Burnside LA Louisiana
Frequently Asked Questions
Against the Mississippi levee on the east bank, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. There is no terminal: you climb the earthen levee and come down the other side.
Barely. The hamlet is a handful of houses. People come ashore here for one reason: Houmas House, one of the grandest homes on the River Road, a few minutes away on foot or by shuttle.
A Greek Revival mansion completed in 1840, with white columns across two levels of galleries. In the mid-nineteenth century the estate was one of Louisiana's largest sugar empires under John Burnside, the Irish merchant who gave the village its name.
Yes. The story does not skirt it: the estate's prosperity rested on the labour of hundreds of enslaved people, and their memory is now part of the visit. Understanding the River Road means holding both the beauty of the place and the harshness that built it.
The guided house tour, a free wander through the gardens, and a Southern meal in one of the historic outbuildings. Some excursions then continue to other River Road homes.
Large and carefully kept: ponds, fountains, statues and subtropical beds, with monumental oaks, magnolias, azaleas and bald cypress. You move through them freely, and peacocks sometimes do too.
Yes, a few minutes over the levee. A short shuttle is also offered. Wear comfortable shoes — the levee is climbed on foot.
US dollars and English. French left its mark on Louisiana place names, but service is in English. Cards are accepted at the estate.
Fall, winter and early spring. Louisiana summers are stifling and very humid, and hurricane season runs June through November. Azaleas and camellias bloom in spring.
Moderately. The gardens and peacocks appeal to younger visitors, but a guided tour of a historic house asks for patience. There is nothing else on site.
