san francisco plantation

I was surprised when we first arrived at San Francisco plantation. The plantation house is quite different from most in the Old South - no Tara or Twelve Oaks here. it is a beautiful structure painted in pastels. The interior is wonderfully finished and furnished. Our tour guide was very well acquainted with the history of the house and its former occupants and patiently answered all of our questions.

I'd like to thank our excellent guide Darrington who took the time to answer our questions and let us time to translate them in Freench to the children with us. The plantation itself gave us a great insight to the life of an antebellum family, but only a glimpse of slaves' condition and the antebellum economy. Still an interesting and instructive tour though.

As you approach the house you are somewhat surprised by the location as it is surrounded by petrol storage tanks but don't let this put you off.Once in the grounds you forget the surroundings.After paying the entrance fee you enter the house to be greeted by a guide who will then spend as long as it takes to introduce you to the house and its previous occupants.The guide is very knowledgeable and answers all the questions easily.It reall is worth a visit.

A very enjoyable visit and tour of the home. It's quite unique from others along the MS River. A short drive from New Orleans or a nice day trip from Baton Rouge.

We visited the plantation as part of a Gray Line Tour which was combined with the Bonfires on the Levee. The buses are really nice, friendly driver, great tour guide. We enjoyed our tour through the plantation house, as well as, a really good buffet. Then got back on the buses for a police escort to see the Bonfires on the Levee. Nice evening.

The other reviews capture the feel of the plantation but two things stood out from the tour (Darrington was an excellent guide). First was the list of battles that the owner, Mr. Charles Marmillion fought in - in the Civil War. He was a solider in 31 battles from Manassas to Harper's Ferry to Gettysburg to Leetown. I was astonished at seeing the list of battles with their ledger of his participation and the realization that someone could survive that many battles. The other list is equally powerful. In the slave quarters is a list of all of the slaves and their dollar values for one specific year. A breeding slave woman had a value of several hundred dollars whereas an elderly slave (55 years old) had a value of $100. Total slave value for the year was $60,000. Two realities came together for me from this tour and that made the day very worthwhile. Go - but open up to the contrasts of owner and slaves.

It's very ornate. It has small grounds. They do not have an Oak Alley. It doesn't seem like they have much left of the original plantation property. The planation is very close to the rive and the road. We did not actually get a chance to see the inside of the main house, but judging by the outside it is probably just as fabulous inside. I would certain love to come back just to see the inside.

We were with a large group (8 buses) on a Grayline tour that stopped here for a tour of the plantation and a Christmas Dinner, before proceeding to the levees to see the Christmas Eve bonfires. The plantation house is very ornate, including the ceilings in the home. There was a docent in every room, dressed in period costume. It was an interesting tour, but the decorative details of the home was most interesting.

This is a must see plantation. Stephen was a GREAT tour guide! He had a genuine creole accent and new his facts. ( I know it was genuine b/c I had a uncle that had a creole accent) He had our attention the whole time. I would recommend anyone to see this plantation.

Our male tour guide was friendly, funny, and extremely versed in the plantation's rich history. As I was whipping off questions, he provided the answers. Although the Laura plantation offered history, I still learned a lot from the tour about the rich history of land owners and resources to the families in the area. Worth the trip and money for those that have an open mind.

Aside from having a lovely (and truly iconic) plantation home and grounds, the tour guides are a veritable fountain of knowledge regarding local history and culture who will cater to the amount of time you have available (we had to leave sooner than anticipated) to share as much as possible regarding the secrets and surprises of plantation life. We would gladly go back to spend more time on the tour.Younger children can run about the grounds if they get a little stir crazy indoors or aren't suited for standing quietly to listen during the tour itself...It's never really crowded unless a school tour is there (call first if that's a concern), and since most visitors to New Orleans don't usually want to venture the 30 or so miles outside the city to find it (though it IS very easy to find), you feel like you have the run of the place to yourself.Price of admission is a little steep for a large family ($15/adult, $10/child) but I actually believe you get great value for your money.

The beautiful, gaily painted San Francisco Plantation is one of the most interesting mansions in the New Orleans area. It is well worth the drive to see the house either by car or escorted tour. I recently visited it with friends, and we were treated to a wonderful, in-depth tour by a knowledgeable, entertaining docent dressed in period costume. The Plantation has an involved history, which is fascinating. Don't miss it!

Unless you just have time to kill I'd suggest choosing a different plantation tour. The others have more to see.

This is a very nice plantation. Beautiful to see with lots of history. The slave cabins offer a glimse into history you very seldom see anymore at the plantations. Recently remodeled. For the handicapped there are quite a few steps if you want to see the upstairs. I dont believe there are restaurants too close nearby since it sits on River Rd by refineries. Bring a lunch or eat before you go. qq

Most sugar plantations suffered after sugar collapsed. This property is no different. The oil company surrounds it and has funneled money into it. The guide was in a hurry and had a set spiel. I was glad I went. Destrehan was 1000 times better.