Iberia Parish: Culture, Nature and History

Iberia Parish offers visitors a range of ways to explore the area, from architecture and industrial history to museums, nature watching, water activities and events. When looking for a hotel, it helps to first consider whether you’d like to center your stay on history, nature, water activities or an event. The ways to visit also vary: some experiences are self-guided, while others take place at set times or by appointment.

Architecture, Mills and Regional History

The Joseph Jefferson Mansion was built in 1870 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This Victorian mansion has a dome on the fourth floor. Tours of the mansion and gardens begin on the hour every day of the week between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Check the schedule before your visit, as operating information may change.

Shadows-on-the-Teche is a former plantation home. Its history also includes the hundreds of enslaved men, women and children who lived and worked there. The Conrad Rice Mill, meanwhile, was built in 1912 and has been in continuous operation ever since. Its tour uses a model to explain the milling process, from receiving raw rice through packaging the finished, milled rice, and describes how the machinery works. Confirm tour details before your trip.

Food production is another topic of interest to visitors: the self-guided TABASCO® Factory Tour presents the history and production process of TABASCO® Sauce. The Avery Island Fan Experience is a separate offering that includes a self-guided visit to the TABASCO® Brand Museum. When planning, you can choose between learning about the production process and visiting the museum.

Museums, Bayou and Landscape

The Bayou Teche Museum showcases local cultures, artists, industries and traditions in interactive exhibits. Just a few steps from the museum is a floating dock for kayaks and canoes. The Jeanerette Museum explores, among other subjects, the sugarcane industry, tracing its history from planting to harvest. A swamp area with a large mural and specimens of more than 40 native bird, animal and aquatic species complements the exhibit. The Jeanerette Bicentennial Park and Museum was built of cypress wood in 1902.

Nature experiences range from protected habitats to birdwatching. Jungle Gardens maintains a protected bird colony, where conservation efforts provide a habitat for thousands of birds. More than 260 bird species live on Jefferson Island. Birdwatchers and photographers visit Rip's Rookery, where migratory birds arrive to nest. Cypremort Point State Park offers opportunities for fishing, crabbing, water skiing, windsurfing and sailing.

Planning Activities and Events

Gonsoulin Land and Cattle offers customized farm tours and field trips for school classes or groups by appointment. Make arrangements before your trip. Another way to bring together your interests and travel dates is the Tour du Teche Canoe Race: this annual, 135-mile race for canoes, kayaks and pirogues follows Bayou Teche, with one section passing through Iberia Parish. It takes place on the first full weekend in October, with nightly festivals at each stop. Check dates and registration details again before your trip.

The World Championship Gumbo Cookoff is a family-oriented food festival held every second weekend in October in the historic downtown of New Iberia. The Books Along the Teche Literary Festival features symposiums, activities for children, workshops, a book fair, a staged reading, live music and local cuisine. El Festival Espanol de Nueva Iberia celebrates the founding of New Iberia by the Spanish; the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival celebrates Louisiana’s sugarcane industry. For specific year-by-year planning, check event dates and programs.

For an overview of the wider trip: Louisiana.