Houmas House Plantation and Gardens

The tour guides were friendly and funny, and we met the owner, who seemed like a nice guy caring about preserving the home’s historical value. We also ate at the on-site restaurant, where the prices were reasonable and the food was good. The grounds are beautiful and full of life, and the home is stunningly decorated. Absolutely love this place, and highly recommend a visit.

My fiancée and I spent close to $1,000 for one night over Valentine’s weekend, hoping for a special stay. Instead, we left feeling embarrassed and disrespected. We contacted ownership afterward to explain what happened and give them a chance to respond, but haven’t heard back. We hope management takes guest treatment more seriously. The guided tour was upsetting. As we approached, the guide asked where we were from. When we said “Hammond,” he replied, “Oh, that explains it.” We didn’t know what he meant, but it felt disrespectful. Later, my fiancée briefly stepped away to use the restroom. Rather than handle that discreetly, he called her out in front of the group. It wasn’t playful, it was embarrassing and dismissive. Everyone seemed uncomfortable, and she was left in tears. A basic human need was treated like a personal inconvenience. We wondered how elderly guests or families with children would be treated if they needed the same accommodation. The bar service also set a bad tone. When I politely asked for a particular liquor, the bartender shook her head and gave me a dismissive look, as though I was inconveniencing her. She offered no explanation or courtesy, just attitude.

The River Road has changed a lot since I first traveled it in 1989, and I’ve only just started exploring its hidden gems. On this visit, my longtime Navy friend and I made Houmas House and the Great River Road Museum our historic and educational stop while exploring Ascension Parish. I’ve spent the past three years learning about this side of the Mississippi since moving here. I already knew the Acadian and prairie side of the Atchafalaya Basin, and I want to understand more about the roots of my chosen new home. Sharing the visit with a great friend was a bonus. The museum and house were full of interesting artifacts and historical accounts. I was struck by how many original family names still show up in local place names and on roads, and I learned some interesting things about a friend’s family history. The day before, we’d visited historic Donaldsonville, another small town worth stopping in. Weather and industry are slowly erasing history, good or bad, that needs to be retold. Places like these give you a chance to pause and think about where we’ve been, how far we’ve come, and where we’re headed. They should make us feel something so we remember and don’t fall into that mindset again. Humanity is better than its dark past and, sadly, our shaky present. We can only rise toward a better tomorrow together.

We’ve traveled to over 50 countries, and we thoroughly enjoyed this stay. We’re here for two nights in B4, with a patio, and the room is fantastic. We’ve eaten here both days. The bar is great, and the restaurant’s food and Manhattans made us happy. It reminded me of King Charles b n b in north Scotland and the restaurant that’s part of the Broadmoor up above Colorado Springs. We love the grounds, the house tour was very good, and we spent two hours in the well-done museum learning about the history. Loved it all.