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    Rip Van Winkle Gardens

    4.8 (33 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Services - Rip Van Winkle Gardens

    Venue rental

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    Anita G.

    First time ever going to the gardens, toured the home and cafe. Everything was beautiful and the food was excellent! We will be back in the near future. A must to go visit! And especially to eat! We were told , that there's usually a wait for the cafe, but it's very much the wait! Great service and great food!!

    James S.

    A step back in time. Soaking in the history. Lots of peacocks roaming the grounds and all the males were out showing their colors for the females. Take a tour of the plantation home and learn the history of the house and the owners and the property. Walk the grounds and take in the beauty of the gardens. Stop and eat at Cafe Jefferson for a great meal then hit the souvenir shop on your way out. A must stop and experience one of Louisiana's many hidden gems and wonders.

    Andi F.

    What a lovely spot. I was disappointed that no pictures are allowed inside of the house, and tours are only done on the first floor, but it was lovely as well. There are many paths to walk along in the gardens. What a rich place to go to. An armband is required to tour the house and gardens, but prices are very reasonable.

    Shannon S.

    Joseph Jefferson was one of the most famous American actors with international acclaim of the 19th Century and after the War of Northern Aggression in 1869 he purchased Orange Island in New Iberia, Louisiana. Orange Island was renamed Jefferson Island and sits next to Lake Peigneur. The Joseph Jefferson Mansion was built on a salt dome on Jefferson Island in 1870 as a winter home for the actor (he was very wealthy and had many homes). When Joseph Jefferson died in 1905 his heirs sold the property to a partnership of John Lyle Bayless, Sr., Paul Jones and E. A. McIlhenny (of the Tabasco sauce family). The gardens were developed by John Lyle Bayless, Jr. (son of the Sr.) and the space came to be known as Rip Van Winkle Gardens in honor of Joseph Jefferson's most noted acting character that brought him fame and fortune. Lake Peigneur was the site of a notable catastrophe on November 20, 1980 when an oil rig contracted by Texaco accidentally drilled into the Diamond Crystal Salt Company salt mine under the lake . The lake drained into the hole flooding huge caverns left from years of salt mining. The result was a days long event as the resulting whirlpool sucked in the drilling platform, eleven barges, buildings, trees and 65 acres of the surrounding terrain. So much water drained into those caverns that the flow of the Delcambre Canal that usually empties the lake into Vermilion Bay was reversed, making the canal a temporary inlet. Air displaced by the water flowing into the mine caverns erupted through the mineshafts as compressed air and then later as 400 foot geysers. This chain of events changed the lake from a 10 feet deep freshwater lake to a 200 feet deep saltwater lake. Fortunately no injuries and no human lives were lost during this event and New Orleans musician Armand St. Martin has a song about this incident. Today the Rip Van Winkle Gardens offers both a tour of the Joseph Jefferson Mansion and the surrounding gardens along with offering accommodations if you want to stay on site. They have a welcome center that includes the gift shop where you purchase your tour tickets, the Jefferson Cafe that is open for lunch and a movie theatre where you can see a film on the history of the island. Depending on your timing you might end up doing the house tour or the garden tour first and the hosue tour is guided only and is a good tour while the garden tour is self guided. The gardens also include a few musters of peacocks, a Japanese tea house, fountains, wells, wildlife (with over 260 species of birds), multiple statues around the property along with a Bali stone carved gate and various other artwork surprises. Many of the items in the garden are slightly hidden and there are many winding paths so you really need to do some exploring to find all the hidden gems around the property so dedicate some time to this tour. Tip: Take a Saturday to do the Avery Island Tabasco Sauce and Jungle Garden tour in the morning with a breakfast at the Tabasco Restaurant 1896 then do lunch at Rip Van Winkle Gardens Jefferson Cafe and do that tour in the afternoon for a full day adventure. Then head into Lafayette and stay at the Blue Moon Saloon & Guesthouse get some ice cream at the Borden's Dairy Dip across the street then go back to the guesthouse to enjoy the music then Sunday go to the Blue Dog Cafe for brunch.

    Pond Fountain

    Beautiful place, suggest doing the tour first, spent about 3 hours here, could've spent longer if we had eaten& watched the film( "theatre" freaked me out tho)

    Fountain in the gardens.... Lilly pads
    Princeton J.

    This place is beautiful... Simple here goes.... Park in the dirt lot, bring your camera and some water (maybe some bug spray) also beware of the fire ants... just a heads up.. Go to the front office/gift shop and pay your admission at the counter 10 bucks per person.. you get a wrist band... Nice bathrooms outside in the back off the wooden deck... exterior ceiling fans, beautiful courtyard fountain, Spanish moss hanging from the trees, along the water, absolutely beautiful... birds singing.. gorgeous We headed over to the Jefferson House for the tour, all in which was a ridiculously beautiful walk through the gardens... I mean ridiculously beautiful.. I believe the tour of the Jefferson House is on the hour every hour, and we had our own very private tour.. The guide was very helpful.. I can't believe the detail that went into this home along with the history it holds. They offer ice cold water bottles to the guests. The Bed and Breakfast cottages are amazing, fully updated with modern amenities, including snacks, wine, the works.. Air-conditioning and at a very competitive pricing in comparison to the (excuse my language) shitholes that claim a "Bayou Experience" I would go with this place times a million... I mean quaint clean accommodations amongst these beautiful gardens... words can't express the beauty and majestic feeling you get while being here. If I lived in Avery Island.. I probably would have had my wedding here as well....

    Peacocks just hanging out.
    Laurin A.

    This is some of the most beautiful property with a very interesting history. I would highly recommend anyone visiting the area to check this place out. The tour is around $10 and about an hour long. I would have given this place 5 stars, but I wasn't that impressed with our tour guide. There is a hiking trail with peacocks hanging out. It really made me want to invest in a few peacocks just to have around. They are truly gorgeous birds. There is also a cafe on the property, which deserves about 2.5 stars so definitely don't waste good Louisiana eating time on this crap shack.

    Rip Van Winkle Gardens
    Rebecca W.

    Greeted by peacocks in the parking lot and a paradise-like setting. Who would have known? I sure didn't. Another dazzling discovery (thanks to a friend) in Louisiana and not that far of a drive from Baton Rouge (1.5 hours tops). The grounds were gorgeous lined with lush greenery and oh-la-la, you'll encounter a few steep slopes on your stroll. Peacocks squawking (is that the sound they make?) on the rooftops and on the pathways of the property. We were hungry, so their on-site restaurant - Caffe Jefferson - was our first stop. It was lovely to sit outside on such a beautiful day and overlook Lake Peigneur. The restaurant service was superb, the rolls were outstanding and the food was even more of something to talk about. Homemade chili and Eggplant Michelle were the savory dishes that graced our table. It was a magical day. After lunch, we frolicked the grounds and made our way to take the final tour of the Joseph Jefferson Mansion. Though the tour seemed very much rehearsed and somewhat robotic, it was still very informative and detailed. The gardens presented some fabulous opportunities for photos, so we definitely took advantage of those times. I am not going to give too much away about this hidden gem because I want you to come visit. The Rip Van Winkle Gardens was worth the drive and was just an all around exquisite experience. It was only $10/adult and $8/8 years and older. Hopefully, we will be back soon. As cute as they are, don't pick-up any of the stray kittens, you'll risk getting bitten or scratched (like me).

    Bali!

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    Review Highlights - Rip Van Winkle Gardens

    It was lovely to sit outside on such a beautiful day and overlook Lake Peigneur.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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