Rip Van Winkle Gardens is a beautiful fifteen acre semi-tropical gardens, located in the middle of New Iberia and the small town of Delcambre. It all started in 1870 when the famous actor, Joseph Jefferson, decided to build the home just after the Civil War. Afterwards, the Bayless family bought the home and property, first opening the salt mine, then opening the gardens to the public as well as the mansion. As time went by, many things changed at the gardens, such as the lake got very large because of a disaster of 1980, and all that is left of a house is a chimney of a three story home, in the lake.