Laura Plantation, Historic plantation in St. James Parish, Louisiana, United States
The plantation features a Creole-style main house, six original slave cabins, and multiple outbuildings spread across 37 acres near the Mississippi River.
Guillaume Duparc established the plantation in 1804 after petitioning Thomas Jefferson for land during the Louisiana Purchase, constructing the main house between 1804 and 1805.
The plantation holds a collection of Louisiana Creole versions of Br'er Rabbit stories, gathered by scholar Alcée Fortier from former slaves in the 1870s.
The plantation offers guided tours daily, allowing visitors to explore the restored main house, slave quarters, and gardens while learning about Louisiana's sugar industry.
Laura Locoul Gore's detailed memoirs provide a rare female perspective on plantation operations, documenting four generations of Creole family life from 1804 to 1891.
Location: St. James Parish
Website: https://lauraplantation.com
GPS coordinates: 30.00870,-90.72530
Latest update: May 27, 2025 10:05
Louisiana preserves a diverse heritage through its plantations, museums, and natural areas. This collection includes sites where French colonial architecture can be seen along the Cane River, plantation buildings like Melrose and Frogmore that reflect cotton farming and African-American history, and the archaeological site of Poverty Point with its mounds dating to 1700 BC. Museums record the settlement of German communities in Germantown, Acadian culture, and the political history of the state at the old Capitol in Baton Rouge. Gardens and parks provide access to the region's characteristic landscapes. Avery Island Botanical Garden features 70 hectares of vegetation on a natural salt dome, while the bayou wetlands host a variety of wildlife. Places like the Chauvin Art Garden add a modern aspect with sculptures along a waterway. This route allows exploration of different periods in Louisiana's history, from pre-Columbian cultures to developments in the 20th century.
Louisiana blends old neighborhoods, plantation houses, and diverse natural landscapes. The French Quarter of New Orleans keeps its 18th-century Spanish colonial architecture, with wrought-iron balconies and lively streets where jazz and the sounds of passersby fill the air. In Baton Rouge, the USS Kidd remembers World War II, while in Lafayette, the Vermilionville Museum celebrates the lives of early Acadian settlers with demonstrations of traditional crafts and cooking. Plantations like Laura or Rosedown open their doors to tell the rich story of the South, with restored outbuildings and gardens where time seems to stand still. Along the Gulf of Mexico, Holly Beach attracts families who come to swim, fish, or collect shells. Everywhere, Louisiana culture is part of daily life, seen in festivals like Mardi Gras with its parades filling the streets, in spicy dishes served in local restaurants, and in the music that accompanies every moment of the day.
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