Whitney Plantation

First let me say, our tour guide Adina was awesome! She was very informative about the plantation and the surrounding areas. I can’t wait to see how this place develops. We had two 8 yr olds and a 15 yr old with us and they learned a lot.

This place is definitely worth a visit. The two-​hour tour was extremely educational, and our guide (Ali) did a good job of putting American slavery in a broader historical context and making sure his audience were aware that people remained enslaved long after The Emancipation Proclamation. The focus on children’s lives was particularly interesting and made sense given the fact that most of the oral history we have about the experience of slavery comes from enslaved people who were either children or teenagers when the Civil War ended. For those who may have been on the slavery tour at Monticello, this is at least as good and possibly better. I would particularly recommend for families with children who are ready to deal with the subject matter.

Want to visit a plantation in NOLA? Whitney Plantation is the real look at how our country and the South grew its economy on the backs of men, women and children. Only researched stories and first person accounts used. Let’s start with the 5 year old girl child sold on the block straight from Africa, Anna. And see how she was bred after the models in Va. slave breeding farms. How children were sold from their mothers and then she was bred again. Never to see your children, never to know your family. But sure, go to the other plantations with «happy slaves». That feels much better. The system reverberates to this day.

I traveled to this location after seeing and hearing all the tourism hype. The perspective from which the plantation’s history is shared can be described as brilliant. The tour’s historical details however, are novice-​level at best. American history buffs will not learn many new facts. When the organization transitions from private owner to non-​profit next year as I learned on today’s tour, I hope to return for a more advanced guided tour since self-​guided ones are not permitted. Still very worth the hour drive from New Orleans. Great place for the high school or undergraduate student to visit for reality checks on plantation society in antebellum Louisiana/​America.

I had never been to a plantation before so we decided to visit Whitney plantation. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. She spent a lot of time going over the lives of people living at this plantation in a very non-​judgemental yet informative manner. The stories are sad yet inspiring.
I was impressed with this tour.

Overall, the experience at Whitney plantation was incredible. My tour guide, Ali, was knowledgeable and shared historical information in a way that was thought provoking and relevant. He mastered the balance between guiding the tour and letting guests have time to reflect and explore individually. Ali was uniquely qualified as a tour guide as he was able to incorporate local context from his experience growing up in the area. Early in the tour, Ali established an atmosphere of openness and discouraged blaming, which is so essential when talking about a disturbing topic like slavery in the United States. Throughout the tour, I developed a great deal of respect and admiration for Ali, because of his immense knowledge and engaging presentation style. I learned a lot about oppressive practices and tactics of marginalization that were employed to perpetuate slavery. I was about to leave Whitney plantation feeling inspired to engage others about the experiences of enslaved people, and the challenges still present in society.
At that point my expectations were completely exceeded. However, toward the end of the tour, John Cummings, THE PLANTATION OWNER, pulled Ali aside and was asking him why some doors in The Big House were open, and lecturing him that they should be shut. As Ali was closing the doors on the outside, John pushed the doors closed on the inside, which ended up smashing Ali’s finger in the crack. I found this to be horribly ironic, as Ali had just finished talking about the transformation of slavery into more subtle modern day practices of oppression. John’s action of pulling Ali aside while he was giving a tour was not only extremely disrespectful to him and everyone on the tour, but also exposed John’s huge lack of awareness and appropriate professional conduct. I was shocked to see this, and it really ruined my experience. As I thought about this more, I didn’t recall ever seeing Ali touch or move any part of the exhibit. It seemed apparent that even if the door was open and it should not have been, that was not part of Ali’s job. Regardless, there is no excuse for interrupt someone while they are with guests. I was completely disappointed that the owner of the museum, who enjoys notoriety as an advocate for social justice, was completely oblivious as he exercised his privilege in front of guests. From my visit, I know that staying silent perpetuates oppression, so I feel obligated to report this blatant act of micro-​aggression. While I would highly recommend a visit to Whitney plantation, I hope that before anyone else goes, John examines his role at the museum and his conduct towards the valuable people who work there.

