White columns span the entire façade of the beautifully restored antebellum home, while a massive 200-year-old live oak tree offers a shady retreat nearby. Its swaying Spanish moss bears witness to a gentle breeze. On cue, a handsome couple appears on the veranda. Her hooped dress and parasol, his brocade vest and topcoat, seem to be straight out of the 1800s. This isn’t a movie set, a time warp, or an apparition. It’s Destrehan Plantation — a living history museum!
The plantation has, in fact, been filmed in several movies and TV shows, including Interview with the Vampire, Four Weddings, and NCIS — New Orleans. But the bygone scene you’ll see on your visit isn’t a set with actors. They’re costumed historic interpreters who lead tours and share their love of Destrehan Plantation with guests.
Destrehan Plantation is just 23 miles west of New Orleans’ French Quarter but a world away. Situated near the mighty Mississippi, the plantation is the oldest documented plantation in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Your costumed guides will walk you through the plantation’s place in history from its construction starting in 1787 to its life today as a museum and iconic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As they share family stories from both the free and enslaved people, you’ll gain an appreciation for life on Destrehan Plantation. In the mansion’s Legacy Room, you’ll see Destrehan family heirlooms and learn about Jean Noel Destrehan, a sugar baron and U.S. Senator. In the Jefferson Room, you’ll have the rare privilege of viewing Thomas Jefferson’s and James Madison’s signatures on a document that named Destrehan to the Orleans Territorial Council.
After a guided tour of the plantation home and pre-Civil War slave quarters, you can continue with a self-guided tour through the dependency buildings. These outbuildings include a cookhouse, a school, and a barn with displays on sugar, cotton, and indigo crops. The overseer’s cabin is now the Miller-Haydel Museum. Inside, an exhibit on the 1811 German Coast Uprising delves into one of the largest slave revolts in U.S. history. The Rost Home Colony display, on the other hand, highlights the transition of the plantation to a safe haven, education center, and hospital for newly freed slaves. Live demonstrations and in-depth talks offer even more insight into the plantation’s history.
Destrehan Plantation is clearly right up a history lover’s alley. But it checks all the boxes for ghost hunters, too! The property, it seems, has plenty of lingering spirits. On a haunted plantation tour led by a paranormal investigator, you’ll look for proof of their ethereal existence!
If the thought of encountering the un-alive sends chills up your spine, it’s best to stick with a daytime visit! Destrehan Plantation’s combo group tours are great options. These tours pair Destrehan Plantation with a visit to the Houmas House plantation home, a swamp boat tour, a Cajun cooking class, or a sumptuous feast fit for a sugar baron. No matter what you choose, you won’t need to sleep with the lights on!
Special events throughout the year also combine plantation tours with festivals, garden and pet shows, craft and antique fairs, live music, and out-of-this-world food. The plantation’s lush and shady gardens provide a lovely setting for the festivities.
And speaking of lovely settings, you can reserve the grounds and historic barn for your dream wedding. Imagine saying your “I do” under the majestic oak tree, celebrating with your family and friends in the rustic elegance of the Mule Barn, and spending your first night as Mr. and Mrs. in the charming Marie Celeste Creole Cottage.
To purchase tickets for your visit or to learn more about the plantation’s tours, events, and amenities, check out Destrehan Plantation’s official website.
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