New Orleans Home Tours

by LuAnne Silvia
This week I am sharing details of what I got jazzed about when I was on vacation in New Orleans. I love seeing the interiors of historic homes whenever I get the chance. Here are a few homes I had the pleasure of touring. (The rest of the list will have to be for future trips!)
The Historic New Orleans Collection

Williams Residence

The Historic New Orleans Collection located in the French Quarter is a great place to start. Step off the bustling streets for a change of pace and a different perspective. Dedicated to preservation and research, it consists of a museum, gift shop, gallery space, research archives and examples of differerent architectural styles of housing/buildings. We saw a video on the history of New Orleans and had a guided tour of The Williams Residence. Costumed guides led us through furnished rooms and decorated interiors. No indoor photography allowed! Here are some photos I took of the exterior and courtyard:



The Beauregard-Keyes House was built in 1826.

Off the beaten path in the French Quarter, the Beauregard-Keyes House was near our hotel and we walked past it often. It was rented out by a private party when we were there the first trip, but we peeked into the brick walled garden courtyard to view the center iron fountain. I am looking forward to seeing the interior on a future trip. My photos:


Destrehan Plantation just outside of New Orleans.
We stepped back in time to visit this antebellum home on the way to the airport. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest plantation in the lower Mississippi valley. We saw a signed document by Thomas Jefferson dated 1804. They have guided tours of the house and grounds and have lots of interesting demonstrations that help you imagine daily operations of a plantation: candle making, indigo dyeing, cooking. I loved the trees dripping with spanish moss.



Homes on my list for future trips:
The Edgar Degas House, 1852. The only house that Degas lived in that is open for tours, and is also a Bed and Breakfast.
Gallier House, 1857. An architecturally designed home with forward thinking features - a skylight and an interior kitchen.
Oak Alley Plantation. Known for it's canopy of Live Oaks. It has been the site of so many movies I almost feel like I been there already (and can't believe I really haven't!)