I have mixed feelings about this place. It’s hard to fault an institution for bringing attention to our national shame: slavery. When I think of all the endowed Holocaust memorials there are compared to black slavery ones – wow. So, I wish I could say this tour is highly professional, but it’s haphazard, sometimes clumsy and strident, depending on the guide. There needs to be a better standard of professionalism – which necessarily includes detachment as well as a poised representation of the importance of the site.
The memorials to slaves and slave children are, frankly, ugly. The statues of the children unfortunately conjure thoughts of Holly Hobbie slave babies. I understand these things cost money, but the tour fees are already high. On a positive note, the grounds and buildings are beautifully simple and clean.
There is a sense that any attention to the beauty or the architectural significance and rarity of the buildings will detract from Whitney’s focus on the peculiar institution of slavery, but I don’t think that’s necessarily so. How many marvels of the world were built on the backs of the oppressed? A balanced approach is always difficult but remains what is needed when examining any historical artifact. Is it not possible that, lacking any other sense of agency, the slaves were proud of the buildings they built, the crops they harvested and any expertise which kept the economy ticking? No one can say that Whitney wasn’t made and maintained by slaves over hundreds of years of time.

What a treat!
Now, I had researched some plantations I could visit with my parents in town. We drove out to this plantation and boy did it amaze us! Our guide, Ali, was well informed and showed such passion in what he was telling us. You could tell that all he was saying had such strong meaning to him, it was great! His knowledge was inspiring and encouraging, and I felt that he could read about slavery history all day long if he could. This place is awesome because it focuses a lot on the slaves’ story. The quotes and first hand accounts from slaves is incredible. This tour is literally important for all people, not just blacks, not just americans. It gives you a good understanding and debunks many myths, and mayhaps even change your view on what you thought slavery was all about.

Part of our visit was to further educate our children on the slave experience. This wasn’t a visit but def an experience. The grounds are well kept, information accurate. Staff and tour guides friendly and KNOWLEDGEABLE! I had been on a mission to visit this place since I found out about them back in the fall. I would love to visit again with other friends and family. This experience is guaranteed to leave you more informed, inspired and appreciative of your freedom.

I would give this historical site 10 stars if it were possible. It’s a must visit if you’re in New Orleans, whether you know a lot about slavery or nothing at all. For those who don’t know much about the Whitney Plantation, I’d recommend watching this New Yorker video:
A wealthy real estate lawyer purchased the property 16 years ago and has spent that time turning it into a serious museum on slavery, focused on the perspectives of slaves themselves. This is a 180-​degree turn from the Gone with the Wind-​type romanticism that typically accompanies plantation tours elsewhere. You will hear some unflinching and disturbing material on the tour but also some stories of survival, resistance, and heroism on the part of slaves themselves.
I had never visited a plantation. Actually going there gives you a greater understanding of the role space and topography played in everyday life. For example, from the balcony of the master’s house, there is a full view of the plantation and its boundaries. It reminded me of what the historian Walter Johnson calls «the carceral landscape» in his must-​read «River of Dark Dreams» — expansive space as endless tool for surveillance. Swamps and forest, meanwhile, were obstacles any slave runaway would have to struggle through in the quest for freedom (not to mention just getting through acres of surrounding land.)
Our tour guide was superb, and the content of the tour is very intellectually serious. I highly recommend spending an afternoon here.

One our way from Lafayette to New Orleans, we decided on a whim to take a tour of the Whitney Plantation. More than just a tour of the property, this open air «museum» is more about presenting an incursion into the history of slavery and the main reason why we picked this one to visit.
The tour is about 1:30 long, during which you’re guided through the different buildings and memorials to the slaves. Worth noting: this is the only place where memorials have names on them — very moving. You will hear accounts and stories that are sad, but so many more that are inspiring. There is also a mini timeline exhibit on slavery — very informative and eye opening.
Well worth the detour.

I read about Whitney Plantation in the Washington Post. A museum about slavery — I’ve never been to one of those before because there isn’t any other museum that offers a picture of what the life of a slave was like. I was afraid that I would be made to feel miserable and guilty for a situation that occurred when my family lived in Ireland and were slaves of the English.
NO, NO, NO. Our tour guide Adina was magnificent. She delivered a well composed story clearly, with good examples and historical data. There are three memorials for deceased slaves — some of them include paragraphs in the slaves own words that were collected by the WPA writers project. It was amazing. The emphasis is on the life of the slaves, but it isn’t about horrible treatment only — it is about the life of the entire plantation and how all the parts interacted.
This was an impressive tour in which I learned a great deal and was not made to feel like a horrible human. I think anyone would benefit from this tour and really enjoy it.

I am so glad that we took the time to take our nieces & nephews to experience this. It is very conveniently located between New Orleans & Baton Rouge and is truly worth the drive. Cheryl was our wonderful Tour Guide and she was very good. They have put together a very extensive Exhibit so far and have much more planned for this site. It is very sobering for those who don’t know the true history of the brutality of Slavery in our Country and a painful reminder for those of us who do, but it needs to be experienced by more people in my opinion. I was humbled, moved to tears at many points throughout the tour and just glad that I was able to share this experience with these kids whose future is so very important to me. They have some understanding from what they have learned in school, but it was truly eye opening for them. Having seen a video interview of the owner John Cummings prior to our visit, I recognized him immediately pulling in as we were leaving and he saw my recognition of him and pulled over & waved us over. We got all of the kids out of the van and he very graciously spoke with them about education, and other work he is doing in the community and the field of education. It was much appreciated and I am grateful for all of his Philanthropy and personal investment in this much needed Slavery Museum about a horrible part of our country’s past.

We enjoyed our visit to the Whitney Plantation. We found it touching and informative. Please note that it is a memorial to slavery on a plantation setting, not just a fancy house. Later the same day, we visited Houmas House Plantation to see a «pretty» house. What a mistake! Our tour guide made several racist commentaries. It was very upsetting. There was a display on Whitney Plantation at Houmas House, so they seem to have some informal relationship. I think that the Whitney Plantation should provide additional education to the guides at Houmas House.

This plantation has a theme of remembering the children. This is because they focus on the real life stories and testimonies of freed slaves who were quite young but were able to tell their stories much later when historians compiled the information. I have been to a few plantations along this way. This one is early colonial period for the big house and a few slave quarters are from other sites. The quality of preservation and balance of memorials is amazing. The gravity of the quotes is utterly compelling. The tour guide was so passionate it was really like listening to a story teller. Thanks for an really educational experience.

This plantation/​museum is a work in progress please keep in mind. But it’s WELL WORTH the visit. After visiting the Evergreen Plantation we drove a minute or two down the street to the Whitney. Both plantations were owned by the same family and they definitely complemented each other. We paid $ 15 student admission and our guide was Cheryl. She was well informed and a decent guide. This location as well as the Evergreen location were used for the filming of Django, 12 years a slave and recently Roots (the new version not yet released)
The objective of this plantation is so exhibit the lives of slaves and their experience. To pay homage to them in a way. It’s important to keep in mind that this plantation isn’t going to be too chronological, and there are many pieces that have nothing to do with the plantation itself, but they are ALL part of the slavery time period. Artifacts that are displayed here originate from other parts of Louisiana. I learned TONS of things and the museum has invaluable pieces that really open your eyes to the brutality. A must see for EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE. Many times the actual brutality of slavery goes unnoticed.
My only cons are, you don’t really get to see the actual slave artifacts and buildings until the middle. You go through maybe 2 or 3 sorta memorials. They were very informative and eye opening but i think I’d like them to be spaced out on the tour.
Oh, and they have complementary umbrellas to borrow in case it gets a little wet or really hot!

