The Oak Alley plantation is a historic plantation that can been found between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
It was founded in 1837 by the brother of the governor of Louisiana at the time.
It is especially recognized by its manor and its grand entrance, but it also has a pleasant garden in the 182 hectares of wooded area that surrounds it.
These southern holm oaks have been there since the beginning of the 18th century, long before the house was built.
This magnificent path stretches for a distance of approximately 800 feet long.
We can see how big these 300 years old trees are in comparison of the people.
The interior visit allows us to see the extravagance of the place and to see how these wealthy plantation owners lived at the time.
The mansion was built from 1837 to 1839 by slaves, but obviously they did not have the luxury of enjoying these facilities.
In 1866, after the end of slavery in the USA and the astronomical cost of maintenance, the plantation was auctioned off and fell into disrepair in the 1920s before being converted into a cattle ranch in 1925.
In the 1960s, the plantation made a comeback by exploiting the sugar cane again.
Following the death of the last owner in 1972, we can now visit this plantation as it now belongs to a foundation that runs it as a museum.
Here we can see part of the French style garden from the manor and it is ideal for a nice walk before leaving.
The tour is interesting, but you will not learn much about the slaves and the problems of the place.
The visit being rather focus on the charm of the house and the oaks trees which make it famous.
Photo taken with a Canon PowerShot A620.
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