LAURA PLANTATION

One of the most comprehensive tours, it tells the story of the owning family, discusses slavery and addresses the cultural differences between Creoles and Americans. The tour is based on the memoirs of Laura, one of the plantation owners, who recounts nearly a hundred years of Creole life. Indeed, this Creole plantation is different from others, both in style and in operation. The house has been restored in the original colors and the interior is decorated in the style of the time. It was built in the Creole style in 1805 and has preserved a dozen buildings, the slave huts, the two residential buildings and the sheds. The guided tour was written thanks to research done on site and at the National Archives in Paris. You will not find here any crinoline dresses or mint juleps sipped languorously on the porch of the house. On the other hand, it is explained that behind the beautiful main house where a white family lived, slaves lived who had brought with them culture and traditions from Senegal. A plantation was nothing more than a community whose goal was to make the whole farm prosper. The guides also talk about the differences in morals and, more importantly, business, between Creoles and Americans, and how the Creoles had to adapt to preserve their business after the Louisiana Purchase. Following a fire in 2004, it has been restored to its original condition with the expertise of craftsmen who specialize in preserving the distinctive features of Louisiana architecture.

Don't miss this excellent visit, very different from the others, to be coupled with the viewing of the very good documentary videos available online on the plantation's website. Also noteworthy is the opening in spring 2017 of a small museum, accessible on a self-guided tour, tracing the lives of some of the plantation's slaves, which, by exploring various facets of these particular lives, hints at a reality that was widespread at the time. The pretty store allows you to bring back some nice souvenirs, including the "Memoirs of Laura" translated into French. You can continue the story of the Duparc-Locoul family saga by taking the guided tour offered by Le Monde Créole in the French Quarter in New Orleans or by contacting Joseph Dunn (himself a historian-researcher at Laura's Plantation and offering guided tours, also in New Orleans).