After leaving our Convention Center /​French Quarter located hotel … and doing a quick as possible drive through the Garden District … my wife and I drove the 1 hour distance from New Orleans up river to visit the area where there are 8 plantation homes.
The drive is interesting because you get to see the bayou & can imagine the effort that it took to build the elevated I10 interstate highway through this area. The Mississippi was in a near flood state ate the time — so we saw the mighty river flowing past trees and bridge piers on the drive. Amazing.
Apparently all of these plantations (as described by several tour operation personnel) were run by similar business people under the same unenforced French Laws back in the day and all treated the slaves in similar manner.
The presentation of these common events just varies from plantation home to plantation home.
Some plantations focus on the harsh treatment of the slaves — Whitney Plantation.
Some plantations focus on the opulent homes and possessions of the plantation owners — three of the 4 most recommended plantation tours (San Francisco, Oak Alley, Houmas House — ??? just guessing because we did not make it to those).
One tells and unbiased tale of the plantation owners, slaves, the class structure in effect at the time, the various personalities and customs of the time — Laura Plantation.
We just so happened to go to Whitney Plantation this day first. Since happens to be the furthest east on the south side of the river — and I intended to drive a loop that would at least drive by of all 8 plantations in the area. One should allow 8 hours plus to do the entire trip, loop and visiting 3 plantations that would be an ideal outing. We ran out of time.
As it turned out — Whitney was a good start to the day. The tour is 90 minutes long (to my surprise … should have done more research). Plus there is a timeline posted in the visitors center — of the history of slavery that takes 15 minutes to read. There is a good sense if the inhumanity of the time. The stone memorials provide touching testimonials of some slaves. Dispelling any sense of romance for the era. I found myself wondering where is all the opulence that I expected to see from my own preconceived notion of what a plantation house should be like. The rooms were big enough and interesting enough to make picture taking an enjoyable part of this outing.
As it turns out — if you have been to Whitney Plantation first — you get $ 5 each off the Laura Plantation tour normal cost.
Our second stop was Laura Plantation — a great introduction to the various heads (mostly women) of this property and the personal relationships that were developed between the classes of people involved. The tour was very well run by a nice young man (Lawson) who spoke very well and at quite some length — weaving the story form room to room and building to building. The tour was about 60 minutes long. Although interesting from a living /​doing business story telling aspect — the plantation house rooms were small and difficult to take pictures in.
By this stage we had run out of time to drive by /​drop in to the other 6 plantation properties in the area. We had to rush back to New Orleans for our dinner reservation.
I knew it would be a 2 hour round trip driving. But thought the tours would be more «self-​guided» and thus quicker than we actually found them to be.
We should have left a couple of hours earlier in the day to make the tour plan work out as intended.

This place is a must if you want to learn about slavery in the United States. The relatively new Whitney Plantation is a work in progress but what is there now is dedicated to the slave children who gave testimony to their plight in interviews during the great depression WPA era. Each statue tells a real life story of a former slave. It is a very moving and educational tribute to those who have come before us. It is hollowed ground as the names of slaves who served there are listed and are buried somewhere there in unmarked graves. This place is filled with artifacts even the notorious hot box. Our guide was a Tulane grad student who was very knowledgeable and informative. It is not the tear jerker I thought it would be. Its not meant to play on your emotions but to learn so that we may as humanity never go down this road again.

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the Whitney Plantation tour! Our tour guide, Courtni, was very knowledgable and answered any and of all my family’s many questions.
I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting New Orleans who wishes to get an accurate depiction of slave life on a creole plantation. Eye opening and sobering to say the least!

Alors que la plupart des autres plantations de la région ignorent totalement l’histoire de l’esclavage (faisant plutôt référence, de manière complètement hypocrite, aux «servants») le Whitney met la vie des esclaves et notamment des enfants au cœur de son exposition. La guide était claire et agréable et sa présentation très éducative. C’est un lieu d’une importance capitale qui redonne leur humanité aux esclaves victimes et résistants d’un système voué à la détruire. D’autre part la boutique du musée offre une belle collection de livres historiques, et vous croiserez peut être le propriétaire et fondateur du musée qui vous racontera l’histoire du renouvellement de ses vœux sur le parvis de Notre Dame!

I would recommend a visit to this plantation/​memorial to gain a perspective on slavery that is unique. Presented from a child’s point of view, the Whitney makes slavery real to visitors with statues of children scattered throughout the grounds. Children have a story, a memory of their lives in slavery. By gazing into the eyes of the statues, you are pulled into their world.
Much like the 911 Memorial, the Whitney grabs your emotions and will not let go. Heartfelt and tastefully presented, the plantation is a needed addition to aspects of history that has been ignored.
Tour guides and staff are friendly and knowledgeably, but I learned a quite a bit from those in my tour group who shared their knowledge.
Visitors should not be afraid to face the past and their own personal fears during their visit. We can change the world, when we face the truth.