Longue Vue House and Gardens Tours

Step back in time for a taste of New Orleans history at Longue Vue House and Gardens. One of the last Country Place Era homes to be built in the United States, Longue Vue represents a bygone era of Deep South luxury, with priceless antiques and 8 acres (3 hectares) of gardens.

 

Longue Vue was completed in 1942 for Edgar and Edith Stern, pillars of the New Orleans community. The Sterns often hosted dignitaries from the 1940s and 1950s here, including John F. Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt. The house was designed in classical revival style and is still furnished with its original collection of American and English antiques and artwork by the likes of Wassily Kandinsky.

 

Ellen Biddle Shipman designed the gardens, which are inspired by the grounds of the Alhambra Palace in Spain. Longue Vue’s Spanish Court, with an array of fountains and pools, is one of the best-loved landscapes in New Orleans. Visitors can take a self-guided tour through the house and gardens, or combine a visit to Longue Vue with stops at some of New Orleans’ most notable historic sites on a small-group sightseeing tour. The New Orleans Power Pass includes free admission to the Longue Vue House.

 

 

Long Vue is located at 9 Bamboo Road, in New Orleans’ Lakewood district. The house is accessible by car or guided tour with round-trip transport. Alternatively, visitors can walk from the Canal and Cemeteries stop of the Canal St. streetcar, a journey of around 25 minutes.

 

The house and gardens are open from 10am–5pm Monday to Saturday and 1pm–5pm on Sunday. They are closed on most major holidays, so check in advance if your planned visit falls on a holiday. The site is busiest in the middle of the day, so plan to visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds.

 

Turn your little ones into little gardeners with a morning attending one of Longue Vue’s special kids events. The Sprouts program, every last Saturday of the month, aims to inspire toddlers to explore the natural world, while the Seedlings program, every first Saturday of the month, encourages kids to plant seeds, make art, and investigate the different insects living in the garden.