OAKLAND PLANTATION

Creole architecture house dating from 1821. It was built by Jean Pierre Emmanuel Prud'homme and the same family lived there until the 1950's. You will hear about this family several times during your stay in Natchitoches. Oakland stands out from the other plantations by the modernity of its kitchen, which dates back to the 1950s! This log home was restored by Robert Harling, author of the play Steel Magnolias (which was adapted into a movie in the late 1980s). The plantation overlooks a beautiful oak driveway, the third longest in the state, and includes dozens of buildings, all preserved, making it the most architecturally rich plantation. Among other things, you can see the carpenter's workshop, the laundry, the pigeon houses, the doctor's house, the foreman's house... The plantation is still surrounded by gardens and fields cultivated until 1980. The visit is done alone, with the help of a map given at the entrance (check the schedule of the buildings because some may be closed on certain days). Note that this historic site is part of the Cane River Creole National Historical Park. Don't miss the Cane River Fall Festival, held annually in October on the plantation site. Programming includes children's activities, food trucks, concerts, historical entertainment, pumpkin decorating and more.