The 44th annual Audubon Pilgrimage in St. Francisville, Louisiana celebrates beautiful plantation country each spring. It is a wonderful event that allows you inside private homes and lets you explore plantations, churches and gardens. This year’s pilgrimage is March 20-22nd.
The annual pilgrimage is sponsored by the West Feliciana Historical Society where the participants don authentic 1820’s costumes to celebrate artist-naturalist John James Audubon. Audubon painted a number of his famous bird folios in the area while tutoring Eliza, the daughter of Oakley Plantation’s Pirrie family.
Why should you attend the Audubon Pilgrimage? Here are my 8 reasons:
1. Tour 4 Private Houses
How fun is that! You get to go inside private historical homes in St. Francisville and learn about their significance to the city, parish and/or state. I am excited because this year a house that I’ve always loved (from the outside) is on tour and I cannot wait to see what it looks like on the inside!
2. Tour 2 Historic Plantations
Two of my favorite plantations: Rosedown, which I wrote about here, and Oakley House are included in the daytime tour ticket. Both offer wonderful home tours and have beautiful grounds with multiple outbuildings. The gardens at Rosedown Plantation in the spring are spectacular!
3. Tour 4 19th Century Churches
Four churches, three in town and one in the country, are open for visits. I always find historic churches to be absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite moments from the pilgrimage was when S was 3 and we visited the United Methodist church. She pulled down the bible from the back of the pew and would not stop “reading” it. After that every church we visited she would immediately go to the back of the pew and start reading a bible.
4. Explore Afton Villa Gardens
Afton Villa Gardens is what is left after the French Gothic-Victorian mansion built by Bartholomew Barrow burned in 1963. The gardens were inspired by Rosedown Plantation’s in 1948 and now consist of a series of terraces, bricked pathways the led through boxwood mazes, overhung oak trees, beautiful azaleas, marble statues, and flowering bulbs. In 1972, the property was purchased by horticulturist Genevieve Munson Trimble who brought the gardens back to life. You can still see ruins from the mansion intermixed with the gardens.
5. Take in Live Demonstrations at the Rural Homestead
The Rural Homestead has lively demonstrations of the rustic skills of daily pioneer life. They also sell cornbread that is amazing and made fresh right in front of you.
6. Daytime Tour Tickets are Good for the Whole Weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
All 4 private homes, 2 plantations, 4 churches, Afton Villa gardens, and rural homestead are included in your daytime tour ticket. And the best part is you do not have to hit all the sites in one day. Your daytime tour ticket is valid for the whole weekend – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This way you have plenty of time to see all the homes, plantations, gardens, and churches without being rushed.
My mom, S and I usually visit a couple of the sites on Friday. Then we split the remaining sites between Saturday and Sunday to visit with my husband and dad.
7. Children under the age of 7 are free
Always a positive when I am planning a trip when S is free. S is not always thrilled with touring homes but with lots of opportunity to run and explore she is content.
8. Evening Activities
The Audubon Pilgrimage also offers a variety of evening events too, at an extra cost. Friday’s evening actitivies include a wine and cheese reception, cemetery tour, hymn singing, and vintage dancers. Saturday night soiree includes live music, food, drinks and dancing. We have never attended these events but they sound like a lot of fun!
Spring is a wonderful time for events and festivals in the south! For more information about the pilgrimage or to purchase tickets visit their website.
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Sounds like a lot of fun. We always enjoy historical trips like this. My favorite would be touring the houses.
The pilgrimage is a lot of fun! It’s always so fun to peek inside someone else’s home 🙂
What an awesome tour! I think I would like to see the Plantations the best – plus all the gorgeous flowers!
The plantations are gorgeous! It’s always interesting to hear the history!
That tour sounds amazing! And Louisiana isn’t too far from Texas 😉
Not too far at all – totally worth a trip!
I would be ALL over this if I was in St. Francisville during the festival–old houses, private homes, and lots of history! 🙂 I’ve got this on my pin board for the next time I’m in LA!
Thank you Natalie! I hope you can make a trip during the festival sometime. It’s a wonderful event!
Home and garden tours are so much fun. I like that this one includes historical churches as well. It’s wonderful that the tickets are good for the entire weekend. There’s nothing quite like visiting homes I’ve admired from afar. Wish I lived close by. Thanks for linking up at the Pretty Pintastic Party, Paris.
Thank you Alli! The churches are beautiful! I am really excited for this year’s pilgrimage!
This does look fun! I wish I was closer to the South – what history! Thank you for a tour of our own and for sharing at snickerdoodle. Hope to see you again!
Thank you Elizabeth! It is a wonderful event to attend.