This is a beautiful home with gorgeous grounds. This was our 2nd visit, but our friend's first. She totally enjoyed it. Our guide, Sophie, was phenomenal. Her presentation and enthusiasm was well-noted. She definitely loved working there and definitely loved learning about the house. She had learned so much about the house, the time periods, the owners, and the history - that made the tour so much more interesting. It was nice to see that the owner lived on site and that he is keeping the integrity of the home and the grounds. Everyone should make this a stop on any trip in the area. read more

Darrow, LA a4* Houmas House Former known as the Sugar Palace Beautiful grounds with gardens, pond, and trees Greek Revival house with Doric columns read more

Amazing Tour and Museum Experience Houmas Plantation House is an amazing place to visit. We started our day early and had breakfast first. There's a simple American/New Orleans-style breakfast buffet with eggs, sausage, and grits, available from 8-10 a.m. The plantation opens at 9 a.m., and the first house tour starts at 9:30 a.m. The house tour lasts about an hour. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. This was my second time taking the tour, and although the guides were different, they shared the same history in their own unique storytelling styles. Both were engaging and easy to follow. Don't forget to tip the tour guides--they do a great job. After the tour, we walked through the gardens in the morning. It's about a 45-minute stroll at a relaxed pace--walk, rest, and enjoy the scenery. Very peaceful. Later, we went to the Carriage House Restaurant, which has amazing food. The bar is also great--try the Houmas signature drinks, they're delicious. You can enjoy your drink inside or outside, then walk around more or relax. If one person wants to do everything--breakfast, museum and house tour, lunch at the Carriage House, and buy a few souvenirs--expect to spend around $150 or so. Overall, it was a great, peaceful experience, and I highly recommend it. read more

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We rode our motorcycles here from Raleigh, NC and were hoping to see the Great River Road Museum. I had no idea about the Houmas House or Gardens before we arrived. I will say that it looked amazingly beautiful but we had complete sticker shock! The house tour was $35, the GRR Museum was $25 and the gardens were $20. Combos were $55. We would have liked to have just walked around for 45 minutes to an hour at most and moved on down the road, we were on a 3600 mile trip and couldn't spend the six hours recommended for the house and garden tour. $110 for two people for an hour is a bit much...we also thought about getting breakfast at the buffet which was $20/each but decided to just get back on the road. We did enjoy what we could see from the parking lot and the ticket booth area. We came across a lot of beautiful gardens on our trips and museums, most were free or had a suggested donation. This was the most expensive spot in 11 states! I'm not sure I'd give this place a stop or second chance if I was ever back in the area. read more

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This is a really beautiful place. The gardens and grounds are varied and well maintained. The house is restored beautifully. The current owner clearly cares for and respects the history of the place. Peafowl roam the property along with swans and other animals. There is a large gift shop with a wide range of items. read more

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One of the most amazing hidden gems of the south. Wonderful history starting from when the first building was constructed in 1771 sitting on the Mississippi River. Teddy Roosevelt stayed here in 1903. Several movies were also filmed here. The Carriage House Restaurant have an incredible selection of food, reasonably priced. I had the Wedge Salad, Lasagne and Bread Pudding. Great presentation and flavor. A nice choice of tours. Check out the gardens!! read more

Houmas House and Gardens - The Houmas House at night looking through the live oaks. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Darrow, Louisiana

Spent a couple days here to attend a weeding and enjoyed the grounds, restaurants, and River Road. Very unique lodging. Great place to host a small or larger event. Dixie restaurant open for breakfast buffet that is 5 star and lunch. Carriage house restaurant is a fancy or fancy casual and food is very good. Bar is very unique. Historic property from early 1800s. It has a museum but we didn't get time to visit. Lodging is small connected houses approximately one hundred meters from the restaurants and museum. Very nicely appointed and comfortable. Not inexpensive at about $350 per night. Riverboats dock here on Friday and Sunday. read more

