Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Smoked pork sausage put LaPlace on the map: the town between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain is known as the Andouille Capital of the World, and its smokehouses still turn out links for gumbo pots across south Louisiana. LaPlace is the largest community in St. John the Baptist Parish, about 30 miles upriver from New Orleans.
The ground here holds deep history. In January 1811 the largest slave revolt in United States history began at the Andry plantation near LaPlace, as hundreds of enslaved people marched toward New Orleans before being violently suppressed. Later the town grew around the railroad and Airline Highway, and it was badly flooded by Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Visitors come for swamp boat tours in the Manchac wetlands, andouille tastings and the October festival, then continue along River Road to the Evergreen and San Francisco plantations or north across the long Manchac Swamp Bridge.
Boat tours through a privately owned wildlife refuge in the Manchac Swamp on the north side of LaPlace. Guides point out alligators, turtles, herons and cypress trees draped in Spanish moss. Tours last under two hours; book ahead, and go in warmer months if seeing gators matters most to you.
Elevated stretch of Interstate 55 that starts just west of LaPlace and runs about 23 miles over the cypress swamps between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, one of the longest bridges in the world. Drive it in daylight for views of moss-hung trees and water birds; there are no stops along the span.
Family-run meat market on Airline Highway that has made smoked andouille and tasso since the 1920s. Shelves hold sausage, boudin, jerky and seasoning for gumbo and jambalaya. Buy a few links to take home; they ship too, and staff can explain which smoked meats go into which dishes.
Old LaPlace smokehouse on West Fifth Street that sells house-smoked andouille and serves Cajun lunches such as gumbo, red beans and smothered dishes. It has the feel of a local gathering spot rather than a tourist restaurant. Go at lunchtime and check hours, which are shorter than in big-city places.
Classic burger and root beer stand marked by a giant rotating root beer mug on its roof. The menu covers burgers, po-boys, onion rings and frosty mugs of house root beer. It is a favorite for a quick, inexpensive meal after a swamp tour; expect a local lunch crowd on weekdays.
Annual festival held in LaPlace each October celebrating the town's signature smoked sausage. Expect andouille gumbo and jambalaya cook-offs, live Cajun and swamp pop music, carnival rides and craft booths. Bring cash for food stands and plan for crowds on Saturday evening.
Former Andry plantation along River Road where the 1811 German Coast Uprising began, the largest slave revolt in US history. Surviving outbuildings such as an old barn can be seen from the road. The property is private, so view it respectfully from outside and pair it with a guided plantation tour on River Road for context.
National Historic Landmark on the west bank River Road in St. John the Baptist Parish, with an 1830s Greek Revival house and a double row of original slave cabins under an alley of live oaks. It is a working sugar cane property, so tours run by reservation only. Book ahead and allow about 90 minutes.
Ornate plantation house in nearby Garyville, built in the 1850s in a flamboyant style often called Steamboat Gothic, with painted ceilings and bright colors. Guided tours cover the house and the people who lived and worked there. It sits on River Road about 15 minutes west of LaPlace.
No reviews yet. Been to Laplace? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Laplace? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ScienceQuiz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ---=XEON=---, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kristina D.C. Hoeppner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Aaron Manning, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Gary Brownell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Melanie Commander Thibodaux, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Clément Bardot, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: John Cummings, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: John Cummings, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: John Cummings, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: John Cummings, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Shoshanah, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Shoshanah, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Shoshanah, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bennett-ne, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Teemu008, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
