Jungle Gardens (Avery Island Buddha) — Roadside & Outdoor Oddities in New Orleans
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Entry No. 44 — the New Orleans file — filed under: roadside-oddity

Jungle Gardens (Avery Island Buddha)

Ned McIlhenny, son of the Tabasco founder, spent decades turning this salt-dome island into a 170-acre semi-wild garden of bamboo, azaleas, and alligator-filled lagoons. Its strangest feature is a roughly 900-year-old Buddha statue, gifted to McIlhenny in 1936, sheltered in a hilltop shrine overlooking a nutria-dotted lake. The shrine has become an active place of worship for local Buddhists, who hold ceremonies there on Buddha's birthday.

The move: Drive the gravel loop to Bird City and the egret rookery, then walk the short trail up to the centuries-old Buddha shrine for the view over the lagoon.

Where: Hwy 329, Avery Island, LA 70513

Hours: Added 2026-06-22 — confirm current hours before you go.

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Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-22