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5 Jun 2020

Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway

2021-03-24T11:40:26-05:00

As you visit the communities along the Zydeco-Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway, you can still hear Cajun and Creole French spoken in shops and on the street, take delight in our famous cuisine, and dance to rhythms that run through our very life.

A visit to the Jean Lafitte Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice can provide a rich education into our folklore and folkways. Along the byway, you will find architecture ranging from quaint Acadian cottages to gracious antebellum mansions. Sportsmen and photographers alike will relish the unforgettable experience of visiting the Atchafalaya Basin, one of America’s last great wilderness wetlands. Campers and fishermen will find delightful diversion at Chicot, Louisiana’s largest and most popular state park located in Evangeline Parish.

The heart of the Cajun Prairie, Acadia Parish, has some of the most beautiful surroundings imaginable; catch a glimpse of wildlife as they migrate along a recognized fly-way, fields of golden rice, the world’s oldest grain, crawfish fields, and the many museums and attractions that highlight the culture and heritage of this Louisiana paradise.

Bayous shaded by moss-draped oaks, flooded rice fields glistening in the sun, and prairies ablaze with wildflowers create a feast for the eye.

At Grand Coteau, a shrine to St. John Berchmans commemorates the only miracle in North America verified by the Vatican and it gives testimony to the abiding faith of this area’s people.

All this and more can be found along the byway. Check out accommodations here.

Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway2021-03-24T11:40:26-05:00
28 Jan 2020

Le Petit Musée at the Academy of the Sacred Heart

2022-06-20T09:28:04-05:00

Le Petit Musée is a museum dedicated to the history of the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. In 1821, Saint Philippine Duchesne sent Sisters Eugenie Audé and Mary Layton to Grand Coteau to begin a school for young girls. Beginning in an unfurnished house on land donated to the religious order by Mary Sentee Smith, the school opened in October with just five students. Through hardships, natural disasters, disease and civil war, the school has persevered, grown and flourished.  Explore artifacts, letters, and photographs that tell the story of the pioneering spirit of the foundresses and early life at the Academy.  Learn about the enslaved persons who created the bricks, constructed the buildings, and worked alongside the sisters to make the Academy of the Sacred Heart what it is today.

While on campus, visit the Shrine of Saint John Berchmans, the site of the 1866 miraculous cure of a Religious of the Sacred Heart.

Petit Musée, Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Petit Musée, Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Petit Musée, Grand Coteau, Louisiana

Le Petit Musée at the Academy of the Sacred Heart2022-06-20T09:28:04-05:00
24 Jul 2018

Washington Museum & Tourist Center

2022-02-28T11:46:39-06:00

Make this your first stop in Washington, Louisiana for information on sites, attractions, and the history of Washington. More than 80 percent of this steamboat town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At this museum and information center, you can pick up a map of these historic locations around town for your own walking tour. You can also check out their displays with examples of Acadiana brown cotton blankets and antique loom, antique agriculture equipment, white oak weaved baskets, and Native American tools.

  • Friday-Sunday 10am-3pm

  • 404 North Main Street, Washington, Louisiana 70589

  • 337-324-8658

Washington Museum and Tourist Center, Washington, Louisiana
Washington Museum and Tourist Center, Washington, Louisiana
Washington Museum and Tourist Center, Washington, Louisiana

Washington Museum & Tourist Center2022-02-28T11:46:39-06:00
23 Jul 2018

Opelousas Museum

2024-06-24T15:44:43-05:00

The Opelousas Museum is a great destination for those interested in the Civil War, zydeco music, Native American history, or any traveler looking for things to do in Opelousas. The museum explores the history and culture of the Opelousas area from prehistoric times to the present. The Main Exhibit Room tells the story of the Free People of Color as well as Native Americans. The other side of the exhibit space focuses on zydeco, a popular music genre fostered right here in Opelousas. Other exhibits include the Civil War Room, the Louisiana Video Collection Library, the Rodney Milburn Exhibit, and the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival Archives.

Group tours are available by appointment. Sign up to their newsletter or check out their Facebook page for new programming.

Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas Museum2024-06-24T15:44:43-05:00
23 Jul 2018

Louisiana Orphan Train Museum

2022-02-23T10:33:22-06:00

The Louisiana Orphan Train Museum is a “must-see” attraction for travelers searching for things to do in and around Opelousas, Louisiana. The Louisiana Orphan Train Society, Inc. domiciled in Le Vieux Village Heritage Park is dedicated to collecting and preserving those items that tell the history of the orphan train riders. The term “orphan train” or “orphan train riders” refers to the Orphan Train Movement, a welfare program that was in place between 1853 and 1930. During this time, over 200,000 orphaned children were transported to foster homes typically in rural areas in the Midwest.

Between 1873 and 1929, over 2,000 “Orphan Train Riders” came to Louisiana from the New York Foundling Hospital. Because of an increase in the number of occupants, the Sisters of Charity contacted Catholic priests asking for assistance. In the spring of April and May in 1907 three trains arrived in Opelousas with children from the Foundling Home wearing identification numbers that would match them to their new Catholic foster families.

The museum has a large collection of original documents, clothing, and images on display and many of the museum’s volunteers are descendants of orphan train riders. There you can also see statues on the grounds and the Orphan Train mural, depicting the arrival of the riders.

The museum is the only one of its kind in Louisiana and second in the nation to the Orphan Train Museum in Concordia, KS.

Ici on parle français. French is spoken here.

LA Orphan Train Society Annual Gathering in Opelousas, Louisiana at the LA Orphan Train Museum
LA Orphan Train Museum in Opelousas, Louisiana
LA Orphan Train Society Annual Gathering in Opelousas, Louisiana at the LA Orphan Train Museum
LA Orphan Train Society Annual Gathering in Opelousas, Louisiana at the LA Orphan Train Museum
LA Orphan Train Society Annual Gathering in Opelousas, Louisiana at the LA Orphan Train Museum
LA Orphan Train Museum in Opelousas, Louisiana
Louisiana Orphan Train Museum2022-02-23T10:33:22-06:00
23 Jul 2018

Le Vieux Village Heritage Park

2021-07-23T15:01:34-05:00

Le Vieux Village Heritage Park is a collection of exhibits, museums, and the town’s oldest structures. French for the old village, this attraction was created in 1988 by the Opelousas Tourism and Activities Committee. Many of its components were donated by families from the area. Get a glimpse of historic Opelousas, one of Louisiana’s oldest cities, by touring the grounds which includes an old schoolhouse, a Methodist church, a doctor’s office, and the home of Marie Francois Venus. Tours are given Tuesday through Friday on the hour from 10am-2pm and by appointment. Self-guided tours are also available.

Also housed at Le Vieux Village, is the City of Opelousas Tourist Information Center & Gift Shop. It is located at the eastern entrance to Opelousas along U.S. Highway 190. The center houses the Jim Bowie Display and the Zydeco Music Exhibit. Did you know that Jim Bowie, an American hero of the Alamo, once lived in Opelousas? For more fun, historical facts, visit the center’s exhibit.

The park is also home to the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum, a facility dedicated to documenting and researching the lives of the orphan train riders.

Ici on parle français. French is spoken here. 

Le Vieux Village Heritage Park in Opelousas, Louisiana
The Chapel at Le Vieux Village in Opelousas, Louisiana
Le Vieux Village Heritage Park in Opelousas, Louisiana
Le Vieux Village Heritage Park in Opelousas, Louisiana
J.S. Clark Memorial at Le Vieux Village Heritage Park in Opelousas, Louisiana
Le Vieux Village Heritage Park in Opelousas, Louisiana
Le Vieux Village Heritage Park2021-07-23T15:01:34-05:00
23 Jul 2018

Eunice Depot Museum

2022-06-10T11:06:01-05:00

The Eunice Depot Museum is housed in the old train depot from which C.C. Duson sold the first land sites in 1894 for the town named after his wife, Eunice. Restored in 1984, the building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and contains exhibits and collections depicting the lifestyles of the early settlers of this Cajun prairie town. The museum is a time capsule of items such as clothing, tools, toys and antique items that you may not even recognize. The Courir de Mardi Gras exhibit gives a brief history of the unique rituals that take place and colorful clothing that is worn by revelers during the carnival season.

