Like so many towns along the Mississippi River, Natchez, Mississippi, was home to lavish plantations and farms where cotton and other products could be shipped up or downstream to market. Cotton planters became millionaires, but at the cost of enslaved labor.
Some of these historic homes in the 300-year-old town are still standing and are open to tours. They’re a popular day trip for those traveling with the river cruises. Some homes are only open during the Natchez Pilgrimage, seasonal tours of homes, but others are open year-round.
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During these pilgrimages, you can visit multiple homes for one price. Most can be seen by a group tour, which we’ve linked to, as well as independently by renting a car from the airport rental car counters in Jackson.
A Note On Plantations: These homes have a dark history that shouldn’t be ignored. Only you can decide whether this is something you’re interested in doing. Read this post for more perspectives on both sides of the debate.
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Auburn
Auburn is an antebellum mansion built in 1812 by Levi Weeks, who had fled New York after being tried for murder, for Mississippi’s first attorney general. It is built in the Greek Revival style with porticos and columns as well as a stunning unsupported spiral staircase.
Book your tour of Auburn Museum & Historic Home.
Choctaw Hall
Choctaw Hall was built in the Federal and Greek Revival styles in 1836. It has dramatic double porches. Today, it operates as a bed and breakfast and event venue. Tours are offered from Wednesday to Sunday at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm.
Book your tour of Choctaw Hall or spend the night at Choctaw Hall.
Lansdowne
Lansdowne is an antebellum plantation set on over 700 acres and is still owned by descendants of the original family. It contains much of the original decor and furnishings and has never undergone a restoration. Tours are offered on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 3 pm. It also operates as a bed and breakfast and event venue.
Book your tour of Lansdowne.
Longwood
Longwood is the most unique antebellum home in the country, built in a circular “Oriental-style” mansion. Built for a cotton planter, all work stopped during the Civil War and never continued. Tours of the home go through the basement, where the family lived, and the unfinished upstairs. It’s also open for seasonal ghost tours and was even featured in True Blood.
Book your tour of Longwood Antebellum Mansion.
Magnolia Hall
Magnolia Hall was built in 1858 as a Greek Revival mansion, also known as the Henderson-Britton House. It was owned by Thomas Henderson, a wealthy cotton broker and merchant. A Union shell hit the kitchen during the Civil War. Tours are offered by the Natchez Garden Club, and an upstairs exhibit features costumes.
Book your tour of Magnolia Hall.
Melrose
Melrose was built in the Greek Revival design in the 1820s for lawyer John T. McMurran, who worked with Monmouth owner John Quitman. After the Civil War, he sold the home to Elizabeth and George Davis, a couple whose home, Choctaw, had been taken over by Union troops. It has furnishings from this time period. Tours are offered daily by the Natchez National Park Service.
Monmouth
Monmouth is a 26-acre estate with one of the oldest homes in Natchez, now serving as a restaurant and inn. It was built in 1818 and inhabited by John Quitman, who became a Mississippi Governor. The home offers its own tours and is a stop on the City Sightseeing tour. Restaurant 1818 has Southern favorites like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and collard greens.
Book your tour of Monmouth Historic Inn and Gardens or spend the night at Monmouth Historic Inn, a AAA Four Diamond property.
Rosalie Mansion
Rosalie Mansion overlooks the bluffs of the Mississippi River and was built in the 1700s. Named for the Countess of Pontchartrain, the home was owned by three families before being turned over to the Daughters of the American Revolution. It survived the Civil War by becoming a Union headquarters.
Book your tour of Rosalie Mansion.
Stanton Hall
Stanton Hall is a Classic Revival antebellum home that was built in the 1850s for an Irish cotton broker. It was built to resemble his home in Belfast, another name given to the home. It later became a women’s school and inspired the design for Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Today, they operate tours as well as the Carriage House Restaurant, which has some of the best fried chicken around.
Book your tour of Stanton Hall.
Other Natchez Houses to Tour
In addition to the grand antebellum homes and plantations, Natchez also has other historic homes open for tours.
The House on Ellicott’s Hill was one of the first homes built in Natchez in 1797. Featuring Federal-style elements, the house was purchased through a Spanish land grant. It is now open for tours, operated by the Natchez Garden Club. The 1951 film Show Boat was filmed at the home.
The William Johnson House was named for the freed slave who lived here, a barber. He owned slaves himself, and his house and diary provide a picture of life in Natchez during that time.
See the city’s historic homes and attractions on the City Sightseeing Natchez Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, an informative bus tour that makes twelve stops around town. Your pass is good all day, so take your time.
Where to Stay in Natchez, Mississippi
In addition to the historic homes offering both tours and accommodations, these Natchez mansions run their own bed and breakfasts.
Devereaux Shields House– Guests enjoy a full Southern hot breakfast and 24-hour coffee, sofa, and tea service at this Victorian bed and breakfast. Accommodation options include rooms in the main house and the adjoining cottage.
Linden – A Historic Antebellum Bed and Breakfast– Located in a well-preserved antebellum mansion, the inn is set on seven acres. Built in 1785, the residents include the United States senator Thomas Buck Reed.
The Burn Bed and Breakfast was built in 1834 and became an inn in 1978. Rooms and suites have private baths, cable television, wireless Internet, and access to the outdoor pool.
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Hi! We’re wondering if the historic Natchez homes and plantations are open now?
I don’t know. You’ll have to check with each website.
Can you tour the homes without getting tickets through Natchez Pilgrimage? At NPT, you have to purchase separate tours for $20-$25 each. We only want to tour 3-4 and I was hoping for a ticket/pass that allows multiple home tours for one price.
We usually purchase tickets at the Natchez Visitor Center when we get there. They usually have a package deal for 3 houses.
I am assuming that Washington and Ellen Ford’s plantation was located in Natchez. Is the house still standing?
Caroline – I’m researching my husband’s (Eubanks) family tree – they were enslaved in Jackson MS area. Any relation, possibly?
Hi Jeannine, I’m not sure but would love to know! I think most of my family is based in GA and SC.