Salt places to visit · Iberia Parish, Louisiana
Avery Island
A green island on top of a giant salt dome, where Native Americans boiled brine long before it became the home of Tabasco sauce.
At a glance
| Where | About 130 miles west of New Orleans, Iberia Parish, Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Type of place | Salt dome island |
| What it is | A salt dome rising out of bayous, salt marsh and swamp, about three miles inland from Vermilion Bay. |
| Native salt | Native Americans boiled the island's briny springs and traded the salt as far away as central Texas, Arkansas and Ohio. |
| Later history | The McIlhenny Company has made Tabasco pepper sauce here since 1868. |
| Visiting | Jungle Gardens and Bird City are open to the public. |
The salt story
Under the island's lush plants lies a massive dome of rock salt. Its salt springs made the island valuable long before European settlement. The island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hours, seasons and prices change. Check with the site before you travel.
More salt places
Cite this page
For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.
The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). Avery island. https://saltalmanac.com/places/avery-island
“Avery Island | Salt Places to Visit.” The Salt Almanac, 8 Nov. 2026, saltalmanac.com/places/avery-island. Accessed [today's date].
“Avery Island | Salt Places to Visit.” The Salt Almanac. Last modified November 8, 2026. https://saltalmanac.com/places/avery-island.
Original sources
- Wikipedia. Avery Island. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Island