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This place is amazing. Everyone in the world should visit this plantation. It was magical beautiful five star restaurant and bar. The grounds were spectacular. The house was spectacular. The owner was amazing to meet. He let us take a picture with him. I could not recommend this place more.the best harvest host we had ever stayed at read more

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Beautifully restored Plantation Home and grounds. Awesome tour guides with lots of fun and historical information. Plan to take your time, walk the grounds, enjoy the views, sit on a bench and listen to nature, grab a quick or fancy meal at one of their restaurants, visit the museum. We thoroughly enjoyed several hours more visiting than we'd planned on and we're very glad we did !! read more

The grounds and venue are incredibly beautiful. Many of the reviews speak to this, and it is absolutely true. I attended an event here that was lovely from an event standpoint, the staff was phenomenal, and the food was excellent. The museum shop, at face value, is also lovely. However, there is the huge and inexcusable issue with the venue not adequately addressing the issue of slavery. This particular plantation had more slaves than any other plantation in the area. The only acknowledgment of this on their website is a reference to that number of slaves as part of property that was passed on in some historical summary. There is no acknowledgment of the damage this plantation caused, the work that needs to be done in reparation of this, or whether any work at all, is being done in reparation of this. I tried to keep an open mind going in, hoping that when I arrived, it would be clear that the current owners and management were taking responsibility for the legacy they carry. However, there was absolutely none of this and for me that's completely inexcusable. So yes, lovely venue. However, completely missing the essential cultural responsibility, acknowledgment, and reparation. Responses to other reviews on Yelp reference this discussion happening in the museum. However, I looked for information about this on their website, and there was nothing. I also looked around while I was there, and it was not apparent. So having alleged conversations taking place in spaces that are not advertised or promoted online or in person to visit visiting guests does no good. Management needs to take responsibility and make sure that this conversation is also put front and center. Because if the conversation is actively hidden, which is what happens when you are not actively promoting it, then it might as well not be happening. read more

Houmas House and Gardens - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Darrow, Louisiana

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nice plantation tour of the house. The garden is absolutely beautiful. We had a bit of lunch at the Dixie cafe as well read more

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After I visited and before I wrote my own review, I read other Yelp reviews to 1. see how others felt about the deeply concerning interpretation here and 2. see how the proprietors responded to these which is equally concerning as the interpretation. As many people who read the one-star reviews will find, this site does not interpret the history of grand-scale enslavement that happened at the Houmas Plantation and this was confirmed on my visit which included touring the grounds and the big house: it was not even mentioned once, but rather is buried deep in sweeping statements such as "the Hamptons struck good fortune in the sugar industry." This becomes especially troubling at the moment when our guide touted the 30 weddings that happened at the plantation, including one between two dogs. The history of the Houmas Indigenous Nation is discussed in very generalizing, settler-colonial tones that make the occupation of Houmas plantation on Indigenous land seem like a peaceful transaction and not a part of the state-sanctioned landgrabbing and settler-colonialism of the 18th and 19th centuries that made land available to planters like the Hamptons in the first place. I would even make a safe bet that no conversation or discussion with the Houmas Nation has taken place on how their history is interpreted here. Additionally, discussion of Civil War-era histories adopted the same timbre as Confederate sympathizing and Lost-Cause mythologizing. These are deeply serious, distressing flaws in the interpretation of this site and they hold lasting consequences for how history is remembered and shared at this site. Now, the proprietor has responded to similar reviews, urging that the Great River Road Museum has interpretation on the history of enslavement and that, because other plantations nearby interpret this history, Houmas house (one of the biggest plantations from the 19th century) is absolved of this kind of work. This is an inadequate, irresponsible, and frankly lazy response for many reasons: 1. This is not mentioned in any of the tour descriptions on the website, so it is deeply misleading and those who would expect to hear about this history in the house (where it would make the most sense) won't hear it at all unless they drop the extra money to go into the adjacent museum. 2. Just because slavery is interpreted at nearby historic plantations does not mean that Houmas House gets to make an exception in their interpretation (the blatant absenting of this history in the house tour). Houmas House is still a place where hundreds suffered under the exploitation and dehumanization of enslavement. You owe it to them to tell their story in every nook and cranny of the house and in every square footage of the gardens, not shut it away in a museum that is only visible in the parking lot and costs extra to visit. It's shameful. Lastly, it is worth mentioning that the information in the tour on the house's decorative arts and material culture is half-baked, uninformed, and at times amounts to "a room full of stuff." So for a site that feels feels absolved of telling the aforementioned histories above in honor to focus on the dec arts and objects in the house, I'm really not sure what visitors are getting out of this except to perhaps live their own Gone with the Wind romanticized image of a glossy life on a veranda-ed plantation filled with nice things. read more

