This is an amazing state-run museum that is dedicated to the history of this area. One half is…read morededicated to the timber industry and outlining the history of the industry in the area. The other half is dedicated to the areas contributions in the aviation industry. A small section is dedicated to the Audubon contributions to the aviary studies. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. The timber industry section was just amazing with canoes, sections of cypress trees, how things were made and processed and how the area was settled. There is a quick movie playing on a loop detailing the history of logging, how they lived and what was done in the area. There are so many instruments and tools here. It is amazing. The aviation industry section has a neat movie that is immersive detailing the history of aviation in the area and the impact it has had. It is so cool about the history, and I never knew the contributions citizens of Louisiana made to it, and the impacts. If you are in the area or driving by, I highly suggest stopping in for a bit.

Checked this place out over the weekend. The aviation part I actually didn't care about too much,…read morebut the cypress logs were amazing! One half of the museum is dedicated to cypress logging in the region. There are tools and displays showing you how it all went down. There's also a 500 year old tree found in the Atchafalaya. Amazing to inspect up close. They also have a small collection of early boats and how they were involved in the timber game. The other half is the planes. Apparently several aviators in the area played a vital role in the development of the industry nationally. There's a little film and some airplanes and info and there you have it. I wouldn't drive from too far away just for this...but if you're passing by why not?

Visiting the Rig Museum was a unique experience. Getting to walk on a real offshore drilling rig is…read morejust something that you don't get to do everyday. Our tour guide was a long time enthusiast who clearly loves the subject matter and wants to teach you as much as possible about it ... and there is so much to learn. It was a bit daunting climbing up some of the old old rusty staircases to the main section of the rig, especially for us because we brought our small dog along. Having to carry her through some sections was definitely a challenge. I really appreciate that this is a dog-friendly tour though. Once you get a few stories up, you get a chance to see the inside crew quarters, the kitchen , leisure rooms and later, the work areas. You get a real understanding of what it feels like to be on a working rig. If you've ever been curious about offshore drilling or what life on a rig is like, this place will educate you in a way I don't think any other experience can, short of the real thing. For me personally. However, that's where the positives stop being simple because as much as I enjoyed this experience, it also left me a little conflicted. On the one hand, the guides enthusiasm for drilling was almost infectious and I definitely learned a lot from him because I never really considered the process of drilling for oil in any kind of real way before this experience. On the other hand, some of the things that he said felt misinformed especially because they were being presented in a way that was supposed to be educational. For example, at one point he said that they were drilling at more than 40,000 ft and yet there are no fossils that deep underground. When I looked perplexed, waiting for more information, he made a statement to the effect that he was Christian and believes that "God provides". Religion aside, his actual statement just didn't make any sense to me at that time, however, like I said, before I came here I hadn't researched or given any real thought to the process of drilling for oil. I have since educated myself and now understand that oil doesn't require fossils to still be present. The organic material that forms oil was chemically altered long before it ever reached those depths and the absence of fossils beyond 40,000 ft is expected due to heat and pressure. More importantly though, drilling depth is usually measured along the pipe as it descends curved wells, not ones that are going straight down. As a matter of fact, the 40,000 ft he was citing is actually a record, and definitely not the norm. He also made a remark about how technology has made it so that only one rig is needed now instead of multiple temporary rigs all around the drill site. Then said that because I was from California I probably couldn't understand why that was bad "but it is" (in his opinion) because temporary rigs used to double as fish habitats once drilling was done. That makes no sense. The rigs are literally destroying ocean habitat in the first place, so less is better in my opinion. I really regret not doing my homework before coming on this tour because a lot of the comments he made seemed off, however, as he was the guide or "expert" I didn't feel like I was in any position to refute what he was saying. As we were finishing our tour, a couple who had bypassed clearly posted safety signs and climbed to the top of the rig just sort of walked up and kind of bled into the end of our tour. It was so bizarre and frustrating to me that people would trespass and endanger themselves and expect not to have to pay for a tour. What was most annoying to me though, was that these people left a dog in their car on a warm day to do it. The tour took an hour and their poor pup was already whining from the car when we got back down. At the end of the day I want to like this place more than I actually do. On the day itself, the tour was fun and the uniqueness of it was something that I'm really glad I did. But now that I've stepped back after the fact, the guides mix of history and information with some very questionable statements leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. I would still recommend this tour 100%, but just make sure that you do your own research and no matter how knowledgeable or educational the guide seems, you should definitely push back on some of the less scientifically grounded ideas he may be spouting.

