Audubon Park History

The land bordered by St. Charles Avenue, Exposition Boulevard, Walnut Street and the Mississippi River, now known as Audubon Park, began as adjoining plantation tracts owned by the Boré and Foucher families and later became one of New Orleans' most historic landscapes. Here Etienne Boré raised the first commercial crop of sugarcane in Louisiana, but the original plantation structures were destroyed during the Civil War when Federal troops occupied the site and cleared the grounds for Camp Lewis and Sedgewick Hospital, though surviving Live Oak trees still preserve traces of the old estates. In 1871 the New Orleans Park Commission acquired the land and named it Upper City Park, but it remained little used until its selection in 1884 for the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition brought new attention. In 1886 it was officially renamed Audubon Park in honor of naturalist John James Audubon, and four years later the Audubon Park Improvement Association helped begin its first positive developments through members' annual dues. In 1898 the commission hired John Charles Olmsted, son of Frederick Law Olmsted, to design the park, and although his plans were only partly completed, the flowing landscape, meandering lagoon, and serene gazebos still reflect his vision. Today the park serves thousands daily as an urban oasis in uptown New Orleans, with historic structures and amenities including a 1.8 mile jogging path, playgrounds, riding stables, tennis courts, and a golf course.

New Orleans, Louisiana · United States