West Feliciana Parish

It says a lot about West Feliciana Parish that the great naturalist John James Audubon spent so much time here in the 1820s painting the local birdlife. See the world through Audubon’s eyes at the Oakley House/Audubon State Historic Site. This is a birdwatcher’s wonderland, but fans of history and architecture will also find much diversion. That’s because West Feliciana’s location on the Mississippi River, up from Baton Rouge, attracted wealthy planters in the 19th century who left a legacy of spectacular plantation houses. You can travel back in time in the historic town of St. Francisville. You can stroll the gardens of ancient plantations so bewitching that some of the deceased residents are said to have never really departed. For an unforgettably offbeat experience, there’s the Angola Prison Rodeo, where some of the state’s most hardened criminals pay their debt to society on the backbone of a bucking bull. For more information visit www.stfrancisville.us