Museum moving into Destrehan Plantation

Destrehan Plantation's Caire House will soon be the home to a unique museum that plans to interpret the historical integrity of St. Charles Parish for present and future generations.

The River Road museum originally opened in 1998, but the River Road Museum and the St. Charles Historical Foundation merged last year and formed the St. Charles Museum and Historical Association. The two societies realized that they had a similar mission and they felt like they should partner up and work together. They now hope to expand the new museum, which will be located at Destrehan Plantation.

To accomplish this, the River Road Museum will be relocating to the Caire House, which is within the Mile of History officially designated by the  parish council in 2007.   

"The house is being renovated and we are meeting with museum planners," Marilyn Richoux, acting president of the new association, said. "We don't have a time frame for completion at this time, but hope to be open as soon as possible."

One of the unique exhibits at the museum will be an electronic map of the Delta Region.

"The kids just love it because it lights up when they tap certain areas," Richoux said. "That will soon be set up in the gift shop of the Destrehan Plantation until we open the new museum."

There will also be interesting photographs and artifacts that serve to document 500 years of life in the lower Mississippi Delta.

"We hope to expand upon the current interpretation and put in place a much broader interpretation of the area's history," Richoux said. "It's a fascinating history and it's much more interesting than most people realize."

A membership drive and "Call For Historical Artifacts" from St. Charles Parish residents will be held soon and all former members will be notified.

"We want to keep our members informed and let them know that we will be moving to the Caire House," Richoux said. "We want to hold a membership drive to welcome back our former members and invite new ones to join us.

"We think this museum will be an asset to the parish."