There are 2 types of tours. The guided tour is $9 with a AAA discount, $12 without. There's also a self guided tour for $5. The difference between the 2 is that you're given access to the inside of the buildings with the guided tour. There's so much to learn about magnolia mound!! The video that you can watch is very informational. They tell you all about the building of the structures, the quarters and the craftsmanship that went into the erecting of these homes. The home is made of cypress mostly, and timber underneath. The building is raised up above the ground to allow due floods, storms, and so forth. It also helps to increase air flow throughout the home. I could probably go on for a while about what I've learned during g my short time here today. I enjoyed the gift shop: postcards, magnets, books, some light clothing items and other novelties. This plantation is not only beautiful, it's also so nicely managed and maintained. The folks working here are so sweet and so welcoming. This is a real gem. read more

Magnolia Mound Plantation - Magnolia mound education center. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Visited and the tour was enlightening. Tour guide was very informative. Its was a little sad knowing how our people were slaves and we're listed as a piece of property. Love seeing the home and the sugar cane read more

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I had a really nice tour (in a place with a very sad and real history) with Darren. I was the only one on the tour, and he was more than willing to share historical details about not only the building and the grounds but also the slave history. I was a bit nervous about whether that would be "whitewashed," and I did not feel as though he intentionally hid anything. Would recommend a visit. read more

Our tour guide Darren was very kind and fun . He actually went into de about the plantation and it was very educational.

I had passed this place many times in the car, and finally got the chance to go last weekend. And I am so happy I did! It's a small place and won't take you more than an hour to get through the entire property. You can either have a guided tour, or explore the property on your own. However if you choose to see the property by yourself, you are not allowed inside any of the buildings. You can stand on the porches and look through the windows. Some of the buildings doors are open, and you can stand behind the ropes and see inside. The main house was absolutely beautiful. The furnishings and wallpaper was to die for. You really get a sense of what life was like here, so many years ago. I have to say- the ladies that work in the visitors center were too sweet. They were so friendly and helpful, and very knowledgeable about the place. If you have any questions at all, they have the answers for you. All in all it was a good experience and when i have friends in town, I will bring them here! FYI: if you love this place, you should definitely stop by the Rural Life Museum. It's similar type of place, but more buildings to explore! read more

Magnolia Mound Plantation - The ladies in the Visitors Center recommended we take pictures in the Privy! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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The guy guided tour was good, however, I felt like the tour should have included the slave quarters. The enslaved were an important part of daily life at a plantation. By spending all the time talking about the people in the main house and not giving the enslaved time as well. it was disrespectful. Plus, I think the tour guide needs to update her language. African-Americans would prefer people use the term enslaved instead of labeling their ancestors as slaves. When I visited the slave quarters, they were dark and, it was hard to see inside. It would've been just as interesting to know how they lived their lives on a daily basis, as it was interesting to know how the people in the main house lived. read more

I took the guided tour which is of the inside of the main house and the kitchen. The rest of the property is self-guided. I like that this is a state-run facility and more open to the perspective of both the enslaved and the family. The slaves who laid the flooring and did the work in the main room are all named by their actual names. The tour provided a great amount of history to include details of the history. I came on a rainy Saturday at the beginning of December 2022, and it was nice because I was the only person on the guided tour. Reasonably priced. I liked the diorama in the main administrative building. The restrooms were clean. read more

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For just $10 this is a great tour. Very personal tour with a super knowledgeable guide. I appreciated that our guide were a clear shield so we could understand her easily. The visitors center was nice. Glad we made the quick stop on our way home. read more

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If you are looking for a plantation to visit that isn't far from Baton Rouge, Magnolia Mound is a good one right here in Baton Rouge. It's charming and gives you a great Creole feel. We didn't go on the tour of the inside of the house, but we walked around the grounds. We got to see all the little buildings on the property and the gardens! It was a nice little trip! read more

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Adorable find while visiting Death Valley. Pay for the tour - worth it. A piece of history and a lot of new tidbits to learn. AAA, Senior, Veteran discounts. Beautifully preserved, nice strolling area and lovely tour guides. WORTH THE VISIT! read more

