Rosalie Mansion
In 1716, the French built Fort Rosalie overlooking the Mississippi River. In 1823, a mansion was built by a wealthy cotton planter on land north of the fort. The Mississippi State Society Daughters of the American Revolution have since gained ownership and have been maintaining the house and grounds since 1938. On this self-guided tour, discover the history of the house and the artifacts found throughout. Period-dressed docents can be found throughout the home to answer questions and to provide more information! Guests can explore the extensive gardens, gift shop, library, and carriage as well.
Natchez Visitor’s Center
Enjoy a short, 20-minute video in the Visitor’s Center Theater and hear about the history of Natchez. Then, explore the building at your leisure. At the entrance, a scaled display model of the city is showcased. Stop in the office for some general information and questions about the town and its history, including town highlights and points of interest.
William Johnson House Museum
William Johnson was known as the “Barber of Natchez”; he began as a slave and gained his freedom at age eleven. After his freedom, he began to work his way up in society, eventually becoming almost fully accepted within society. As the town barber, William Johnson was able to hear the stories and gossip of many of the residents, which he documented in his diary for over 16 years. His 3-story brick home was built in 1840 and showcases many original furnishings.
Magnolia Hall
This Greek Revival Mansion was built in 1858. The house was built before the breakout of the Civil War in town but did suffer some damage – a cannon ball was launched into their kitchen! It is now fully restored – the main floor offers a showcase of many antiques and furnishings and the upper floors offer a costume collection located in the Historic Clothing Museum. Tour the house and then stop in the gift shop for some souvenirs.
Stanton Hall
Irish Immigrant and cotton merchant Frederick Stanton built this Palatial Greek Revival mansion in 1857. It was appraised at $83,000 during that period, even before it was furnished. Take a 30-minute tour of the house – which takes up the entire block and is fully furnished. Afterwards you can stop for lunch in the Carriage House Restaurant, known for their fine southern cuisine.
King’s Tavern and Charboneau Distillery
Step off the motorcoach and walk through the front gate leading to the second floor porch of this 1789 building – the oldest structure in the city of Natchez. Join us for an exclusive tour of the King’s Tavern – a newly opened restaurant and bar, owned by Regina Charboneau, a nationally known chef, and her husband Doug. Enjoy an exclusive tour of the distillery, followed by a guided tour of the bar, located just next door, with a complimentary custom drink.
Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture Museum
Here, learn the history and culture of the African Americans over time. The museum will delve into the 300-year-old African American history, spanning four lifetimes from Colonial and Cotton Kingdom Natchez, to the Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movements. As you explore this creative portrayal of the true African American story, you will unfold history to reveal Natchez in a light that is shown nowhere else around.
Home Hosted Visit with Ginger and James
The words “Southern hospitality” evoke images of ornate mansions flanked by arched porches and charming ladies offering warm smiles and stories of southern grandeur. Today, we will experience nothing less on this exclusive home-hosted visit to The Towers, one of Mississippi’s grandest and most elegant privately owned antebellum homes. Here, we will be welcomed like old friends by owners Ginger and James Hyland and guided through their personal home. Set on five manicured acres among ancient oaks, The Towers is a stunning estate of exceptional Italianate design with a rich past.
Silks, antique lace sheers, and magnificent draperies adorn the walls of The Towers, but unlike most historical homes, there are no roped-off rooms here. This is a one-of-a-kind experience where we’ll be free to explore the home as if we were members of the Hyland family. As we relax on the mansion’s back porch, sipping refreshing mint-infused champagne and soaking in the beauty of the perfectly maintained gardens, Ginger will share stories of her star-studded past. Ginger—the daughter of Lawrence A. Hyland, president of Hughes Aircraft Company and one of the men credited with the invention of radar—will share impressive tales of her past growing up in California, including accompanying her parents to Hollywood parties with Howard Hughes, Walter Matthau, and Jack Lemmon. As an adult, Ginger was able to create her own legacy as the first female president of the American Quarter Horse Association.
Ginger is a charismatic host, and will give us an intimate tour of her house, including rare and stunning glimpses of her trinkets and Victorian-era treasures hidden throughout the mansion. Each piece’s story is more interesting than the last. For instance, the set of goblets elegantly placed atop her antique tables were crafted by Ludwig Moser, famous glassware manufacturer for European royalty, while the place mats they rest upon were hand-crafted for Princess Grace. The intricate, original Carrickmacross lace wedding veil on display is an antique version of the one Kate Middleton wore during her extravagant wedding. Ginger and James’ passion for collecting is obvious, as they can recite the history of every piece on display, and welcome all questions with enthusiasm for the stories of the past.
Our tour ends in the sunny, enclosed back gallery, where will enjoy a delightful taste of southern comfort food during a casual, private visit hosted by the Hylands. We’ll get an exclusive taste of Southern flare as we indulge in scrumptious snacks, as we are introduced to Ginger and James’s dear friend Rene Adams (who also happens to be a renowned local chef). Chef Rene will entertain us with stories of the history of food in the Natchez area, including culinary secrets and authentic recipes.
After a champagne toast, our visit will come to an end, as we bid farewell to our new southern friends. Until next time!
