Tricentennial History: Oakley Plantation and John James Audubon

Oakley Plantation may lie closer to Baton Rouge than New Orleans, but one of its most famous inhabitants has deep roots in the Crescent City. John James Audubon lived in the plantation and New Orleans from 1821–1837, sketching wildlife.

While we associate Audubon with New Orleans thanks to the many establishments that bear his name (the zoo, aquarium), he was born in Haiti and lived in France, Pennsylvania and Kentucky before moving to Louisiana. The fame he achieved here can be largely attributed to the creation of his masterpiece “The Birds of America,” which he completed in New Orleans.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy