It's undeniable that the house & gardens are beautiful, and offer some wonderful photographic opportunities, particularly the majestic Burnside oak. I was taken aback, however, when our tour guide introduced himself and, almost in the same breath, said that slavery would not be the focus of the tour, or even discussed. It just doesn't sit right with me that this establishment, which once held more than 800 slaves in the 1850s & 1860s -- making it "the center of the largest slave holding in Louisiana," per the National Park Service -- does not want to even broach this aspect of its history. The Houmas House's website does not make this clear in its "Mansion" tour description. (In fact, if you're looking for mention of slavery on the website, you'll have to go digging for it under the About section, where you'll find one reference to the number of slaves held (150) that grossly differs from that reported by the NPS.) Our guide, though obviously very knowledgeable about the particulars of the mansion's decor and previous owners, came across as robotic and indifferent to our enjoyment of the interior spaces we were being shown. He rushed from one room to another without soliciting questions. When we paused in any of the rooms to take a few photos after he'd finished speaking, he would move on to the next room and continue his talking points even though we weren't physically present in the room with him. (Please note that we were the only two people on the tour.) It was almost comical. Beyond all that, the check-in staff & gift shop cashier weren't very welcoming, despite there being very few visitors that Monday afternoon. Edit to address Mr. Kevin's response: We did not visit the Great River Road Museum, as our itinerary did not allow time for it. If that is indeed the case, that it discusses slavery in depth, perhaps your tour guides (and your website tour descriptions) should make that clear, instead of having your visitors show up, only to tell them, "We're not discussing slavery." Also, I'm curious why your reply didn't address the other things I mentioned in my review, such as the robotic, rushed nature of the tour or the unfriendliness of the staff.
Glendene W.
The estate and grounds are are beautiful. There is no arguing that. However, I was disappointed and outraged that there was no mention of the contributions that black slaves made to the running of the estate. It is unlikely that Houma would be standing today without the contribution of Black people. In addition, there was barely any mention of how the property was acquired From indigenous peoples, except for a brief mention that it was purchased from them. I think it is the responsibility of establishments such as Houmas to tell and reveal the full history in all of its details no matter how painful it is. We owe this to Black Americans, and we owe this to the indigenous peoples of the United States. The museum was closed on the day that I went because of a wedding. It is quite possible that they make mention of these people and their contributions in the museum, but it was not mentioned on the tour.
NurseLady H.
Susanna gave a great tour. This is a beautiful home with gorgeous gardens. The bar and restaurant were awesome. They allow pets to go on the tour which is awesome! There is also a walking bridge to the river...gorgeous views. Definitely worth the drive from Nola!
Paul L.
We recently toured the Houmas house. Our tour guide was Susanna. I am happy to say that her tour was inciteful, informative and gracious. Her focus on the history of the house, the various owners, and the positive impact it and they played in the history of the area and our country was quite refreshing! A fascinating tour and a most excellent guide!!
Anessa J.
We really enjoyed our tour of Houmas House. The house and grounds are beautiful and rich in history. Our tour guide, Evelyn, was extremely knowledgeable and fun.
McKinleigh A.
I recently took a trip to Louisiana. Before we even left our home we looked at top things to do in Louisiana. This plantation was one of them. After doing the tour I would have rather skipped and saved some money. First I believe that this plantation was overpriced. It was about $95 for two adults and one child. For only the house and gardens. Also the restaurants were really pricey. We did not get a map like most of the other plantations. So it is very confusing to get around. When we did our house tour we felt weird and pretty bad. The owner lives in the mansion that you tour. It made me feel very uncomfortable that we were going to go in the room of the owner. Yes! We went into the owners bedroom! Our tour guide was not great. She would get very side tracked while talking about the rooms. Also she talked about another plantation and I don't feel like that is appropriate to talk about another successful business during a tour or even inside of the plantation. I don't think that there was enough information about the slavery on the land. I don't think that you should have to be charged more money to go see another museum. Inside the house had a different era in every room. Sometimes the room had mixed eras as well. We would have preferred a more natural and restored exhibit. You could tell that all of the money they make is put into the gardens. It is very up-kept but the house needs some repairs. Talking about your dogs is not something that is historical. I feel like it would have been more appropriate to talk a little bit more about the history of the plantation or even a little bit more about the house. I don't really think that coming here would benefit you in learning ways. I feel like there are more beautiful plantations you could go to that replicate the era.
Dorothy C.
An extremely well maintained and beautiful plantation. Full of exotic wildlife. (make sure to say hello to the peacock)! The house tour concerns the history of the specific building and its architecture. You aren't going to get much surrounding history of the area or how the civil war affected it from the house tour. The River Road museum by the gift shop is a must see, and has more historical information from the time of the Oumas tribe to present day about the history of the area.