Welcoming grounds, great service and great dining experience. The museum is a bonus. Just a relaxing space.

Had a wonderful day yesterday visiting the Houmas House! Beautiful home with beautiful grounds and gardens. Sophie was our tour guide and we couldn't believe that she'd only been working there for 3 weeks! She was full of knowledge and funny, too. The buffet in the Dixie Cafe was good! Absolutely no complaints! read more

We went last Saturday for a birthday party. Absolutely beautiful! We had an incredible tuna tartare as a starter, then the chicken with rosemary sauce, it was delicious, I wish it had more sauce because it was absolutely exquisite. My husband ordered a red velvet cheesecake and he said it was very good. This place is a gem! Best service, great food and amazing environment. read more

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My wife and I both toured the Houmas House and Gardens today. Such a fascinating piece of history that Mr Kevin Kelly has preserved for future generations. To find out that his dedication goes as far as living at the Houmas House adapting his lifestyle to living a dream with such historical paintings and furniture in this beautiful museum of a home. We dined at the Dixie Cafe which is one of numerous additions he made to the estate enhancing the experience of the 1700s, 1800s, & 1900s at the Houmas Houmas Estate and Gardens. We did get a glimpse of the architect/real estate guru who put his life work into the estate at the Dixie Cafe today. He was enjoying his lunch with his dog by his side. Hats off to you sir well done! read more

What an absolutely phenomenal place to stay. Beautiful grounds, delicious food, great service. We will be back, just amazing. Hotel rivals the Ritz's we have stayed in and just a great price. Enjoy! And definitely plan to stay here. SO MUCH BETTER than staying in downtown New Orleans if that is your choice read more

Oh what a beautiful place! Tour was great, such rich history. The trees were breathtaking. The food even better at the Carriage House!

Amazing. So many photo opportunities! Historical site with restaurants and national beauty. read more

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Beautiful property Cozy, well laid out cabins Lovely gardens Owner's dogs running around and Charlie the pink cockatoo = best parts read more

It was amazing and very accommodating to my Mom's walker. We lived our tour guide! We stayed and had lunch. The food was fantastic.

So nice to find a fully accessible wheelchair tourist place. Beautifully landscaped and the employees were so accommodating. We ate at the buffet which was a beautiful setting with the employees being helpful and accommodating. We did not do the house tour cause I did not think my mom could do the time but I was told it was handicapped accessible with elevator. With our meal purchase we were able to tour the grounds free which was perfect for my mom. The ladies in the gift shop were very nice and helpful. I fully recommend a visit. Worth the time to stop and enjoy. Thank you to everyone at Houmas. read more

Houmas House and Gardens - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Darrow, Louisiana

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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 read more

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This is one of my favorite local plantations. Not only are the tours great but the property itself is gorgeous and it has a very cool bar (Turtle bar) and restaurants : The Carriage House (lunch, dinner, kid friendly, reservation's recommended), Latil's Landing (fine dining, reservations required), Dixie Cafe (breakfast, lunch, dinner, kid friendly, buffet, no reservations needed) I personally love getting a couple drinks at Turtle bar and walking around or/and taking a tour (they let you take your drinks in the tour!) This property is beautiful. There's a bridge you can walk across to see the Mississippi River as well, which I recommend! There's also an inn that you can stay in, and really enjoy the property for an extended time. If you don't stay here, they are open 7days a week! read more

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Beautiful plantation home with guided house tours. Gardens are lush. Nice gift shop. Museum next door that we did not have time to do.

