Opened in 1790 as the Habitation Heidel, this historic site was a working plantation for over 200 years. Restored starting in 1999 under owner John Cummings, it opened to the public in 2014 as an educational hub on slavery’s histories and legacies in the United States, making it a vital destination for social studies.
Immersive History Experience
Over a dozen historical structures still stand on the plantation grounds, including two original slave cabins that were in use until 1975. Visitors are welcome to explore the grounds freely, walking inside and out of the historic buildings and fields. Audio tours offer a loose guide through the plantation’s history, while trained staff members are stationed around the grounds to answer questions and provide more information.
Interactive Tours
Historical interpreters lead the guided tours, each with a personal lens on history that shapes visitors’ experience. Designed for middle and high school-age students, their educational tours highlight the history of slavery and its modern-day impacts that continue to shape the world around them. Beyond what students can learn in a textbook, they take an immersive tour through the historical grounds and view artifacts from the plantation’s past. Their educational tours are tailored to cultivate empathy, critical thinking, and a commitment to social justice in visiting student groups through interactive, guided discussions. Tours run 1 hour 15 minutes and cater to grades 5-12.
Teacher Tours & Educational Resources
Teachers seeking a deeper understanding of the history of slavery and its impacts can take one of our Teacher Tours. These unique tours help teachers gain in-depth historical context and participate in discussions on how best to approach classroom lessons. Learn how to integrate these critical stories into thoughtful in-class learning for students.
The Whitney Plantation also provides online resources to help educators prepare students for their trip. The curriculum packet provides teachers with relevant books for children and adults, a list of databases and articles to explore history more deeply, and teaching tools, podcasts, movies, TV shows, and videos on applicable topics. The packet is intended better to prepare students for a trip to the plantation. Teachers can also use the materials for lesson plans, curriculum, and other in-class learning opportunities following a visit to the plantation.
Students and teachers alike can gain a unique educational experience on the grounds of the Whitney Plantation. Over 200 years of history resides here, with important stories to tell. For a field trip highlighting the importance of learning about slavery in the United States, there is no better place to visit than right where some of that history took place.