I found myself experiencing creole culture at Magnolia mound plantation here in the heart of Baton Rouge. I actually found this place just after visiting the original USS Kidd veteran's memorial and wound up on tripadvisor. The magnolia mound plantation is actually a private residence here in present day Baton Rouge, which belonged to a few prominent and wealthy individuals from the time it was built in 1791 till post Civil War area of 1865. When the house was being built, Baton Rouge was part of Spain at the time and were governed by the rules of the Spanish since 1763. Once Spain lost, the Louisiana purchase of 1803 was sold to the young United States of America to grow and expand. The home that sits on the plantation changed hands several times during its lifetime in the 1800's, but it made its way to being a museum in the 1960's and it's been like that ever since. The main house I've been told is due to the influence of the French, as there is no main door, but several doorways leading into the home, one for the women and one for the men, etc. Slavery in the south was big in the 1800's and they had a separate building to house them all. It was very very basic living for them. The overall experience here at the Magnolia Mound was as interesting as it can get. Actually seeing how people lived back then versus reading a book draws me back to a time where there is no television nor Internet. It makes me relive the horrors that the slaves went through on a daily basis, when in contrast, the owners lived in mild luxury at the time. The Magnolia mound plantation is located at 2161 Nicholson Drive here in Baton Rouge. It was a nice casual Thursday when I rolled up in here. There's actually 2 distinct parking lots and I happened to park in the first one of the main building you see along Hwy 30. That main building wasn't the admissions office to Magnolia Mound, but it was something else. You'd have to go to the other parking lot, which has the very beautiful glass structure. That's the main office where you check in, pay for the guided tour, and there's a small gift shop to browse if you want to shop. It's cool that they do educational programs for the kids and also do event rentals, where they rent the space among Magnolia Mound to coordinate a wedding or a special event - for various pricing increments. They accept credit cards, which is always a plus. I think they do visa only, but I'm not sure on that. As mentioned before, parking isn't an issue, because there's plenty of parking and usually hardly anyone goes during the work day, unless you were a tourist, like me. Admission price here for the guided tour was $10, which is nice. Not too pricey, which is a good thing either. My tour guide was a volunteer, who I remember her name as Diane, I believe. She was very knowledgable and I definitely had a nice time learning the backstory and history of Baton Rouge and that of Louisiana too. It was a nice day for it too, although it rained an hour earlier, so the grounds were slightly wet, but that was alright. For my guided tour, I basically got to tour the main house, which was the home for several individuals and their families. They lived richly and definitely in luxury, as the sign of the times dictates back then - especially when they own the plantation and could do whatever they wanted - as most rich folks do these days and back then too. I was instructed no photography in the main house, but elsewhere along the property, I can. The main home seemed very comfortable with dining areas that could host many wealthy people and important politicians for a social gathering or two. A few paintings / photographs of the owners on the walls, of course. After the tour of the main house, my tour guide left me to roam the grounds. The guided tour took about 90 minutes, which was a little more than I thought. I found the slave quarters and also the overseer's home. The overseer is basically someone who looks after the plantation's operations. Money was gold back in the day, as it's still keen today. The slave quarters looked very minimal and you could bet that they can cram a lot of bodies in there and think nothing of it. There is a small garden and there's even an outdoor smoke house, which I was told that the cook (also a slave) would do their cooking for the masters there. There was even pickled stuff in jars on the shelf. Not sure if that's from the 1800's or from the educational programs the kids made recently. For what it's worth, I think that the Magnolia Mound plantation is a fine representation of French influenced architecture in the late 1700's here in Baton Rouge, when many political influences were abound and the United States was starting to expand westward beyond the Mississippi. It keeps you humbled here to how the slaves tried to make a living here, if you can call it a living. 5 stars. Support local! A+ read more

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I went to a wedding reception at Magnolia Mound, and it was a wonderful venue. I suppose it would be problematic with rain, but this was a sunny day, and we were able to take advantage of the beautiful grounds. The architecture was straight out of an old southern novel - the Magnolia Mound Plantation House Wikipedia page pinpoints the various structures as "examples of the vernacular architectural influences of early settlers from France and the West Indies." The place was indeed a plantation back in the day, with all the bad history that entails. A few of us - a Korean-American, a Nigerian-American, a Puerto-Rican-American, and a half-Italian-half-WASP-American - walked around and looked at the slave quarters and overseer's house. They weren't open for entry, but we were able to walk up to the porches and look in the windows. The houses were interesting, and a joke or two were made at our half-WASP friend's expense. The reception was held in and around a wide wooden gazebo, with tables and benches set up under it as well as outside on the grass. Dinner was served buffet style, then the floor was cleared for dancing, with a live creole band playing at the back. The venue was versatile and enjoyable, and the set-up was well-suited to an outdoor southern wedding reception. The gazebo was hung with lots of little lights, and when it got dark, they were turned on to lovely effect. I was one of two Asians at the reception, the other being the flower girl, the adopted daughter of one of the bride's friends. At one point in the evening, another guest approached me and asked, "Is she yours?" I suppose twenty-four isn't egregiously old to have a walking daughter in the south. Ah, the generalizations. At least we've made some progress since the slavery days. read more

