Oak Alley Plantation

Famous for its breathtaking canopy of 28 live oak trees planted in the 1700s, leading to the stunning Greek Revival mansion built in 1839 by Jacques Telesphore Roman. Featured on Ghost Hunters in 2008 and investigated by numerous paranormal teams.

Oak Alley Plantation stands along the Great River Road in Vacherie, Louisiana, its iconic entrance framed by a quarter-mile canopy of 28 ancient live oak trees. Built in 1839 by Jacques Telesphore Roman, this Greek Revival masterpiece has become one of the most photographed plantations in the South. But behind its postcard beauty lies a history of human suffering that has left spiritual impressions spanning more than 150 years.

The plantation operated through a system of enslaved labor that peaked at 113 documented individuals forced to work the sugarcane fields and maintain the estate. Historical records reveal families torn apart by the slave trade and physical punishment meticulously documented in plantation ledgers. This concentrated human anguish has created what paranormal investigators believe is a wellspring of supernatural activity.

The most frequently reported apparition is the Lady in Black, a mysterious figure in a dark antebellum gown who moves through the grand halls with a palpable sense of melancholy. No one knows for certain who she is—speculation suggests she may be Celine Roman, wife of the plantation's builder, or perhaps her daughter Louise. She appears without warning and vanishes just as suddenly, leaving witnesses shaken by her sorrowful presence.

Josephine Stewart was the last private owner to live at Oak Alley, and her watchful spirit seems reluctant to leave. One evening, workers locking up the property noticed a light still burning in an upstairs bedroom. When they looked up from outside, a shadowy figure stood in the window, staring down at them. Those who saw it recognized the ghostly resemblance to Mrs. Stewart herself.

The ghost of Antoine, an enslaved man who served as head groundskeeper during the plantation's construction, has been seen wandering beneath the oak trees he helped tend. Antoine was responsible for grafting pecan trees and is credited with developing the soft-shell pecan variety still grown today. His attachment to the grounds he cultivated seems to transcend death itself.

Phantom sounds permeate the property: the clatter of horse-drawn carriages approaching on empty driveways, hoofbeats on pathways where no horses run. Rocking chairs move on their own. Unexplained plumes of dust rise from walkways where no one walks.

The Ghost Hunters (TAPS) investigation captured compelling evidence, including a thermal heat signature moving outside a window that was invisible to the naked eye. During one guided tour, 35 visitors watched in astonishment as a candlestick flew off the mantle and sailed across the room. Louisiana Spirit Paranormal Investigators documented an investigator receiving an electrical surge through their arm in the attic, causing them to drop their camera equipment.

Oak Alley no longer offers ghost hunts, but visitors can explore the mansion, Civil War exhibits, and restored slave quarters—and perhaps encounter the spirits who have never left this beautiful, haunted ground.