Shelley U.
This place is the bomb for lunch or dinner. Ask for Hunter and Parker who are servers and so sweet and attentive. If you get the chance to have lunch and walk the grounds I highly recommend this place. Off the chart good.
Lynette R.
My sister and I just had lunch here at the carriage house. Hunter was our server which was awesome. He has a brother here Parker that also works with them. We had a bisque curry, pumpkin crawfish, corn soup, which was to die for. Then we also had a roasted beet salad. Then we decided to have the diver scallops, which was a scallops that was seared with a humus beehive, honey sauce, the bomb. then we had the Cajun shrimp, avocado toast folks. You got to try it. We also had a bottle of champagne with me and a brandy Alexander. We are now sitting in the courtyard having to cosmopolitans in front of a water fountain that is just unbelievable. If you're ever in this area, please please come and experience this plantation.
Darlene F.
Very interesting tour. Many things from daily life from years ago. Very well preserved. The garden was beautiful and so well-maintained. Susanna was a fantastic guide. She is so knowledgeable and really fun.
What a beautiful place! The trees and gardens always seem to enhance a historic plantation building in Louisiana. And the history of the various owners, the house's main source of income (sugar) and the amazing additions to the house made this visit special. Our guide Darren was very knowledgeable and attentive and answered our group's questions.
Angela W.
Houmas House is definitely worth the visit. The grounds are beautiful and equally as impressive as the house. All of the employees ... from the grounds people to the housekeepers and restaurant staff were super friendly and helpful. We stayed at the cottages on the grounds and ate at Latil's. We had a five course meal that was one of the best meals I have eaten. The owner of the house, who did not identify himself as the owner, actually gave the group in front of mine a tour of the house. I only knew he was the owner after I did some Google research. We did not visit the museum on the grounds but it looked like it would have been worth it. You won't be disappointed with a stop at the Houmas House
Kathy B.
Two things to tour here. The Museum was a great surprise. Well done. Variety of featured informative exhibits. And all of the furniture was absolutely jaw dropping.The gardens are beautiful with sculptures and swans and peacocks. The Houma house itself was gorgeous. Our tour guide was well versed in the history of the house and very funny.
Nancy F.
Went for the plantation experience. Stayed for lunch. Soups were really salty. Otherwise our meal was very nice in a very elegant surrounding.
Sophie Hafner
Very accommodating guide. It would have been nice to have a German translation.
It's undeniable that the house & gardens are beautiful, and offer some wonderful photographic opportunities, particularly the majestic Burnside oak. I was taken aback, however, when our tour guide introduced himself and, almost in the same breath, said that slavery would not be the focus of the tour, or even discussed. It just doesn't sit right with me that this establishment, which once held more than 800 slaves in the 1850s & 1860s -- making it "the center of the largest slave holding in Louisiana," per the National Park Service -- does not want to even broach this aspect of its history. The Houmas House's website does not make this clear in its "Mansion" tour description. (In fact, if you're looking for mention of slavery on the website, you'll have to go digging for it under the About section, where you'll find one reference to the number of slaves held (150) that grossly differs from that reported by the NPS.) Our guide, though obviously very knowledgeable about the particulars of the mansion's decor and previous owners, came across as robotic and indifferent to our enjoyment of the interior spaces we were being shown. He rushed from one room to another without soliciting questions. When we paused in any of the rooms to take a few photos after he'd finished speaking, he would move on to the next room and continue his talking points even though we weren't physically present in the room with him. (Please note that we were the only two people on the tour.) It was almost comical. Beyond all that, the check-in staff & gift shop cashier weren't very welcoming, despite there being very few visitors that Monday afternoon. Edit to address Mr. Kevin's response: We did not visit the Great River Road Museum, as our itinerary did not allow time for it. If that is indeed the case, that it discusses slavery in depth, perhaps your tour guides (and your website tour descriptions) should make that clear, instead of having your visitors show up, only to tell them, "We're not discussing slavery." Also, I'm curious why your reply didn't address the other things I mentioned in my review, such as the robotic, rushed nature of the tour or the unfriendliness of the staff.
The estate and grounds are are beautiful. There is no arguing that. However, I was disappointed and outraged that there was no mention of the contributions that black slaves made to the running of the estate. It is unlikely that Houma would be standing today without the contribution of Black people. In addition, there was barely any mention of how the property was acquired From indigenous peoples, except for a brief mention that it was purchased from them. I think it is the responsibility of establishments such as Houmas to tell and reveal the full history in all of its details no matter how painful it is. We owe this to Black Americans, and we owe this to the indigenous peoples of the United States. The museum was closed on the day that I went because of a wedding. It is quite possible that they make mention of these people and their contributions in the museum, but it was not mentioned on the tour.
