Audubon State Historic Site

"The rich magnolias covered with fragrant blossoms, the holly, the beech, the tall yellow poplar, the hilly ground and even the red clay, all excited my admiration. Such an entire change in the fall of nature in so short a time seems almost supernatural, and surrounded once more by numberless warblers and thrushes, I enjoyed the scene." So reads the journal of John James Audubon as he recorded his arrival in 1821 at Oakley Plantation. This lush natural setting, with a variety of birds singing throughout the 100-acre forest, still inspires visitors. In these peaceful environs, it is easy to imagine the artist filling his sketch pad with notes and drawings for his famous series of bird illustrations. Audubon State Historic Site is a state park area located near St. Francisville, Louisiana. It is the location where noted artist John James Audubon spent the Summer of 1821. Visitors come to see the Oakley House, where Audubon lived at the time, and the surrounding plantation grounds. A portion of the 100-acre (0.40 km2) site contains the forest which served as a setting for many of the 32 paintings that Audubon created or instigated while at Oakley