The Romans considered themselves French citizens, though the US had purchased Louisiana Territory 33 years earlier. Jacques’ brother, Andre, served two terms as Louisiana’s governor, and his brother-in-law, Valcour, was the “Sugar King of Louisiana!”

Their lavish lifestyle was built, both literally and figuratively, on the backs of their many slaves, who lived in cooplike shacks just south of the main house. They built the home, worked the fields, and even operated a giant fan over the table to keep the flies away! One of them, named Antoine, was a master grafter, the first in America to successfully graft a pecan tree! His Centennial varietal was also known as the “paper-shell” pecan, because its shell was thin enough to be cracked by one’s bare hands! It won a prize at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, but the last of his original trees were washed away in a flood of nearby Anita Plantation in 1990.

• Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
• Become a member of the Friends of Oak Alley!
• Donate to the Oak Alley Foundation!
• Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!

From Baton Rouge: ~54mi (87km) — 0.9hrs
From Monroe: ~240mi (387km) — 4hrs
From New Orleans: ~54mi (87km) — 0.9hrs
From Shreveport: ~297mi (478km) — 5hrs