Nestled in Southern Louisiana is Avery Island, a salt dome located about three miles inland from Vermillion Bay which opens into the Gulf of Mexico. Surrounded by bayous, salt marshes, and swampland, the center of Avery Island is lush foliage. The island is best known as the home of Tabasco peppers and their factory, as well as a wildlife and botanical refuge called Jungle Gardens. The island is just a short 40 minute drive from downtown Lafayette, Louisiana and is the perfect day trip for the whole family.
Bird City
Jungle Gardens was brought to life by Edward “Ned” Avery Mcllhenny, The son of Tabasco sauce inventor E. McIlhenny, born on Avery Island in 1872. Ned was an explorer, naturalist, and conservationist. Growing up in the area, Ned spent most of his time studying the wildlife on the Island. In 1895, he founded Bird City, an area of elevated roosting spots, acting as a safe home for the then endangered snowy egret. Plume hunters had effectively killed off nearly all egrets to provide feathers for ladies’ hats. In response, Edward raised eight egrets in captivity on the island, later releasing them to migrate across the Gulf of Mexico. The following spring, the birds returned with others of their species, a migration that still continues on today.
As of 1898, Ned became the president of McIlhenny Company and ran the world-famous pepper sauce operation until his death in 1949. In 1942, oil was discovered on the island and oil companies wanted in. Ned made agreements with the oil companies, maintaining the integrity of his land and demonstrating that energy production and nature could coexist. In all his years on Avery Island, he dedicated his time to conservation efforts despite the great responsibility of running a nationally recognized pepper-sauce farm and factory.
Monsurat
As a young man, E.A. McIlhenny and his friends roamed Avery Island without fear of the alligators that inhabited its ponds—except for one, whom they called “Ol’ Monsurat.” Measuring an impressive eighteen feet, three inches, Monsurat was the largest alligator ever recorded on the island.
The origin of the name “Monsurat” remains uncertain. While some speculate it was inspired by the Louisiana French word monstre, meaning “monster,” it is more likely derived from the Catalan Montserrat, which translates to “jagged mountain”—a fitting tribute to the ridged, towering form of Monsurat’s back as it emerged from the dark waters.
We stopped by the visitor’s center to see the story of Monsurat and the giant alligator that is on display.
Island Wildlife
Later in his life during the 1920’s, Ned transformed his Island estate into what we know today as Jungle Gardens. The Gardens grew into a 170-acre span of land, home to exotic and local plants from around the world. In 1935, Jungle Gardens was opened to the public and has become a high-traffic tourist destination and botanical and wildlife refuge. The Gardens support a wide variety of local wildlife that include alligators, deer, raccoons, and dozens of bird species. The McIlhenny’s also vaunt their sixty-four varieties of bamboo planted in and around Jungle Gardens; the oldest timber bamboo groves in America.
The Buddha Statue
In 1936, Ned received an exquisite Buddha statue as an unexpected gift from two friends in New York City. They had discovered a Buddha statue in a Manhattan warehouse, where it had remained unclaimed for years, and decided to send it to the island by rail, believing it would find a fitting home among the Asian flora of his gardens.
To honor the statue, Ned designed a stunning shrine nestled within a lush garden. Believed to be over 900 years old, the Buddha quickly became a centerpiece of the Gardens, attracting visitors from near and far. In recent years, the shrine has also become an active site of worship for local Buddhists, who hold various ceremonies there throughout the year, with Buddha’s birthday being the most significant.
Today, Jungle Gardens and Bird City are a large part of the Mcllhenny Family’s mission in maintaining Avery Island and their Tabasco farm. The family still carries out sustainability and conservation efforts that have kept Avery Island in pristine condition, making it a comfortable home for thousands of plants and animals to thrive for years to come.
Visitors who come to visit the Jungle Gardens and drive through or walk all around the property. There is a map that can be picked up at the Visitor Center so that you don’t miss any of the key attractions throughout the garden. The island is beautiful and the perfect place to spend a day enjoying nature and the wildlife of southern Louisiana.