Susanna gave a great tour. This is a beautiful home with gorgeous gardens. The bar and restaurant were awesome. They allow pets to go on the tour which is awesome! There is also a walking bridge to the river...gorgeous views. Definitely worth the drive from Nola!
We recently toured the Houmas house. Our tour guide was Susanna. I am happy to say that her tour was inciteful, informative and gracious. Her focus on the history of the house, the various owners, and the positive impact it and they played in the history of the area and our country was quite refreshing! A fascinating tour and a most excellent guide!!
We really enjoyed our tour of Houmas House. The house and grounds are beautiful and rich in history. Our tour guide, Evelyn, was extremely knowledgeable and fun.
I recently took a trip to Louisiana. Before we even left our home we looked at top things to do in Louisiana. This plantation was one of them. After doing the tour I would have rather skipped and saved some money. First I believe that this plantation was overpriced. It was about $95 for two adults and one child. For only the house and gardens. Also the restaurants were really pricey. We did not get a map like most of the other plantations. So it is very confusing to get around. When we did our house tour we felt weird and pretty bad. The owner lives in the mansion that you tour. It made me feel very uncomfortable that we were going to go in the room of the owner. Yes! We went into the owners bedroom! Our tour guide was not great. She would get very side tracked while talking about the rooms. Also she talked about another plantation and I don't feel like that is appropriate to talk about another successful business during a tour or even inside of the plantation. I don't think that there was enough information about the slavery on the land. I don't think that you should have to be charged more money to go see another museum. Inside the house had a different era in every room. Sometimes the room had mixed eras as well. We would have preferred a more natural and restored exhibit. You could tell that all of the money they make is put into the gardens. It is very up-kept but the house needs some repairs. Talking about your dogs is not something that is historical. I feel like it would have been more appropriate to talk a little bit more about the history of the plantation or even a little bit more about the house. I don't really think that coming here would benefit you in learning ways. I feel like there are more beautiful plantations you could go to that replicate the era.
An extremely well maintained and beautiful plantation. Full of exotic wildlife. (make sure to say hello to the peacock)! The house tour concerns the history of the specific building and its architecture. You aren't going to get much surrounding history of the area or how the civil war affected it from the house tour. The River Road museum by the gift shop is a must see, and has more historical information from the time of the Oumas tribe to present day about the history of the area.
This place is the bomb for lunch or dinner. Ask for Hunter and Parker who are servers and so sweet and attentive. If you get the chance to have lunch and walk the grounds I highly recommend this place. Off the chart good.
My sister and I just had lunch here at the carriage house. Hunter was our server which was awesome. He has a brother here Parker that also works with them. We had a bisque curry, pumpkin crawfish, corn soup, which was to die for. Then we also had a roasted beet salad. Then we decided to have the diver scallops, which was a scallops that was seared with a humus beehive, honey sauce, the bomb. then we had the Cajun shrimp, avocado toast folks. You got to try it. We also had a bottle of champagne with me and a brandy Alexander. We are now sitting in the courtyard having to cosmopolitans in front of a water fountain that is just unbelievable. If you're ever in this area, please please come and experience this plantation.
Very interesting tour. Many things from daily life from years ago. Very well preserved. The garden was beautiful and so well-maintained. Susanna was a fantastic guide. She is so knowledgeable and really fun.
Restaurantji Recommends
What a beautiful place! The trees and gardens always seem to enhance a historic plantation building in Louisiana. And the history of the various owners, the house's main source of income (sugar) and the amazing additions to the house made this visit special. Our guide Darren was very knowledgeable and attentive and answered our group's questions.
Houmas House is definitely worth the visit. The grounds are beautiful and equally as impressive as the house. All of the employees ... from the grounds people to the housekeepers and restaurant staff were super friendly and helpful. We stayed at the cottages on the grounds and ate at Latil's. We had a five course meal that was one of the best meals I have eaten. The owner of the house, who did not identify himself as the owner, actually gave the group in front of mine a tour of the house. I only knew he was the owner after I did some Google research. We did not visit the museum on the grounds but it looked like it would have been worth it. You won't be disappointed with a stop at the Houmas House
Two things to tour here. The Museum was a great surprise. Well done. Variety of featured informative exhibits. And all of the furniture was absolutely jaw dropping.The gardens are beautiful with sculptures and swans and peacocks. The Houma house itself was gorgeous. Our tour guide was well versed in the history of the house and very funny.
Went for the plantation experience. Stayed for lunch. Soups were really salty. Otherwise our meal was very nice in a very elegant surrounding.
Very accommodating guide. It would have been nice to have a German translation.