"Historic, picturesque and gorgeous plantation". I have visited this plantation on numerous occasions. It is easily accessible, given that it is close to downtown Baton Rouge, on Nicholson close to interstate and the LSU campus. If you get a chance, come visit the Magnolia Mound Plantation and connect with history. I have taken a tour of the house and it is small, quaint and extremely well-preserved. The grounds are maintained well and it is perfect for private events. Recently, I attended a private event here under their covered event space, which can hold a fairly large amount of attendees. The facility was clean, ample parking across the street and feels private enough where you cannot disturb the peace in the neighborhood. So, make time to visit the Magnolia Mound Plantation because it is a huge piece of not only Baton Rouge history, but of Louisiana's. Enjoy!! read more

Magnolia Mound Plantation - Magnolia Mound Plantation Events - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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This tour was informative and interesting. Our docent made sure all our questions were answered and she was so easy to talk to. We saw the main mansion inside plus the other smaller buildings on the outside. The fees were very reasonable.... read more

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We had a very informative tour of the home and entering items. She obviously did her homework and told us lots of tidbit that would have been totally missed doing it on our own. The home is all original, the decor is either original or specific to that time period. Great plantation to tour if you have little time or can not endure much physical output. Tour only takes about 45 min. read more

Very friendly staff and a good experience. Interesting to learn about the property and the families who lived here. Very knowledgeable tour guide. I especially liked visiting the hearth kitchen and talking with the staff. Only $8 with AAA discount makes it a no-brainer when visiting Baton Rouge. read more

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This is a smaller plantation experience which was more affordable than the larger sites. We had a personal tour from a nice lady who was so knowledgeable and kind. We learned that this plantation which originally sat on over 900 acres was more the norm than the larger places. Very nice gift shop on site. read more

On a weekend trip to Baton Rouge for another event we decided to take in a few historical sites. We had a nice tour of the old State Capitol building that has been so beautifully restored and was a delight. We decided to head out of downtown to tour the Magnolia Mound Plantation. Although the visitor center is modern and pretty well appointed, it is obvious that the site is in need of some financial infusion and restoration. There is not much to see walking around the grounds, as the buildings are not only impossible to enter but not even available to look inside. The slave quarters is caution taped off due to extensive termite damage. It is the kind of historical site that could really be great with a generous donor gift and some expert restoration. It is a shame to see our history disappearing right before us because of too little interest and care. Once our history is gone - the good, bad, and ugly - we are all far the worse for it. One bright spot in what was an otherwise slightly underwhelming walking tour of the site, was the guided tour given by guide Beth M. Taking us through the main house and outdoor kitchen, Beth's knowledge and enthusiasm were absolutely invigorating. We were a bit tired already from a day of sightseeing and Beth was like a shot of espresso, not simply reciting memorized facts about the former plantation but actually filling in so many of the fine details that we could almost feel ourselves back there when it was a humming operation. What was it like to live in such a house? Why were the girls on the far side of the house? What about the laws of inheritance in then-Spanish territory? Beth masterfully demonstrated each and every implement in the outdoor kitchen and let us know what a meal service would be like. Likewise, she explained the French influence in the interior construction and what the home addition meant to the property. She was worth many times the reasonable ticket price. If you happen to find yourself at this really neat historical site, do not miss out on the brilliant guided tour. And if you have a few bucks and value history, you could do worse than find out a way to help the restore this important piece of history. read more

Great place to stop as a tourist, especially on Thursdays I am told, since volunteers make goodies in the planation kitchen. The house is furnished with period pieces, the staff are super knowledgeable and friendly. read more

I had a lovely day at MM Plantation thanks to my wonderful tour guide, Rosalind. She was so well informed about the history of the area, the home and the family who lived in it. She is also bilingual so if you speak French, she would make your tour special. The furnishings in the home were of the appropriate period and style. I learned so much and highly recommend this tour to locals and tourists alike. They only ask for a $10 donation which is a great value for helping to preserve such a beautiful historic landmark. read more

It was the middle of the week and summer break was over for most, but not me. I arrived to this historical site. I entered the welcome center alone. The nice woman at the counter that I bought my ticket from was also my tour guide. Although I party of one she still continue to give me in-depth detail about the whole plantation for a full 50 minutes. She was very informative, very nice, and I enjoyed my solo tour. She even went so far as to give me great recommendations on other sites to see around Baton Rouge and gave me five free postcards read more

