Originally named Bon Sejour, Oak Alley was built in 1837-39 by George Swainey for Jacques Telesphore Roman, brother of Andre Roman who was twice governor of Louisiana. Joseph Pilie, Jacques Telesphore Roman’s father-in-law, was an architect and is thought to have provided the design of Oak Alley. Square in plan, the interior has a central hall from front to rear on both floors. Rooms at the first floor rear were partitioned and adapted to modern uses at the time of restoration in the 1920s. Equally significant is the impressive double row of giant live oak trees which form the oak alley, about 800 feet long, from which the property derived its present name. Planted before the house was constructed in 1837, this formal planting is a historic landscape design long recognized for its beauty.

Recreated slave cabins house photographs, informational guides, and memorials to the many slaves who worked the plantation. When you experience the house, slave cabin exhibits, and grounds, you’ll get a firsthand experience of a traditional Antebellum plantation.

While visiting Oak Alley, be sure to enjoy the cafe and restaurant, which offer refreshing drinks, made to order meals, and traditional Southern fare like pralines and gumbo. Oak Alley tour guides will be dressed in traditional period garb to complete the immersive experience. And after you tour the house and snap shots of the famous Oak trees, take a walk through the many exhibits and slave cabins surrounding the house, which offer a more in-depth look at plantation life and the Antebellum era. You can easily spend a few hours or a full day exploring one of Louisiana’s most sought-out attractions. Before you leave, pick up a cookbook or souvenir from the expansive gift shop. Our tours fill up fast! Call 504-436-8000.