Oak Alley Plantation Tour

Oak Alley:

Oak Alley Plantation is the Grande Dame of the Great River Road. Come enjoy her beauty & dream of her rich past!

At the time Oak Alley was built, the River Region sugar industry was flourishing, and a chain of stately plantations and their homes lined the banks of the Mississippi. Too many of these plantation homes since have been devoured by the passage of time, exposure to the elements and mankind's struggle to move on, but Oak Alley remains as a testimonial to the old South's golden age. There is a simple authenticity about her grandeur that reassures and frees the mind to contemplate and appreciate all facets of her existence. She offers the enchantment of one way of life without compromising the significance of another.

Her restoration in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Stewart was carefully planned so that the inclusion of modern plumbing and kitchen facilities would conform to the original architectural format. In restoring something of beauty one assumes the responsibility of resisting the temptation to add little "improvements". Adaptive restoration is somewhat more permissive, but at no time should it lose sight of the importance of preserving the very essence of the original. Inasmuch as the success of such a venture tends to be measured more by the lack of fundamental architectural changes rather than by the quantity, no matter how ingenious they might be, it is interesting to note that the Stewarts' efforts at Oak Alley resulted in what many architects regard as the finest remaining example of adaptive restoration.

Shortly before her death in 1972, Josephine Armstrong Stewart created the Oak Alley Foundation, a 501( c)(3) non-profit, charitable, literary, educational trust, so that, through the love and support of those who value a region's link to the past, the mansion and 25 acres of grounds would endure.

Fee – $82 per person Time - 8:45am to 4:15pm Includes - Transportation, licensed tour guide, lunch

For all inquiries: 1-800-366-8882 / jdazet@bigeasy.com