Houmas House Plantation & Gardens

Description:

• This is a different sort of plantation house in that it is actually two houses joined together. The original structure was a mere four rooms built in 1775. In 1828 a larger, Greek Revival-style house was built next to it, and some time over the subsequent years a roof was put over both, joining them together. The property, a former sugar plantation, has had multiple owners and little is known about them. The late Dr. George Crozat of New Orleans purchased the house some years ago and restored it as a comfortable home for himself and his mother, bringing in authentic period furnishings. Two of his nieces lived until 2003 on the third floor. Recent owner Kevin Kelly now lives there, and the place reflects the feel of an active home, which makes a difference.

  Live oaks, magnolias, and beautifully landscaped formal gardens frame Houmas House in a way that is precisely what comes to mind when most of us think "plantation house." It so closely fits this image that its exterior was used in the film Hush . . . Hush, Sweet Charlotte. The inside has been lovingly brought back to early 1800s detail from when the house was completed, including period-accurate touches such as paint colors, 19th-century paintings, antique rugs, and several unexpected exquisite touches. Costumed guides deliver stories from the house's busy past. Because scenes from All My Children were shot here, be sure to ask for those Susan Lucci stories (they've got 'em). There is also a cafe, and a restaurant touted by Esquire magazine as one of the best in the country.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010