We arrived at 10am for a tour. We were the only people on the tour and really enjoyed ourselves…read more Our tour guide was passionate and very knowledgeable about the history and operations of the rig known as Mr. Charlie. He was a great guide and answered every question we asked. Go and enjoy a museum that also servers as a training facility for people wanting to working in the offshore oil and gas industries.

I had a lot of fun walking around the museum. There's also an intro video as you enter that…read moreexplains the culture and way of life in Houma over the years. The curator was so nice and she answered all of my questions about Houma and then helped me find the perfect necklace as a keepsake of having visited.

What an amazing stop! I happened to be in the area looking around and found this place. The lady…read moreworking was kind. Admission is $3 cash, but she let me go through, go get cash, come back and pay. This space is dedicated to how the area started, who the initial residents were, the hunting, fishing and wildlife that helped to contribute to the way of life here. The lady working was wonderful and kind. There was so much to look at! Come if your in the area. Look around.

Beautifully restored Plantation Home and grounds. Awesome tour guides with lots of fun and…read morehistorical information. Plan to take your time, walk the grounds, enjoy the views, sit on a bench and listen to nature, grab a quick or fancy meal at one of their restaurants, visit the museum. We thoroughly enjoyed several hours more visiting than we'd planned on and we're very glad we did !!

Amazing Tour and Museum Experience…read more Houmas Plantation House is an amazing place to visit. We started our day early and had breakfast first. There's a simple American/New Orleans-style breakfast buffet with eggs, sausage, and grits, available from 8-10 a.m. The plantation opens at 9 a.m., and the first house tour starts at 9:30 a.m. The house tour lasts about an hour. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. This was my second time taking the tour, and although the guides were different, they shared the same history in their own unique storytelling styles. Both were engaging and easy to follow. Don't forget to tip the tour guides--they do a great job. After the tour, we walked through the gardens in the morning. It's about a 45-minute stroll at a relaxed pace--walk, rest, and enjoy the scenery. Very peaceful. Later, we went to the Carriage House Restaurant, which has amazing food. The bar is also great--try the Houmas signature drinks, they're delicious. You can enjoy your drink inside or outside, then walk around more or relax. If one person wants to do everything--breakfast, museum and house tour, lunch at the Carriage House, and buy a few souvenirs--expect to spend around $150 or so. Overall, it was a great, peaceful experience, and I highly recommend it.

I was expecting Gilbert Dauterive to welcome us, but instead, we were greeted by a few mosquitoes…read more I get it, this tour and premise is more of a glorification of slavery, but after visiting the Whitney plantation, it was fine for me to get to see the other side of things. Their gardens and trees are breathtaking, a setup that one only dreams of seeing when watching Southern movies and shows. Our tour guide was phenomenal, and the way that the house is arranged vividly displays what life was like for some during those times. It's a must-visit. If you can't make it, play Beyoncé's "Deja Vu" music video for a second-hand experience.

The gumbo in this place is super tasty! The rice was cooked just right! The friend green tomato was…read moreyummy. I enjoyed the salad with blackened shrimp and some pepper jelly vinaigrette- it could have been spicer - but that's just me ;) The service was amazing - and the decor was incredible! Looking at old pics of the big house was something else. The gumbo was one of the better ones - I enjoyed it!