My stars are strictly for the gardens, as the tour left a lot to be desired. While informative, as my second plantation tour since moving to the east/south, you would expect more information regarding slavery. As an African American, I expected to be educated not only on the lives of sugar barons, but also regarding the lives and general day to day of the people who's backs they became rich upon. Needless to say, I do not think that I will be visiting again, but I did enjoy the grounds immensely and our tour guide was lovely. read more

Dinner at The Carriage House was a wonderful dining experience Our server Hunter did an outstanding job with great recommendations, prompt and attentive service and very personable. Looking forward to going back soon. read more

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Pretty ! We popped In for a quick minute , saw the grounds and walked the bridge . Grounds are very well maintained . The sky bridge leads across the street to the Mississippi River read more

Unfortunately, we weren't lucky with the guide. He spoke softly and very little. He seemed unhappy to be the guide for the place. It's a shame, the place is interesting and the entrance fee isn't cheap. read more

We had a wonderful stay for 3 days and 2 nights. The food was beyond our expectations, the cottages were comfortable and all the amenities were there, the grounds were beautiful and fun to explore. We will definitely be back. read more

Houmas House and Gardens - Dixie Cafe, breakfast and lunch - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Darrow, Louisiana

Came today to celebrate my mothers birthday. The tour with Darren was great. He was full of lots of extra knowledge, when we asked questions. He was funny and had a great personality. And he was also awesome at taking our photos. And lunch at the Carriage House was a special treat. And most importantly as a wheelchair user it was %100 accessible. The house has an elevator and the grounds are all paved. read more

Houmas House and Gardens - Darren our guide. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Darrow, Louisiana

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During our first night and first experience in New Orleans we got some "touristy" things out of the way early. Bourbon Street is fun, but it's not exactly the scene I'm looking for anymore. We did a food tour in the French district the following day, and it was good. After the tour we took a break at our hotel, doing some research we decided to get out of the city. We wanted to experience a scenic drive and a plantation estate. Houmas House offered both. Nice receptionist who rung us up for the 4:30 mansion tour. Gave us good directions of the property and how to get to the meeting point for the tour. John did our mansion tour and he was very friendly and personable. After the tour we walked around and took pictures on the property. It was a really good time. Chickens, ducks, geese and peacocks roam the property and bunnies are settled in at the pet cemetery. The trees are gorgeous and rustic. Very very cool property. We also had dinner here and I reviewed their restaurant on site. read more

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After moving away from Ascension Parish nearly 25 years ago, I wanted to share memories from my childhood with my husband when we returned home this Christmas. Houmas House did not disappoint!! It was better than I remembered. It is obvious the current owner Kevin has invested time and resources into the house and grounds, not to mention the addition of the amazing museum and restaurants! We have toured homes around the world and to see this jewel a few miles from my childhood home was incredible. It was also heartwarming to hear that the beautiful murals in the main foyer are the work of Craig Black, the caretaker from the '80s that is a very accomplished artist. Ruby was our tour guide today, very informative and personable. She gave the perfect mix of past and present to the tour. We look forward to stopping in on our next visit home. read more

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Did the tour with Jennifer. She was a wealth of knowledge and we learned so much about the history of the house and the surrounding area. Highly recommend going on the tour and seeing the museum as well. Had a nice lunch at the Dixie Cafe and thoroughly enjoyed our time at Houmas House! read more

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. read more

I immediately need to state for the money, it was not worth it! Over the holiday, one of my children had an assignment on Native Americans and we were in town visiting family. So we decided to take day trip to one of the museums outside of New Orleans. And like I said, I specifically visited because I was looking for information on the original inhabitants, and the website alluded to there being an exhibit; this "museum" had no representation of the Choctaw Indians, which is quite sad. What they do represent are the Oumas Tribe, which is found immediately as you walk in the door and no where else. Additionally, the history on Louisiana Slavery was minimal; there was something being built in a small room in the rear of the room; we saw mannequins laid out on the floor and a small exhibit titled 'Slave Auctions in New Orleans'. In the main room, walls of information about the many plantations along the Mississippi River but nothing that cant be googled. This museum houses lots of maps. Honestly, I would describe this museum as white-washing and I'll leave it at that. read more

