Beyonce has everyone talking about her new visual album, Lemonade. The not-so cryptic lyrics and powerful imagery have already made the album a pop culture phenomenon, and the locations where it was filmed have become legendary.
Among those locations is the Madewood Plantation House, located outside of New Orleans, where Beyonce and her film crew set up shop last December. The shoot was so hush-hush that the property’s owners and staff had to surrender their cell phones during filming, and they were given few details about what exactly the project was. “There was no suggestion of where the Madewood footage would appear, only vague words about a storyline of strong women prevailing over adversity,” Madewood owner Keith Marshall said.
During the plantation shoot the grand entrance hall and staircase became a backdrop for Serena Williams, the home’s guest beds became trampolines and, in the most powerful moments of the video, the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and others held photos of their children in different rooms of the house.
This isn’t the first time the plantation has been a filming location, most recently it was used in the remake of Alex Haley’s Roots, which debuts next month.
The historic Madewood Plantation House is also an inn and was recently named one of the 12 best inns of the year. For those who want to visit, rates start at $299 a night and include a wine and cheese reception, dinner by candlelight, followed by brandy in the parlor and a full breakfast in the morning.
You can a map of other Lemonade locations at Curbed, too.
