Famous for its splendid plantations and magnificent recreational areas, this gorgeous place is home to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Locals say that once you come around, you can’t help visiting Saint Francisville, Lousiana over and over again. With its beautiful parks and gardens, it’s no wonder why this place is featured on our summer list of fine tourist spots to explore this lovely summer!
Read on to learn about the best things to do in Saint Francisville:
1. Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge
Situated nearby the town of St. Francisville, this curious spot is actually one of the most exotic and exciting places in and around the city. Indeed, the wildlife refuge can offer newcomers a couple of hours filled with entertainment and excitement. Established on October 27 back in 2000, The Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge was found to conserve, run and restore the natural habitat for all types of plants and animals that are featured on the IUCN Red List of endangered species.
Enjoy the park: The nature reserve is simply wonderful as you can also engage in hiking the Big Cypress Trail. Actually, it leads to Big Cypress aka the sixth largest tree in the region of Sierra Nevadas.
Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge
Address: 70775, St Francisville, LA
Website: Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge
2. Afton Villa Gardens
As another famous tourist location, Afton Villa Gardens is a historic garden planted on the grounds of a beautiful former plantation in the lovely city of St. Francisville, Louisiana. The gardens are a splendid, tranquil and renowned tourist spot with an abundance of various garden styles and plant types. Blooming flowers can be noticed all over and they are wonderfully complemented with massive oaks and a unique pond near them. Afton Villa Gardens are a really romantic place, perfect for couples who’d love to have an outside wedding ceremony as well. When the owner is around, visitors can enjoy hearing some amazing stories about this place.
Feel the beauty around you: If tulips and daffodils are your favorite flowers, visit the gardens in early to mid-March to enjoy their extraordinary beauty!
Afton Villa Gardens
Address: 9047 US-61, St Francisville, LA
Website: Afton Villa Gardens
3. Audubon State Historic Site
Inaugurated somewhere around 1806, the extraordinary old Oakley House located at the Audubon State Historic Site actually represents a symbolical landmark revealing the American history. It was precisely here where the prominent naturalist/painter John James Audubon finished about thirty of his bird paintings, being such unique masterpieces. The lovely park features the Main Oakley House, a well-restored plantation kitchen. Additionally, many other great tourist attractions can also be found here. A lustrous example of them are the two slave cabins with a barn, the eminent museum as well as a picnic area with a few walking trails through the beautiful grounds.
Come around: enjoy the natural beauty of this prominent tourist spot as the entrance fee is no more than 4 USD per person
Audubon State Historic Site
Address: 11788 LA-965, St Francisville, LA
Website: Audubon State Historic Site
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4. The Bluffs Golf Course
Located in a close proximity to St. Francisville, LA, the noteworthy Bluffs on Thompson Creek is an awesome place to visit where you can have fun playing some golf as well. The world-recognized golf player Arnold Palmer was actually given the chance to design his own golf course at The Bluffs on Thompson Creek. The club has received a whole lot of awards since then. Besides, it has also been ranked as the “Best Golf Course You Can Play in Louisiana” by Golf Magazine.
Play some golf and have fun: come around and enroll yourself in exciting golf courses! It’d be so cool, wouldn’t it?
The Bluffs Golf Course
Address: 14233 Sunrise Way, 70775 Saint Francisville, LA
Website: The Bluffs Golf Course
5. West Feliciana Historical Museum
The world-recognized West Feliciana Historical Museum was built in 1895, and it exhibits and interprets the compelling local history of this gorgeous place and region in general. Tourist information, brochures, and guidebooks are also available. Regardless of the fact that the museum is quite small, it actually contains a lot of curious and unique objects and historical items. All in all, the symbolical museum is certainly a great tourist spot that any visitor should definitely explore.
Come inside: the best part is that the museum is free of charge so you can enjoy its rich history for free! How nice!
West Feliciana Historical Museum
Address: 11757 Ferdinand St, St Francisville, LA
6. Imahara’s Botanical Gardens
Created by the noteworthy Imahara family – James and his wife Haruka who are Japanese immigrants - this wonderful place is actually amongst the city’s best tourist attractions and symbolical places. Indeed, James Imahara once said “The scenery was designed by sight so that some unique and great views could be seen from anywhere in the garden.”
Besides, with its rich diversity of magnolias, weeping trees, hollies, maples, purple leaf plums, crape myrtle, Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) and more, this garden is a gorgeous attraction that’s certainly a must-see.
Visit this lovely place: while being in the gorgeous city of St Francisville, don’t miss the chance to enjoy this lovely recreational place!