A frustrating example of egregious historical revisionism. I went to both the museum & the house. Not every museum has to focus entirely on slavery, but all have a duty to address that people were enslaved there. Theirs were intertwined with the lives of their enslavers. We were brought into a gentleman's parlor. Did enslaved women and girls work in and enter the room? We were shown the kitchen as well. who worked in the kitchen? You don't have to tell us in great detail about the individuals but why can't you even say it, just in passing? I have read about &chose to come here fully informed of the content of the tour, and the fact that it does not cover slavery. I am aware. Just because this is not advertised does not excuse it. Historically revisionist&irresponsible to fill a historical house with kitschy dog paintings&random decor. The hallway depicting a mural of sugar fields is not only unattractive but also in very bad taste. Having odd memorabilia of caricatured Black people all over the house holding up fire pokers and decorating the resident's desk is extremely disrespectful. Why is there no room on the property for even ONE placard, room or statue about what life was like for the other 700+ residents?? Telling other reviewers&myself that we should go to other plantations instead is not a professional response. Sure, we can go to those other places. Sure, I believe those places are far more deserving of our money than Houmas House. But the 700+ enslaved human beings who lived and died on this plantation did not live and die on those. Why is there not even 1memorial to the Black people who lived here? I can't imagine being able to lay my head down and rest easy every night on a property where human beings were assaulted, raped, and separated from their families for generations:( now it is used for weddings and smiling family photos...tragic really. Very disappointed in humans and very sad today. Edit: I DID go to the museum. Things were misspelled. The information felt impersonal. The wax figures were unsettling and hokey. Their relationship was intertwined with the HOUSE not a side museum. Why can the tour guides not even SAY briefly that enslaved people worked in the kitchen she showed us? Why charge more money for the separate museum? Why is there no placard on the house property itself sharing people's names? This is shameful. You are allowing ignorant people to pay for the house tour alone. You know half of these people are not going to the museum. Don't be absurd. They're there for the pretty house, not the reality of it. And you help them buy into that racist, ignorant fantasy. read more

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This was a very delightful place to visit! The mansion tour was interesting and informative. There were many fascinating artifacts to see during the tour. The grounds/gardens were beautiful and peaceful. I had lunch in the Carriage House Restaurant, which had an elegant atmosphere. The food was delicious. Lastly, I passed through the Great River Road Museum located on the grounds. The museum is very large and well put together. During the summer (when I went), I recommend visiting the grounds/gardens in the morning before the weather gets too hot. Have your camera ready because there are a LOT of great photo opportunities both outside inside the mansion! read more

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Probably the best plantation in Louisiana considering the houses, tour guide quality, museum, many dining choices, fantastic gardens with ancient huge oaks, and gift store. The bridge view at the Mississippi River at sunset was incredible. The tiny turtle bar is fantastic in a 200 year old tower. Most highly recommended. read more

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We did Oak Alley yesterday and really enjoyed it, but we enjoyed this even more! The house and grounds are amazing! If you are looking for period authenticity you will prefer Oak Alley. Houmas House just seemed more fun and accessible. While everything was not exactly period appropriate you were allowed to touch and take photos. The guide was friendly and super knowledgeable. I will admit to being a little disappointed she wasn't in a more accurate period costume, but it was still terrific!!! The grou ds are just amazing to wander! I highly recommend stopping in at the Carriage House restaurant too. The food was amazing!!!! It is also very affordable. Do t just head to the Cafe buffet. You will be missing out. The dining room is gorgeous!! We are gluten free and staff was super. read more

Houmas House and Gardens - 650 year old oak!! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Darrow, Louisiana

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