Totally awesome to walk around the actual slave quarters and plantation. Even being here it is…read morehard to imagine what those times were like. Nice to see that these are being preserved so that we can learn from history and never repeat this sad part of American history.

The Laurel Valley Heritage Foundation is in charge of maintaining this Village of slave homes. Some…read moreare in need of minor repairs, some major repairs. There was a wooden fence all around the property and gates that were locked. I was hoping there would be someone here to let people walk around. But there wasn't. There was a gravel parking lot. When I am in the area in the future, I will make sure to stop back by to see if I can actually walk around. This is an amazing spot with so much potential.

List as great small space museum. Lots of historical facts and beautiful space. Nice to visit in…read moretandem with the Acadian museum which is next door along with the Longfellow Evangeline Oak outdoor exhibit. Recommended place to RVer's from Harvesthost.com from the www.campingonthebayou.com site in St Martinville, LA. Great opportunity zone for a walking tour to see several sites and grab a coffee from Studio Gallery and Coffee. Find more from YELP at https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-studio-gallery-and-coffee-bar-saint-martinville.

Admission here includes admission to the Acadian Museum next door. There are a lot of information…read moreboards detailing the history of African Americans in the area. There is a whole lot of information to take in. They also seem to be expanding the display areas. Words fail me when trying to explain this place. If you are in the area, come by.

The Capitol Park Museum is definitely worth a visit…read more There are some genuinely interesting exhibits, and it does a good job showcasing Louisiana's history and culture. It's engaging enough to spend a solid amount of time exploring, especially if you're already visiting other museums in the area. That said, certain parts of the museum felt a bit repetitive - almost like carbon copies of exhibits you might see at the Old State Capitol or other nearby museums. If you're doing multiple stops, you might notice some overlap. Still, the admission is very affordable, which makes it an easy and worthwhile stop overall.

Honestly, I had high hopes, but I should have known better. The state of LA has a rich history of…read morebeing part of the Deep South so I'm not sure why I expected anything elevated, learned, recognized, or truthful to be here. The museum is cheap to get into, can be completed in less than 2 hours and is technically geared more towards school age, but since it was our first time in the state capitol I figured it was worth the visit. I actually found myself crying, actual tears, in the middle of a museum for how poorly done the entire portion on slavery was. If ever there was a chance for a state to tell the real story, the real history, this would be it and that isn't what happens here. At EVERY turn there was some watered down version of how slaves "benefited" or "learned skills" and I was horrified. There was an entire section dedicated to slavery and not one school field trip was visiting that section and there were at least 2 buses of kids in the location. Let me be clear though, when I say a section was dedicated to slavery they did not tell the full story or the truth and they didn't even try! The one highlight was learning the history of mardi gras upstairs, but it was very Krewe heavy and I want to believe there's more history to learn there as well.

This was an amazing experience. I arrived at the World War II museum in New Orleans after being…read moretold this is an amazing place to visit. I got a student discount ticket for $28 and made my way through the exhibit. I spent about two hours here and could've spent 10. The videos and stories on the walls in the rooms were amazing and almost brought tears to my eyes. The collections of arms and different memorabilia from the war is so incredible to see from both sides not just American, but also the German and the Japanese. Very emotional videos and different things that were hard to watch about the concentration camps in the way our soldiers are treated, but def needed so we don't repeat history. This is a must stop if you come to New Orleans. One of the best museums I've ever been in, including when I visited to the Smithsonian in Washington DC. The staff were very friendly and offered directions when I asked. They offer the student discount as well as a military and senior discount.

Coming to the museum was the main reason i ended up back in New Orleans... I heard about this…read moremuseum a few years ago and have wanted to go. It is absolutely amazing! The people working there are friendly and knoweldgable. The exhibits are full of information. In fact, after a while it is information overload. We also got to see the Tom Hanks movie and it is fantastic. There is so much to see at this place. You can easily spend a whole day there. It was worth the trip to New Orleans just to see this. If you are interested in this type of history, it is a must go.