The Louisiana “Island” Where Tabasco Has Been Made Exactly The Same Way Since 1868

Avery Island, Louisiana

Well, it’s not actually an island. It’s a massive salt dome rising out of Louisiana’s marshes, where Tabasco has been made the same way since 1868. Beyond the pepper sauce factory, this 2,200-acre spot packs in a botanical garden, a bird sanctuary, and some of the state’s oldest live oaks.

These days, the McIlhenny family still owns the property, and you can visit this site throughout the year, especially during spring and fall.

Been Running Since the Civil War

The story of Avery Island’s salt begins in the Jurassic Period. Long before Europeans arrived, Native Americans were already collecting salt from the springs bubbling up through the ground.

The mine became especially important during the Civil War when workers produced up to 22 tons of salt every day. The main shaft goes down 2000 feet, and people have been mining salt here non-stop since 1862, making it North America’s oldest working salt mine.

Ice Age Animals Roamed the Lands

Avery Island’s salt dome rises approximately 163 feet above sea level. Back in the late 1800s, workers found teeth and bones from mastodons while digging for salt. Scientists also uncovered the remains of giant sloths and prehistoric bison from the Ice Age now exhibited at the Lafayette Science Museum.

Original TABASCO Peppers

The original TABASCO peppers were first brought from Mexico by Edmund McIlhenny in 1848 after the Civil War. Today, the McIlhenny Company produces TABASCO® Sauce (since its creation over 150 years ago). When it’s time to pick the peppers, workers use a wooden dowel (painted the exact shade of red) called “le petit bâton rouge.”

Thousands of Birds Find Sanctuary Here

In the 1890s, a remarkable thing happened when E.A. McIlhenny noticed that plume hunters were killing too many snowy egrets for their feathers. Around 1895, he decided to raise eight young egrets in an aviary and set them free later. He also produced a 1913 documentary titled “The Snowy Egret and its Extinction.”

Now the sanctuary, nicknamed “Bird City,” fills up with thousands of egrets and other wading birds every spring and summer.

The Old Buddha Statue in a Secret Garden

One of the most surprising things you’ll find is a centuries-old bronze Buddha statue that came here from China in 1936 as a gift from friends of E.A. McIlhenny who found it in a Manhattan warehouse.

The statue sits in Jungle Gardens (175-acre semitropical garden) that looks like it belongs in Asia, complete with stone lanterns. As you walk through the arching bamboo paths, you’ll be inspired by the Buddha’s tranquil vibes, one of the oldest of its kind in North America.

Oak Trees Since Colonial Times

If you’re in the Jungle Gardens, check out the live oak trees that have been growing here for years. The biggest one, named after President Grover Cleveland has a trunk that spans more than 20 feet, and it’s nearly 400 years old.

Spanish moss hangs from these giant trees, making perfect homes for local wildlife. Currently, the Live Oak Society recognizes and celebrates the beauty and longevity of live oak trees.

Ecology on a Salt Dome

This 2,200-acre salt dome, surrounded by salt marsh, cypress swamp, and bayous, has freshwater flowing from its natural springs. The water starts clear when it comes up before mixing with the marsh water around it. These springs have never stopped flowing (not even in the worst droughts).

Fun fact: the mineral-rich waters have been used historically for salt extraction, with Native Americans and later settlers boiling brine from these springs to collect salt.

Some Plants Only Grow Here

The unusual mix of high ground, salt dome geology, and being cut off from other places has created a microclimate for special plants. Take the Avery Island yaupon, a type of holly that only grows here. You’ll find rare sabal palm trees growing on the salt dome because of the warmer conditions.

Other plants include a Gulf spikemoss that’s adapted to the island’s moist, mineral-rich soil and two rare fern species.

Local Alligators Act a Bit Differently on Avery

Unlike the freshwater species of Louisiana, the alligators here have figured out how to live in the salty waters. Instead of staying hidden, this species hangs out in big groups on the raised banks.

You’re more likely to see them during the day when there’s a steady food supply in the island’s waterways. Notably, three alligators exceeding eighteen feet in length were documented on the island, including one known as “Monsurat,” killed by Mr. Robert Moony.

The Island’s Own Fire Department

Since the island is pretty isolated (30 miles from Lafayette), it created a private fire department, one of the oldest still running in America. What started as a way to protect the TABASCO factory and salt mines now keeps the whole island safe. The firefighters also get special training for tackling fires in industrial sites and wilderness areas.

A Special Time Capsule Sealed Until 2100

In 1900, people on Avery Island buried a time capsule filled with old photos showing the first pepper fields, equipment from the salt mines, and pictures of daily life. They also packed it with original TABASCO sauce bottles, pepper seeds, and important papers about how things worked on the island. The time capsule won’t be opened until 2100.