Welcome to Sentimental Journeys

Sentimental Journeys, an auction of exclusive travel opportunities, is the major fundraising event for Longue Vue House and Gardens, the internationally recognized historic city estate created by Mr. and Mrs. Edgar B. Stern of New Orleans. Longue Vue now serves as a not-for-profit educational and cultural institution. Sentimental Journeys takes its name from the title of a privately published memoir documenting a trip taken by the Stern family around the world in 1936-37 in celebration of Mr. Stern’s 50th birthday and their 15 years of marriage—A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy and Other Countries.

The Sentimental Journeys Dinner and Auction occurs every eighteen months. The proceeds from this year's event will benefit educational programs sponsored by Longue Vue.

How Your Gift Helps Others

Your support of Sentimental Journeys offers you the chance to explore magical lands, near and far. But it does so much more. The funds raised from Sentimental Journeys have enabled Longue Vue House and Gardens, a grand New Orleans estate, to become an innovative cultural and educational resource center, not only in our community, but also for the entire Southern region. Your contribution helps to educate and inspire the tens of thousands of visitors who visit the fascinating house and historical gardens of Longue Vue.

Longue Vue is committed to perpetuating the values and works of its creators, Edith and Edgar Stern. Charged by our mission “to preserve and use the historical and artistic legacy of Longue Vue and its creators to educate and inspire people to pursue beauty and civic responsibility in their lives,” every Longue Vue program is carefully planned to provide a profound cultural and educational experience.

In November 1998, Longue Vue opened the world-class Lucy C. Roussel Discovery Garden—a premier children’s garden featuring whimsical garden areas, hands-on exhibits, and interactive learning activities. In 2000, just one year after opening, attendance in the Discovery Garden swelled to more than 10,000 visitors, including 5,000 at-risk children. Throughout the year, the Discovery Garden offers garden-based programs that support classroom learning, help children build self-esteem, develop a love of nature, and foster a sense of place in their community. A few examples of Longue Vue’s innovative youth programs include Learners at Longue Vue, a partnership with the Orleans Parish Public Schools 4th and 5th grade students, COPS for Kids, a summer camp collaboration with the New Orleans Police Foundation, and the Henry Butler program for visually impaired students.

Longue Vue strongly believes that learning is a life-long adventure. As such, a portion of the Sentimental Journeys proceeds support programs designed to inspire and educate adults. In 2000, Longue Vue teamed up with the Aspen Institute to provide a forum for continued learning to national leaders in business, government, and education. Longue Vue also serves as a cultural center by offering symposia and lectures on decorative arts, architecture, gardening, and relevant issues such as race relations and public education. In 2001, Longue Vue and Dillard University hosted a cutting edge conference entitled “African-American Education in the South: Historical, Current, and Future Analysis of the Relationship between Community, Philanthropy and Public Education.”

As Sentimental Journeys grows, so does Longue Vue’s ability to touch the lives of others. Your contribution to this wonderful event helps foster a greater appreciation for art, history, horticulture, architecture, and community. Thanks to you, Longue Vue can pursue its goal to grow the minds and imaginations of its guests, young and old. Please continue to support Sentimental Journeys and know that the value of your generous contribution lives on long after the party ends.

The next Sentimental Journeys will be held in late October of 2008 with the Patron Party being on October 24th and the spectacular Dinner & Auction on October 25th. For more information, call the Sentimental Journeys office at 504.488.5488 ext. 337 or email us at sj@longuevue.com.