To me, the purpose of a museum is to exhibit objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural significance. While Oak Alley and Whitney Plantation both fall under the umbrella of plantation museums, they vary drastically in their respective layout and purpose.

From Oak Alley’s website, Oak Alley advertises itself as a restaurant and inn rather than a museum. The list of its features (shown on the second image) clearly target tourists rather than museum visitors as only 2 of the 8 features listed are plantation tours. The rest of the features such as event photo gallery and daily chef specials are services that are catered towards people on vacation. The use of professionally photographed images, aesthetic layout and marketing language of its features further emphasise its focus towards people on vacation. As such, I would not consider Oak Alley a museum since it does not serve the purpose of exhibiting objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural significance. Rather, I would consider Oak Alley a cottage where guests have the convenience of being close to plantation tours. Furthermore, the high price point of Oak Alley further differentiates itself from typical museums, starting at $175 for a one bedroom duplex cottage. This high price point and focus on dining and staying luxury are why I do not consider Oak Alley a museum.

From Whitney Plantation’s website, Whitney Plantation advertises itself as purely a museum. The only services provided by Whitney Plantation are museum visits which require museum visitors to be accompanied by a guide. The use of professional and educational language on its website differentiates Whitney Plantation from Oak Alley as it shows the Whitney Plantation is focused on providing access to tourists to its exhibits rather than spending a night or hosting an event there. Furthermore, there is a tab called “Education” on the website which makes it easier for people who are interested in learning more about the history behind the plantation as well as schools who would like to organize field trips for educational purposes. The images used in Whitney Plantation contrasts against those used in Oak Alley as they are focused on the museum itself rather than dining services and events shown on Oak Alley’s website. Furthermore, the simple, straightforward layout of Whitney Plantation shows that its purpose is not to advertise its services and attract its visitors to spend more money like Oak Alley. Rather, it is to educate its visitors on the history of its exhibits. At most, a general admission to Whitney Plantation will cost you $22, with visits for children going for as low as $10. This low price point classifies Whitney Plantation as much more of a museum than Oak Alley as its affordability will allow a larger demographic to be educated about its history. Hence, Whitney Plantation has much more to offer to museum visitors than Oak Alley as it is upfront about its costs and services while Oak Alley advertises a long list of features which out shadow its services as a plantation.