170 Acres Of Beautiful Blooms Await You At The Jungle Gardens In Louisiana
By Jackie Ann|Published April 20, 2021
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Jackie Ann
Author
Louisiana native and LSU Alum (Geaux Tigers!), Jackie has lived in Louisiana for over three decades and currently lives in New Orleans. She's been writing for OnlyInYourState since 2016 and can often be found with a coffee at her side, dreaming of her next adventure.
Stretching for three miles long and two and a half miles wide, Avery Island is most well-known for being the home to that famous little red bottle, Tabasco. A day spent touring the factory and eating at the delicious Restaurant 1868 is well worth a road trip from any corner of the state, that’s for sure. But this popular salt dome is also home to Jungle Gardens, an enchanting collection of gardens that’s a picture-perfect outing the whole family can enjoy.
Jungle Gardens was created by Edward Avery “Ned” McIlhenny, the son of E. McIlhenny, the inventor of Tabasco.
Ned grew up on the island and studied the plants and animals in the area from a very early age. He eventually built a home on the island and continued to grow both his family Tabasco business as well as the landscape around it.
Ned began the Jungle Gardens in the 1920s, adorning the property with several exotic plants from around the world.
Ned founded what would become Bird City in 1895 in response to hunters who would slaughter these beautiful birds by the thousands to use their feathers for women’s hats.
Ned started with eight egrets, raising them in captivity on the island before releasing them to migrate across the Gulf.
To his surprise, the birds returned that following spring, brought their friends, and the migration continues to this day. Today, the bird sanctuary is home to countless feathered friends living their best lives on the island (much to the misfortune of that poor crawfish).
From the birds to the Buddha, Jungle Gardens is one of the most enchanting places in Louisiana.