All shore excursions, prices, and information are subject to change without notice.
- Transportation
- Provided
- Duration
- 2.5 hours
The Story of Cotton in the Antebellum South
Cross the river to Louisiana and visit historic Frogmore Plantation, designated a “Must See Site” by Rand McNally. Frogmore is the only historic & modern, 1800-acre working cotton plantation in the South. Take a seat on an original pew in an 1800s African American plantation church, as the mistress of Frogmore takes the audience back in time. Music fills the air as the “secret songs” are performed by local musicians. Enjoy the gospel songs and hear the narration about life on a cotton plantation.
Continue the experience exploring authentic slave cabins and cotton fields. Take a walk up to the fields and feel free to pick some cotton for a glimpse of the essence of life on a plantation. We encourage all to explore the historic steam engine cotton gin which the Smithsonian Institute states is the rarest of its kind in existence. After a complimentary beverage in the “Sharecropper Plantation Store,” contrast historical methods. On your return to Natchez, your guide will enlighten you with unusual cotton trivia and answer questions.
A visit to Longwood will complete the “Story of Cotton,” with a glimpse into the devastation caused by war and a changing America. This historic antebellum octagonal mansion is the largest of its shape in America. Also known as “Nutt’s Folly,” this unique mansion remains beautifully unfinished and stands symbolically in representation of the last burst of Southern opulence. A reminder of a time before war brought the cotton baron’s dominance to an end. After surviving decades of neglect and abandonment, Longwood stands strong today and is a can’t miss stop when visiting Natchez.
All shore excursions, prices, and information are subject to change without notice.
- Transportation
- Provided
- Duration
- 4 hours
Inside Regina's Kitchen with Celebrity Chef Regina Charboneau
During our visit to Natchez, Mississippi, we will be welcomed into Twin Oaks, a beautiful, southern-style mansion and the personal home of award-winning chef Regina Charboneau. Regina is the author of numerous well-received cookbooks, and is recognized in the culinary world as the personification of southern hospitality. (In fact, she is often complimented for this by none other than Andrew Zimmern.) Regina never ceases to look forward to opening her front door to a limited number of American Queen Steamboat Company guests for intimate culinary experiences around her own dining room table.
Built in 1832, the historic Twin Oaks is a relic of the Antebellum Age of the South. Upon arrival, you'll get a taste of true, down-home hospitality as you're served up delicious southern libations to get nice and cozy before Chef Regina gives a tour of her home, all the while weaving in personal stories of her family and frequent visitors --friends, business colleagues, and celebrities who simply can't get enough of her cooking.
Regina's claim to fame is her much-coveted recipe for picture-perfect, buttery, flaky biscuits. She will share her secrets with you during this very intimate experience. If her southern-style biscuits weren't already enticing enough, Regina serves them on top of her homemade, creamy chicken pot pie. Her ability to take a seemingly simple, traditional dish and elevate it with such finesse never fails to amaze her guests. Not one to be content simply playing the hostess, Regina then invites you into her personal kitchen to get hands-on. You will work with your own dough right alongside her, following this expert's step-by-step instructions to recreate her mouthwatering masterpiece. But it's not all comfort food; you'll get a glimpse into some of Chef Regina's other dishes while at Twin Oaks.
You've never experienced a true southern experience until you spend some time here in Regina's kitchen. There is something about the relaxed atmosphere of Twin Oaks that makes cooking these dishes for yourself, with your own two hands, all the sweeter. Soon, you'll be ready to sample these incredible recipes straight from the oven, fresh, warm, and crispy! Our group of new friends will share some drinks, some pot pie, some laughs --and perhaps even a few surprises --around Regina's dining room table. Not only will you learn Chef Charboneau's inside secrets, but you won't leave her house empty-handed. Regina provides an American Queen Steamboat Company exclusive custom CDs loaded with your new recipes and even a few extras.
Chef Regina Charboneau was born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi. Her culinary success followed the talented chef from Mississippi, to San Francisco, where Regina birthed the idea of “Biscuits & Blues,” which became wildly successful and featured the flavors of her hometown. The nightclub has won multiple WC Handy awards for the Best Blues Club in America. Regina didn't stop there - in 2001, she returned home, where she purchased the historic Twin Oaks Mansion, where she currently resides and continues making strides in the industry. Whether Regina was collaborating as Chef De Cuisine and Culinary Director, sharing her knowledge in her cookbooks, managing and creating menus for her restaurants - including her newest - King's Tavern, or dabbling in the art of rum production with her family at Charboneau Rum Distillery, Regina is sure to bring a piece of the South to the table!
All shore excursions, prices, and information are subject to change without notice.
- Transportation
- Provided
- Duration
- 2.5 hours
Tee Time in Natchez!
Join us for tee time in Natchez! On today's excursion we will play through 18 holes of golf at the beautiful Duncan Park Golf Course. Challenging play for golfers at every level, Duncan Park offers an elegant and well-manicured landscape featuring beautiful flowers, towering longleaf pines and live oaks draped with Spanish moss.- Duration
- 5 hours
- Tour Capacity
- 4