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Beautiful old historic plantation home. Short distance from the Mississippi River. My first sightseeing tour of Baton Rouge. I was told that this was a must see. We got there in time for the last tour of the day. Tour guide was very knowledgeable of the early days of the plantation, and it's restoration. Home was decorated with Items. We also got to tour the outside kitchen, since it most days it was too hot to have the kitchen inside, Lot of neat stuff. Most of the outbuildings are not open for you to enter but have windows to look through. First time I've ever seen a three hole outhouse. Beautiful grounds with lots of oaks and magnolias. They did add air conditioning to the main house, so it's a great break from the heat and humidity. read more

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Fell in love with the grounds and booked my wedding here, the day turned out beautiful but everything leading up to it was HORRIBLE! I felt unwelcome and felt that my event was a problem for those involved. I mostly talked with one woman and she was rude time and time again. She told me more than once my plans for the day were wrong or would look ugly. Not that I was breaking any rules just that my ideas were bad. I did not ask this random stranger's opinion nor did I need it. From my food choices to the way the ceremony was laid out was ridiculed from her. The day of the wedding my caterer was locked out for arriving ten minutes early and told we didn't pay for that time. Once she was allowed to enter the staff member was rude and didn't bother to unlock the kitchen and took time to hunt down and unlock it. The barn was in a pretty terrible state, dead roaches in the kitchen area and spiderwebs and dirt all over the bathrooms. I understand guests being subject to a grounds fee as the place does have to be maintained but as a client, paying hundreds of dollars I should not have had to pay EVERY TIME I came. My florist was yelled at for wheeling a small cart with the flowers on it across the ground to place arrangements where they needed to be. I could understand that but the irony was that as the ceremony was STARTING one employee rode in a GOLF CART right up to the ceremony space to get food for herself. If there hadn't been a curtain she would have been in all my pictures as well. Multiple times my mother was ignored when asking about the RULES set fourth by Magnolia Mound. All we heard about was what we couldn't do. Over and over. I understand it is a historic site which is why we asked any time we were not sure. It also poured raining the day of, not one staff member came to see if everything was okay or if they could help us. Instead as my family was trying to hurry and clean our end of sopping wet things in nice clothes they were harassed by staff about time. I understand that Magnolia Mound was not built as a wedding venue but we PAID hard earned money to rent it as such since it is an offered service and we were not given the services and did not receive the value of which we paid. read more

It's okay... the reviews are a little hyped up. The tour isn't all that great. The plantation tour revolves around the family that owned it, definitely not the slaves that's cycled through there. Too much references about Lafayette, that had nothing to do with the plantation. The staff was nice, however, no furniture was not from the original owner of the house.... it was pretty lame.. if you're contemplating between this plantation and another, choose the other one. They also don't allow pictures... soooo yea read more

The main house was lovely but the docent was so aggressive with the NO TOUCHING ANYTHING rule it made you afraid to breath. Some areas are tight walk ways and you pull your arms in so you do not accidentally brush the wall! They even have things tied down so no one can pick them up. Just too uncomfortable. Other places are just look ins. Pretty landscape and good history. Just so uncomfortable on the tour. read more

My husband and I reserved the La Grange (barn) for our reception and had our ceremony under the oak tree. Our wedding pictures came out beautiful- mostly because we had an amazing photographer. However, the service here is HORRIBLE! The woman you book with for the property rental isn't nice at all. We were even warned by several Magnolia Mound staff members that she was difficult to work (this wasn't a good sign). We were told we couldn't rent the facility any earlier than 4pm and 2 weeks before the wedding we found out (from a different person) that we could rent as many hours prior to the event time. If she was knowledgeable about renting the property at Magnolia Mound when we booked the facility we could have planned accordingly. Magnolia Mound started more construction on the property after we paid our deposits and caused the front entrance to be closed. Instead of staying on the main roads, all of our guests had to find their way through the not-so-good area that is next to the facility. There were so many rules that you had to follow in their contract. If there was one rule that wasn't followed it would cause you to lose your $500 security deposit check. We followed exactly what they said and they still cashed our $500 check and didn't even notify us that they were doing it. When I went to speak to someone about it I was told that there wasn't anything they could do about it. There were NO pictures taken to show proof of what they said. So basically if the place isn't clean enough to have an event the next day they will not be happy. One might think that a cleaning fee is included in the total cost of the rental amount. If you think you are getting a good deal to host an event here...think again! read more