Loved seeing this plantation...had a wonderful tour guide. Very pretty grounds. Majestic oaks everywhere. The outside of the house is in need of repairs.. there are rotten post on porch, and the whole thing could use a pressure washing...A great place that needs a little more TLC.
My wife and I were in St Francisville specifically to visit a few of the plantations in the area. On a Sunday morning in late December we arrived at the Greenwood Plantation. To our surprise we were greeted on the porch by Richard who we soon discovered is not only the owner but has spent the majority of his life not only renovating the plantation but also has called it "home" for that same timeframe. We were invited to have a seat in the parlor as he explained the destruction of the home in a fire and the years of research and reconstruction. After a fascinating recapping of the history of Greenwood we set out upon a tour of the first floor. Each room was filled with history and because of the season was also beautifully decorated with Christmas trees and Santa Claus figures. Richard then invited us to feel free to wander the second floor unescorted; which we gladly did.We later visited a couple of other plantations in the area but none were as special as our visit with Richard and Victoria at Greenwood. There should be a line at the door to get in and hear the history of this one!
The house has been restored to its grandeur and the oak alley is unsurpassed. Ricky or his daughter Victoria, give fantastic guided tours of the house, with tremendous knowledge of the history. This is one of the houses the movie "North and South" was filmed at, along with scenes in numerous other movies. They also have a great Bed and Breakfast for those wanting to "get away from it all."
I have toured about every plantation in Louisiana but somehow never knew about Greenwood. I was anxious to tour it and I was not disappointed at all. Our tour guide was the owner, Rick Barnes, and the gave us a fabulous tour. Although the house turned in 1963, Rick' s father bought Greenwood and asked his son to restore it. So Rick spent 7 years researching and seeking pictures of the original house and then he rebuilt it around the foundation and column that were still standing. Some of the original furniture had been given away through the early years and was returned to Greenwood. But mainly the furnishings are antiques from the period. There have been many movies made there and when the production company wanted specific furniture, Rick insisted they purchase real antiques and not reproductions and these pieces were left in the house. Rick did most of the restoration himself and lived in the house and raised his children there. He and his wife still live in the house and he loves Greenwood and it is very apparent that he loves to share his home with his guests. I will go back for another tour the next time I am in the area.
We didn't tour inside the house because we ran out of time, but I wanted to leave a review because we did see the grounds and the outside of the house and it is definitely worth a visit. From what I understand, the house itself burned in the 1960s and has been completely restored, but the columns are still the original columns. I can't speak of the inside of the house, but the outside was pretty amazing. The columns are massive - larger than any others that I've seen at a plantation home. I had to get a picture of myself next to one just to demonstrate how thick they are. If you've never seen anything like that before, then Greenwood is worth a visit. Just walking around on the porch gives you an idea of the scale of this plantation and how much money must have gone into building the house in the first place. The grounds are also beautifully landscaped and worth walking around. As an added bonus, the mini-series North and South is one of my favorite and the scenes at the Resolute plantation in the movie were filmed at Greenwood. That was pretty neat to see. If you're in the area definitely stop by! I hope to be back one day to tour inside the house too.
Its been a few years from when I visited Greenwood a place which as been in a few films ,the day my wife and I visited it was quiet we walked around the grounds first then went to book a tour of the mansion ,the guide arrived to say we were the only ones there ,so we had a personal tour of the mansion ,the guide took us into the main room and told us the history of Greenwood as we were allowed to sit on the period furniture which the public are not allowed to do but as we were the only ones visiting she made us feel at home ,we then was told as she was busy it was okay for us to walk round on our own, cant thank the staff enough and if ever we get the chance would love to return .
This plantation is further away from town, but by far better than the others in the area. The tour is given by the family who owns and lives in the house. You are allowed to touch things and sit on the furniture. Personalized tours begin when you arrive. The house is impressive, as is the history. It burned down and was resorted, but still looks exactly as it did back in the day. Several movies have been filmed there. The owners let you wander and take pictures at your leisure. The third floor is where the family lives, but all you need to see is the first and second level. The grounds had an amazing lake and cottages (this plantation is also a B&B). The tour was $9 "if you enjoyed it."I got stuck in a thunderstorm and almost didn't make it out due to a fallen tree blocking the road, but it was well worth it. I would definitely visit again, and perhaps stay at the private B&B. Hightly recommend this plantation!
The quiet dignity and grace of these plantations is not to be missed! Elegance abounds here. there is so much history in this area. This is a very quiet, peaceful place with elegant grounds that are taken care of with love. The quided tour of the house was very informative.
I absolutely love these old homes. It's amazing all the craftsmanship that goes into them. I was able to make some really beautiful pictures. My husband and I were the only ones there at the time of our visit and we were able to ramble all over the grounds. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.
The daughter of the owner gave us a tour and told us of the interesting history of the home. She didn't even ask for tour money until after, and I was so touched by that. We ended up giving her a little extra for her kindness. The family truly is opening their private home for tours, which is very nice of them. The home was burned down and completely rebuilt, and has been used in many movies.