My name is Glen Henley. I am the owner/operator of Henley’s Private Tours and I personally conduct most of these private tours myslef.
I have been a tour guide since October 2012 and started "Henley’s Private Tours" in November 2016.
I don’t usually discuss my qualifications, I prefer that my guest's reviews, do my talking for me. So, if you’re reading this, you have probably already read some of my reviews. I have over 200 hundred reviews on websites such as, TripAdvisor, Viator, Google, Yelp and others.
So, with that said here is my Biography:
I served in the United States Air Force for 4 years, right out of high school. After that, I started a career in sales. In most of my career I called on business owners and managers selling software solutions for their business. In 2005, 6 weeks after Katrina, 26 of us were laid off from a nationally known software vendor. As, a result, with very few choices back then, I went to work for New York Life. I loved the company, but was not suited to selling insurance, especially life insurance. So I applied for a position with large tour company and was given a chance in the tour business. I had done thousands of presentations in my career, so this was a natural choice for me. After 4 years of working for a few tour companies, I started my own private tour business in 2012.
Although I was not born in New Orleans, I’ve lived in the area since 1975. I spent much of my informative years in the wetlands, (swamps and marshes) of Louisiana and I have been an avid fisherman most of my life.
Am I a native? Yes, I am a native of Southeast Louisiana and have both French and English heritages. My great grandmother spoke Cajun French and broken English.
I have spent countless hours reading dozens of books and articles on various subjects about New Orleans and Louisiana. I love to share stories and subjects about the first explorers, the Mississippi river, the past and present history, the cemeteries, the architecture, the legendary citizens, many of the famous landmarks, our wetlands, the flood control systems, the plantation life, the neighborhoods, and stories about the food (the po-boy story is unusual), the music, the nationalities and languages, (French, Spanish, English, German, Italian, Irish, Croatian, etc.), the origins of the people, the buildings, the architecture, the professions, and the religions here. We also talk about the Creole and Cajun cultures and such topics as, our ports, the Battle of New Orleans, the Civil War here, the National World War 2 museum, Hurricane Katrina, Free people of color, Mardi Gras, Jazz, Gumbo, Slavery, and even more. This may explain the reason I do a longer 4 or 5 hour tour, (look at Details and Pricing page on my website) which includes up to 5 stops, including a lunch stop for some great Louisiana food.
However, you should know that I only deal in facts, and not fiction. Although I know how Voodoo started here, and many of the ghost story origins, I do not do offer these types of tours.
Thank you for your time. (I talk too much sometimes too, huh?)
Glen A. Henley