Why ‘Steel Magnolias’ Fans in Kentucky Should Head to Louisiana

If you're a fan of the movie Steel Magnolias, you should make plans to visit Natchitoches, Louisiana. That's where much of the beloved 1989 comedy-drama was filmed and visitors can check out a bunch of iconic sites from the movie.

I visited just a couple of weeks ago with my dear friend Reba and we had a blast walking around, seeing recognizable sites from the film and even acting out a scene or two.

WELCOME TO NATCHITOCHES

Steel Magnolias, like the movies The Man in the Moon, The Horse Soldiers, and The Year Without a Santa Claus, was filmed in the tiny and nostalgic town of Natchitoches.

You may be wondering how in the heck you pronounce that. I sure did when I saw it spelled out for the first time. This will help!

Once you get to Natchitoches, it won't take long for stans of Steel Magnolias to start recognizing some very familiar sites, including the Eatonton home where M'Lynn (Sally Field) and her husband Drum (Tom Skerritt) lived.

Some other notable stops on the tour include the American Cemetery.

The American Cemetery was the site of Shelby's funeral and the hilarious scene in which Clairee (Olympia Dukakis) encouraged M'Lynn to "hit Ouiser!"

Ouiser, of course, was brilliantly played by Shirley MacLaine. My friend Reba and I ventured into the cemetery to pay tribute to the scene. I may have quoted much of it.

Speaking of Ouiser, you can visit her home in Natchitoches as well. It's the Lemee House at 310 Rue Jefferson. You can also visit Ms.Truvy's church, which is Trinity Episcopal Church at 533 2nd Street. It's just down the street from Aunt Fern's house.

I quickly learned that no trip to Natchitoches is complete without a trip to the riverfront. The Cane River, especially at Christmas time, is exceptionally beautiful. The Natchitoches Christmas Festival runs each year from late November through early January and you'll find over 300,000 lights and 100 plus set pieces on display every night at dusk.

Naturally, one of those 'set pieces' pays tribute to Steel Magnolias!

To check out all the sites in Natchitoches that were used in the making of "Steel Magnolias", CLICK HERE!