Avery Island, Louisiana: Home of Tabasco and Scenic Beauty

Hidden in the marshes of Louisiana lies Avery Island, a mysteriously beautiful place that has remained almost unchanged for the past hundred years.

Avery Island is the home of the world-famous Tabasco Company, founded in 1868. Edmund McIlhenny was an avid gardener, so when he was given some pepper seeds from Mexico or Central America (legends tell different stories), he took the seeds and planted them at his home on Avery Island.

Avery Island however, is more than just the birthplace of Tabasco products. E.A. McIlhenny was also a lover of wildlife and nature. Avery Island is home to all walks of Louisiana native wildlife, as well as many species of plants. The Jungle Gardens tour consists of 250 acres of beauty for visitors to enjoy during their trip.

Hundreds of centuries old oak trees, azaleas, camellias and bamboo are just some of the beautiful plants that you can expect to see while strolling, or driving through the tour. Some of Avery Islands animal life includes alligators, deer, raccoons, and nutria. The McIlhenny family has remained dedicated to preserving this land as a refuge for all wildlife that makes it's home on Avery Island.

In the 1890's, E.A. McIlhenny established a bird colony on Avery Island. At the time, the snowy egret were being slaughtered by the thousands for their plumage. McIlhenny gathered eight young egrets and raised them in captivity on Avery Island. He then released them in the fall, for them to follow their natural migration to Mexico. The following spring those birds returned to the island with others joining them, starting a migration pattern that remains to this day. Each spring, thousands of these egrets return to Avery Islands "Bird City" to nest in this spectacular sanctuary.

A definite must see on Avery Island is the Buddha statue. According to history, in the 1920's a Chinese warlord sent this 900-year-old statue to the Americas as a gift. This statue sat unclaimed in a warehouse in New York for many years, before it was finally purchased by two friends of E.A. McIlhenny in 1936. These friends decided to send it to McIlhenny as a surprise gift. McIlhenny so loved this gift, that he designed an Asian style garden setting for his statue. Buddha sits in a glass building, surrounded by seven "hills of knowledge" over looking a long forest pool. Surrounding Buddha are beautiful azalea, sasqanqua, camellia and bamboo plants. This area has been maintained as such to this day, and is a favored spot among many visitors.

Of course, a trip to Avery Island would not be complete without a tour of the Tabasco Pepper Sauce factory. This tour goes over the history of this world famous pepper sauce and the process with which it is made. What is most amazing is that even today, the procedure of making Tabasco sauce has remained unchanged. Once the peppers are picked, they are mashed and mixed with salt from Avery Islands salt dome. (Avery Island itself sits on one of the countries largest salt domes.) This pepper mash is than placed in white oak barrels, and then the tops of the barrels are covered with more Avery Island salt. The barrels than sit for up to three years, to allow the mash to properly ferment. This of course, is only the beginning step to the final product of Tabasco, but it is the crucial step, and has remained unchanged for over 139 years!

When touring the plant, visitors are able to view part of the bottling area, where the finished sauce is bottled by far more modern methods. Avery Islands Tabasco sauce has become so famous world over, that it is labeled in 22 different languages and dialects and is shipped to over 160 countries around the world! Tabasco sauce has become a household name in so many ways, and today is added to many other brands of food as well, including popular foods such as A-1 steak sauce, and the snack food Cheeze-Its. Many of these foods can be found in Avery Islands gift store, along with a large selection of other merchandise featuring the Tabasco product name.

There is a $1 toll per car to enter Avery Island. Additional admission fees are charged as well for the Jungle Gardens tour, though the Tabasco factory tour is free. Both the Jungle Gardens tour and the Tabasco factory tour, do have set hours so it is best to call or check the Tabasco website for more information. If you are planning on taking the Jungle Gardens tour, make sure that you ask in advance how bad the mosquitos are at the time. This is extremely important, because believe me, the mosquitos can truly ruin your entire day if they are too bad! Avery Island staff is aware of this, and will be more than happy to warn you as to whether the mosquito population at that time is high or low.

Whether you are just a Tabasco sauce lover, or a nature lover looking for a great way to spend the day, Avery Island is the perfect destination for everyone. It is truly a remarkable experience that should not be missed if you live in, or are planning a visit, to Louisiana.