Journey to the Old South, a mere hour’s drive away from New Orleans. Upon arrival at this breath-taking plantation you will be swept away its first impression, the quarter-mile long drive way leading to the main house completely covered, like a tunnel, by 250-year-old oak trees. As a scene setter, it cannot be beaten.

Oak Alley was built in 1839 and belonged to the Roman family until shortly after the Civil War smashed the Southern slave-owning class. As you wander around the immaculately manicured estate and enter the elegant Big House, you will have a sense of just how privileged their lives were. It is hard to believe what unspeakable cruelty the other residents of this plantation suffered. Indeed, over the decades, many who have worked here have encountered ghosts. The human stories behind Oak Alley will be revealed by your guide.

The interior has been preserved to look like it would have during the heyday of the Roman family, who were French creoles. Antiques, four-poster beds, china dolls, candelabras… everything evokes that bygone era. Stand at the veranda and look out at the fields that would have been worked by the slaves in blistering heat while the masters were fanned.

Others
Video filming is not allowed inside the Big House.