Cane River Creole National Historical Park

Oakland Plantation & Magnolia Plantation

Established as a historical park by the United States Congress in 1994, the Cane River Creole National Historic Park is comprised of Oakland Plantation and parts of Magnolia Plantation. Within the park, you can see 63 historic structures, vast plantation landscapes, family and plantation records, and an extensive collection of tools, equipment, furniture, and personal items from the region’s rich history.

Visitors learn about colonial times in this part of Central Louisiana, the rise of cotton, the ruin and rebirth associated with the Civil War, and the changes brought about by out-migration and modernization in the 20th and 21st centuries.

In particular, the park relates the story of plantation slavery in the area, particularly the complex intersections of French and African cultures in the creation of a truly “Creole” society. Interpretive programs highlight the different aspects of everyday life at these plantations and along Cane River in general.