Chalmette Battlefield Panorama

For a virtual reality (VR) panoramic tour, place cursor in image, depress left mouse button, and drag mouse to pan through image.

The first thing that you see is the Chalmette Monument. It is built in the design of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., but not as big.

As you pan to the left (drag your mouse to the left), stop when you see the large oak tree in the center. You are looking straight down along the American earthwork fortifications, towards the Mississippi River. This fortification was build along the Rodriguez Canal, which would have been just to the left of the earthworks.

Just to the left of the large oak tree, you see Beauregard House. It was built after the Battle of New Orleans, in 1830. It was used as a summer home, a plantation farm house, and later as a visitor center for the Chalmette National Park. It is open to the public.

Continue panning to the left, until you see a large smoke stack, to the east of the battlefield. This smoke stack is located on what was the Kaiser Aluminum Chalmette Reduction Plant, which operated from the early 1950's through the mid 1980's. Just beyond that stack was the headquarters of Sir Edward Pakenham, the British General who died during the Battle of New Orleans.

The open land in the middle is where the battles took place. Many of the British soldiers, who died during the battle, are buried near the far end of the battlefield, and in their honor, the British flag flies from a pole nearby, a little to the right of the smoke stack.

As you continue to pan to the left, you will once again be looking along the American earthwork fortifications, but toward the north. This was once an area described as the "Cypress Swamp", and indeed, it was. It marked the northern end of the battlefield, and was the location of some of the most intense fighting.

As you continue to pan to the left, once again approaching the Chalmette Monument, you are seeing the area that was defended by Andrew Jackson, his men, and volunteers, including the forces of Jean Lafitte.