of French-influenced Southern elegance.
Jackson Square
Around St. Peter & Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
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This lively public square was originally called the Place d’Armes. But, after the famous Battle of New Orleans in 1814, the square was renamed after the hero of that battle, future president Andrew Jackson. These days a statue of Jackson on horseback is the centerpiece of the square, and every day, the area around the statue teems with artists, street musicians, fortunetellers and pretty much anyone else with something to sell. With the St. Louis Cathedral, Louisiana State Museum, and French Market all nearby, the square is the unofficial heart of the French Quarter.