Day Trippin' › Louisiana › From New Orleans › Best history spots
Our picks for the best history spots within 3 hours of New Orleans: 65 places, 5 under an hour away, 20 between 1 and 2 hours and 40 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 70112.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Fairview-Riverside State Park, 40 min north of New Orleans.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
#1 · Small town · 2 hr 47 min northwest
Historic river town with antebellum homes, river bluff views and great food.
Heads-up: Book home tours ahead during Pilgrimage seasons.
Photo: Emily Richardson, CC BY-SA 3.0
#2 · Historic site · 58 min west
Famous for its quarter-mile tunnel of 300-year-old live oaks leading to the big house. The site also covers the lives of the people enslaved there.
Heads-up: On-site restaurant open daily for breakfast and lunch. Cottage stays available.
Photo: Altairisfar, Public domain
#3 · Garden · 2 hr 14 min east
A 1930s estate on the Fowl River with big formal gardens, azaleas in spring and a famous holiday lights show. The historic home is open for tours.
Heads-up: Holiday lights nights have separate timing and prices. Pet rules.
Photo: United States Geological Survey, Public domain
#4 · Island · 1 hr 23 min east
A ferry ride from Gulfport to clear water, white sand and Fort Massachusetts. The best beach day on the Mississippi coast.
Heads-up: Book the ferry ahead. Bring shade, water and sunscreen. Ferry season ends in fall, so check dates before you go.
Photo: Michlaovic, Public domain
#5 · Small town · 2 hr 4 min northeast
Pretty historic downtown plus the free Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.
Heads-up: Weekends are busy downtown.
Photo: MauraWen, CC0
#6 · Museum · 2 hr 4 min northeast
Excellent art museum in Laurel, free since 1923.
Heads-up: Pair it with a walk in downtown Laurel.
Photo: Julian Rankin, CC BY-SA 3.0
#7 · Museum · 2 hr 47 min north
The state's main art museum, with a sculpture garden downtown. General admission is free.
Heads-up: Free first Saturdays through 2026.
Photo: Dudemanfellabra, CC BY-SA 3.0
#8 · Small town · 2 hr 53 min northeast
Downtown full of museums, historic theaters, shops and breweries.
Heads-up: Railfest runs each November.
Photo: Bill Leiser, CC BY-SA 4.0
#9 · Museum · 50 min west
A museum focused fully on the history of slavery, with original buildings and memorials. A moving, important visit.
Heads-up: Book ahead, especially the week after Christmas. Weather and holiday closures are posted on the site.
Photo: Elisa Rolle, CC BY-SA 3.0
#10 · Historic site · 2 hr 47 min northwest
The second-largest Mississippian-era ceremonial mound in the country. Climb to the top for wide views.
Heads-up: About 1 mile off the Parkway at milepost 10.3.
Photo: NatalieMaynor from Jackson, Mississippi, USA, CC BY 2.0
#11 · Historic site · 2 hr 53 min northwest
One of the last original inns on the old Natchez Trace, from about 1779.
Heads-up: At milepost 15.5 on the Parkway.
Photo: danamcausey, CC BY 2.0
#12 · State park · 40 min north
A shady park on the Tchefuncte River near Madisonville, with a short accessible river trail, crabbing and the historic Otis House.
Heads-up: Otis House tours Tue, Thu, Sat. Dogs on leash.
Photo: ZeWrestler, CC BY-SA 3.0
#13 · Historic site · 53 min west
A colorful Creole plantation house with guided tours that tell the family and enslaved people's stories through old records.
Heads-up: Buy tickets online.
Photo: Carol Highsmith, Public domain
#14 · Museum · 1 hr 16 min northwest
An outdoor museum of old cabins, a sugar mill and farm buildings showing everyday rural Louisiana life, plus Windrush Gardens.
Heads-up: Prices from search listing of the LSU page; confirm. Lots of walking on gravel.
Photo: see above, CC BY 3.0
#15 · Museum · 1 hr 17 min northwest
The state history museum in downtown Baton Rouge, with exhibits on Louisiana culture, music and the river.
Heads-up: Discovery Days on Nov 21 and Dec 12, 2026 with discounted entry.
INFINITY Science Center (43 min), Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center (1 hr 6 min), Lynn Meadows Discovery Center (1 hr 16 min), USS Kidd Veterans Museum (1 hr 17 min), Old State Capitol (1 hr 17 min), Louisiana State Capitol (1 hr 18 min), Beauvoir (1 hr 20 min), Biloxi Lighthouse (1 hr 22 min), Walter Anderson Museum of Art (1 hr 23 min), Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art (1 hr 25 min), Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum (1 hr 26 min), Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site (1 hr 26 min), Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum (1 hr 27 min), Port Hudson State Historic Site (1 hr 41 min), St. Francisville (1 hr 47 min), Audubon State Historic Site (1 hr 49 min), Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site (1 hr 49 min), Centenary State Historic Site (1 hr 55 min), Exploreum Science Center (2 hr 7 min), History Museum of Mobile (2 hr 7 min), Mobile Carnival Museum (2 hr 7 min), Conrad Rice Mill (2 hr 7 min), Acadiana Center for the Arts (2 hr 8 min), Shadows-on-the-Teche (2 hr 8 min), Acadian Cultural Center (2 hr 9 min), Vermilionville (2 hr 10 min), USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park (2 hr 12 min), Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site (2 hr 14 min), Africatown Heritage House (2 hr 14 min), Avery Island (2 hr 18 min), Rip Van Winkle Gardens (2 hr 21 min), Historic Blakeley State Park (2 hr 26 min), Fort Gaines (2 hr 27 min), Prairie Acadian Cultural Center (2 hr 36 min), Dauphin Island (2 hr 37 min), Grand Village of the Natchez Indians (2 hr 46 min), Two Mississippi Museums (2 hr 47 min), Rosalie Mansion (2 hr 47 min), Stanton Hall (2 hr 47 min), Old Capitol Museum (2 hr 48 min), Natchez National Historical Park (2 hr 48 min), Longwood (2 hr 49 min), Eudora Welty House and Garden (2 hr 50 min), Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2 hr 51 min), Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum (2 hr 51 min), Mississippi Children's Museum (2 hr 52 min), Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (2 hr 54 min), Jimmie Rodgers Museum (2 hr 54 min), Fort Morgan State Historic Site (2 hr 58 min), Historic Pensacola (3 hr)
Our top picks are Natchez (2 hr 47 min), Oak Alley Plantation (58 min), Bellingrath Gardens and Home (2 hr 14 min), Ship Island (1 hr 23 min) and Laurel (2 hr 4 min). The page lists 65 places in all.
65: 5 under an hour away, 20 between 1 and 2 hours and 40 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 70112.
Fairview-Riverside State Park, about 40 min north of New Orleans.
12 need no pass or fee, including Acadian Cultural Center, Prairie Acadian Cultural Center and Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center. Fees change, so check each place.
23 of the 65 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.