Quick Details
Step Inside the Historic Whitney Plantation on this Tour
In 2014, the Whitney Plantation opened its doors to the public for the first time in its 262 year history as the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery. Through museum exhibits, memorial artwork, restored buildings, and hundreds of first-person narratives, visitors to Whitney will gain a unique perspective on the enslaved people who lived and worked here.
The early owners of Habitation Haydel, later known as The Whitney Plantation, became wealthy producing indigo before the plantation transitioned to sugar in the early 1800s. Whitney is also significant because of the number of its historic outbuildings which were added to the site over the years, thus providing a unique perspective on the evolution of the Louisiana working plantation.
The Big House is one of the finest surviving examples of Spanish Creole architecture and one of the earliest raised Creole cottages in Louisiana. Although a limited portion of the original tour, the house is undergoing renovations in 2021 and it is not currently open.
The Whitney Plantation Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. As a site of memory and consciousness, the Whitney Plantation Museum is meant to pay homage to all enslaved people on the plantation itself and to all of those who lived elsewhere in the United States.
Travel past Laura, Oak Alley, Evergreen, Felicity & St. Joseph Plantations, ghosts of the past that front the Mississippi River, where rich crops of sugar cane, cotton, and indigo from these fertile lands once traveled to ports of trade.
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- Bus fare
- Entry tax
- Entry or admission fee
- Entrance fees
- Round-trip transportation from the French Quarter
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- Food and drinks
- Gratuities (optional)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (must meet at 400 Toulouse Street)
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Tour starts at 12:00pm and 1:00pm Wednesday – Monday. Tour does not operate on Tuesdays.
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Check-in details
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour time.
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- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Check-in is 15 minutes prior to start time.
- They Whitney Plantation is a self-guided tour. Please make sure to download the Whitney Plantation app on your cell phone, tablet, or iPad to listen to an audio tour.
If the guest needs a wheelchair lift equipped bus, then special arrangements need to be made with the supplier. This must be arranged 48 hours prior to tour date. Contact details will be on your voucher. - Guests visiting Whitney using a wheelchair will have access to the gift shop, restrooms, and museum. The plantation grounds are accessible; however, there are uneven gravel paths. The main house tour is not accessible to guest traveling in wheelchairs and is not required to be modified as it is a historic home; however, the first floor is accessible. Guests would be able to view the slave quarters, but would not have access to enter.
- You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
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Cruises are canceled only when the Coast Guard determines there will be severe weather along the river. Seating is available indoors as well as covered areas on the deck.
We sail rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, unfavorable river conditions (including river closures), breakdowns, or any other cause beyond the control of the New Orleans Steamboat Company, the Captain may determine the vessel is unable to make the cruise as scheduled. If this occurs, we will arrange for a dockside event and you will be notified via the email you supplied when booking with us.
There are times that a cruise may be delayed, but that is usually only for a short amount of time.
Refunds will not be issued for the above conditions. All sales final.
Should it be deemed necessary, the New Orleans Steamboat Company reserves the right to substitute with a vessel in place of the other (Steamboat NATCHEZ & Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS) for any reason, at any time. No refunds will be issued for vessel substitution.