Things to do nearWhitney Plantation
Whitney Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana is a sobering and essential museum dedicated to the lives of enslaved people, their labor, and their lasting legacy.
Whitney Plantation opened as a museum in 2014 after decades of private restoration work by attorney John Cummings, who spent years researching the history of the site and commissioning memorials to the people enslaved there. The plantation dates to the late eighteenth century and was originally established by German immigrant Ambroise Heidel. Over generations it passed through several hands and grew into a sugar-producing operation built entirely on enslaved labor.
The museum's approach sets it apart from nearly every other historic plantation site in the South. Visitors encounter the stories of enslaved individuals by name through a series of memorials, including the Wall of Honor, which lists thousands of people enslaved in Louisiana, and the Field of Angels, a memorial to enslaved children who died in St. John the Baptist Parish. Sculptures by artist Woodrow Nash depict the faces of enslaved children and are placed throughout the grounds with quiet, arresting presence.
The preserved structures include a Creole-style big house, a detached kitchen, slave cabins, a church, and a jail, all of which are incorporated into the guided tour. Docents draw on firsthand accounts gathered from the Works Progress Administration slave narratives of the 1930s, giving voice to people who lived and worked at Whitney Plantation and on surrounding properties.
There are no restaurants on site, and the experience is intentionally solemn rather than recreational. Whitney Plantation is worth visiting precisely because it refuses easy comfort, offering instead a carefully documented, deeply human account of American history that few other places are willing to tell so directly.
7-day forecast
Chance of rainTips for visiting Whitney Plantation
Visit on a weekday morning when crowds are thinner and the guided tour moves at a more reflective pace.
Wear comfortable walking shoes, as the tour covers considerable ground across the outdoor memorial fields and historic structures.
Bring water and dress for the weather, since much of the Whitney Plantation experience takes place outdoors in Louisiana's heat and humidity.
Allow at least two to three hours for the full guided tour, which is the primary and most meaningful way to experience the site.
Stop at the Wall of Honor and the Field of Angels memorial before leaving, as these installations are among the most affecting on the grounds.
Top tours & experiences near Whitney Plantation
Explore a 4-Hour River Road Plantation Tour
Choose a River Road plantation and tour with a local docent
Kayak Manchac Swamp & Whitney Plantation Tour
Paddle Manchac Swamp and tour Whitney Plantation in one day
Whitney Plantation & Airboat Swamp Tour from New Orleans
Reflect on Louisiana history and ride through the swamps by airboat
Self-Guided Oak Alley Plantation Tour
Visit Oak Alley and explore at your own pace with a self-guided audio tour
Whitney Plantation Self-Guided Audio Tour
Explore Whitney Plantation at your pace with an app-guided tour that illuminates the history and legacies of slavery.
Maurepas Swamp & Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans
Tour Whitney Plantation and ride a small boat through Maurepas Swamp, with Cajun lunch
Private Chauffeured 2-Plantation Tour from New Orleans
Pair Oak Alley with your choice of Laura or Whitney
Oak Alley Plantation Guided Tour From New Orleans
Explore Oak Alley's history, exhibits, and oak-lined grounds
Explore 2 River Road Plantations From New Orleans
Visit two River Road plantations with private transportation and docent-led tours
Whitney Plantation & Airboat Swamp Tour from New Orleans
Explore Louisiana’s history, then ride through the swamps by small airboat
Full-Day Whitney Plantation & New Orleans Black History Tour
Visit Whitney Plantation and trace Black history from plantation grounds to city streets
Whitney Plantation 90-Minute Guided Tour in Edgard
Walk the Whitney Plantation with a guided visit that includes big house access
Private 2-Plantation Tour from New Orleans
Pair plantation history with a three-course restaurant lunch
Swamp Boat & Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans
Explore Oak Alley’s historic grounds and cruise the private Manchac Swamp
Whitney Plantation Guided Tour from New Orleans
Go beyond the audio program with an expert guide
Swamp & Plantation Combo Tour
Visit your choice of Oak Alley, Laura, or Whitney Plantation with roundtrip transportation and admission included.
Whitney Plantation & Airboat Swamp Tour From New Orleans
Tour Whitney Plantation, then ride a narrated small airboat swamp tour
6-Hour Whitney Plantation Audio Tour
Explore the stories and memorials of Whitney Plantation
New Orleans Whitney Plantation Self-Guided Tour
Hear first-person narratives at Louisiana's slavery-focused plantation museum
Swamp Boat & River Road Plantation Tour from New Orleans
Explore Whitney's slavery-history museum and cruise the Manchac Swamp
Explore Whitney Plantation Audio Tour From New Orleans
Visit Whitney Plantation with self-guided audio and roundtrip transportation
Explore Oak Alley & Whitney Plantation Audio Tour
Visit Whitney and Oak Alley plantations on a 7.5-hour audio tour
Explore Whitney Plantation & Swamp Airboat Tour
Visit Whitney Plantation and ride a large airboat swamp tour from New Orleans
Whitney Plantation & Swamp Boat Tour From New Orleans
Explore plantation history and cruise Louisiana swamps by covered boat