Imahara’s Botanical Gardens
Address: 5341 Cr-225, St Francisville, LA
Website: Imahara’s Botanical Gardens
7. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church
Founded somewhere around 1871, the symbolical and lovely church was built from native woods being an exclusive material for building a church back in the days. Indeed, the prominent Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church was constructed with cypress doors and door frames, and beams and columns made from solid longleaf pine were also a part of the building process. It’s believed that General P. T. G. Beauregard designed the construction plan. Guests and international visitors come to explore this church as they are deeply interested in learning more about its history and unique architectural design.
Visit it: come around and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Catholic Hill located in the cozy town of St. Francisville.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church
Address: 11485 Ferdinand St, St Francisville, LA
8. Rosedown Plantation
Considered a really curious and beautiful location, the famous Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site is actually a wonderful historic home that gathers lots of attention from international tourists and guests in the city of St. Francisville. As a former plantation, the gorgeous place was built back in 1835 by Daniel and Martha Turnbull. As such, the Rosedown Plantation was actually documented as an eminent intact plantation complex many times in the past. Additionally, it’s also famous for its wonderful gardens surrounding the house.
Take a walk: given its famous nature, the stunning plantation was also declared a National Historic Landmark back in 2005.
Rosedown Plantation
Address: 12501 LA-10, St Francisville, LA
Website: Rosedown Plantation
9. West Feliciana Railroad Caboose
Authorized back in 1831, the West Feliciana Railroad ran pretty successfully until 1888. About forty years later, the historic Caboose got absorbed by Illinois Central Railroad. The iconic orange caboose really looked like trash back then, getting renovated, cleaned and repainted before getting into action once again. The rusted areas and windows were fixed as well and turned into an attraction of the city of St. Francisville. Today, the emblematic West Feliciana Railroad Caboose serves as a lovely tourist spot gathering lots of people on an annual base.
Don’t miss it: come around and enjoy this lovely place as it serves as a historic landmark as well.
West Feliciana Railroad Caboose
Address: 1144 Ferdinand St, St Francisville, LA
Website: West Feliciana Railroad Caboose
10. The Myrtles Plantation
Considered a renowned tourist spot, the Myrtles Plantation is actually a noteworthy historic home which is a former antebellum plantation. Found in 1796 by David Bradford, it’s regarded as one of the most haunted homes in America. Situated on a hill, the lovely house is of a unique Creole cottage-style, and many of those 19-century houses share the same characteristics as well. Rumor has it that the house was built on the grounds of an ancient Tunica Indian burial ground.
Visit it: as for its present-day looks, the Myrtles Plantation is just another of the city’s top tourist spots which are certainly worth exploring.
The Myrtles Plantation
Address: St. Francisville, 70775, LA
Website: The Myrtles Plantation
11. Oakley Plantation
Here we are with the last tourist attraction that is certainly a great finish to any sightseeing tour across St Francisville’s best features! Resting within the prominent Audubon State Historic Site, the lovely Oakley Plantation offers exceptional guided tours which any visitor can take advantage of; a unique tour almost every single day. While jumping from one famous tourist spot to another, don’t miss out on the opportunity to tour the gardens, kitchen of the plantation or the renowned slave cabins. Additionally, the park also features a nature trail alongside a picnic pavilion with 50 seats.
Enjoy the great tour: make your tour an exceptional one within the famous Oakley Plantation! It’s so amazing, isn’t it?
Oakley Plantation
Address: 11788 La. Hwy 965, St Francisville, LA
Website: Oakley Plantation
12. Watch a fascinating series of matches at the Angola Prison Rodeo & Arts
If you’re a traveler who isn’t of the faint-hearted and enjoys interesting sights, then maybe a rodeo show is something you’d be interested in. However, Angola Prison Rodeo & Arts are no ordinary cowboy rodeo, it’s a much-anticipated rodeo show that has Angola prisoners battle it out on the rodeo chute. This local attraction at St. Francisville has been ongoing since 1967 and happens every Sunday of October. Inmates are pit against each other to compete in several events some of which include horse riding, wild cow milking, and bull and bronco riding to name a few. Indeed, this is a rather bizarre yet unique attraction to see when visiting St. Francisville, but a definite must to check off the adrenaline junkie’s bucket list.
Angola Prison Rodeo & Arts
Address: 17544 Tunica Trace, St Francisville, LA 70775, United States
Website: Angola Prison Rodeo & Arts
Opening hours: 9 am to 3:30 pm, Mon-Sat; 24 hours, Sun
What to expect
While being in the gorgeous and cozy city of St Francisville, Louisiana, don’t let the chance of exploring some of the city’s best features just pass you by! As lovely as this place promises to be, all newcomers and locals are given the opportunity to have an amazing time while getting to know more about these symbolical places and crowded tourist spots. The splendid city just can’t wait to walk its visitors around and show them its most renowned spots! With this, we can only wish you a wonderful time in this amazing and tranquil place! Have fun!