The museum is located in downtown Eunice, Louisiana, right next to the Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum and walking distance from shops and the Jean Lafitte National Park Prairie Acadian Cultural Center. A statue of Clovis Crawfish stands out front celebrating the famous children’s stories of Eunice resident, Mary Alice Fontenot.

If you’re wondering where in Eunice or St. Landry Parish that you should head next, the Eunice Chamber of Commerce, located just next door, doubles as a tourist information center. They are open Monday-Friday from 9am-3pm, or you can call them at 337-457-2565.

Ici on parle français. French is spoken here.

  • Wednesday-Saturday 8:30am-4:30pm

  • 220 South C. C. Duson Street, Eunice, Louisiana 70535

  • Free Admission

  • 337-457-6540

Eunice Depot Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Eunice Depot Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Eunice Depot Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Eunice Depot Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Eunice Depot Museum2022-06-10T11:06:01-05:00
23 Jul 2018

Creole Heritage Folklife Center

2021-03-12T09:53:04-06:00

The Creole Heritage Folklife Center in Opelousas offers the public an opportunity to relive traditions of the African-American community with folklorist, Rebecca Henry. Henry is a native to St. Landry Parish and offers educational programs and events that focus on Creole heritage. Learn about the use of herbs and folk medicine, everyday tools, home-life, and folk art. In the gift shop, find handsewn quilts, homemade soaps and potpourri, preserves, handcrafted dolls, and artwork. Guided tours are offered weekly and by appointment. The Creole Heritage Folklife Center is included on the Louisiana African-American Heritage Trail.

Wait, what is Creole? According to Creole Heritage Inc. founder, Rebecca Henry, “‘Creole is family, culture, heritage, and tradition which embodies all that connects the inner and outer families with their ancestral past, not a racial confusion.”

Ici on parle français. French is spoken here.

  • Tuesday-Friday 12pm-4pm | Saturday 1pm-4pm | Sunday by appointment

  • 1113 West Vine Street, Opelousas, Louisiana 70570

  • Adults $8, Seniors $7 (64+), Children (12 and under) $5

  • Guided tours offered weekly and by appointment.

  • 337-945-5064

Creole Heritage Folklife Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Creole Heritage Folklife Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Creole Heritage Folklife Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Creole Heritage Folklife Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Creole Heritage Folklife Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Creole Heritage Folklife Center in Opelousas, Louisiana
Creole Heritage Folklife Center2021-03-12T09:53:04-06:00
23 Jul 2018

Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum

2024-01-31T13:24:00-06:00

Want to learn more about the roots of Cajun music and the early musicians who shaped the genre? Stop by the Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum. Cajun music fans will be excited to see the names of men such Iry Lejeune, Denis Mcgee, or Joe Falcon. Learn more about the first female to ever record Cajun music, singer and guitarist, Cleoma Falcon, and the women who rock the genre today.

The Cajun French Music Hall of Fame is located in Eunice, Louisiana just a short walking distance from the famous Liberty Theatre and the Jean Lafitte National Park Prairie Acadian Culture Center. The museum is supported by the Cajun French Music Association, with the mission to preserve and showcase the history of this region’s unique form of music. For more information visit CajunFrenchMusic.org.

  • Summer: Wednesday-Saturday 9am-5pm | Winter: Wednesday-Saturday 8:30am-4:30pm

  • 240 South C C Duson Street, Eunice, Louisiana 70535

  • Free Admission

  • 337-457-6534

Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum2024-01-31T13:24:00-06:00
23 Jul 2018

Academy of the Sacred Heart

2022-08-22T12:04:21-05:00

Visit the site of a Vatican-recognized miracle and the second-oldest school in the United States west of the Mississippi River. Set on 225 picturesque acres in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, the Academy of the Sacred Heart has provided quality Catholic education to girls for two centuries. Founded in 1821, under the direction of Saint Philippine Duchesne, the Academy has remained in continuous operation through fire, epidemic, and war. Unearth these stories from the past while visiting the Academy’s museum and cemetery. Also, discover the institution’s history as a “colored school” for former enslaved persons, dedicated to transitioning students to freedom and self-sufficiency. Beyond the beautiful formal gardens and alley of oaks lies a fascinating history waiting to be told.

When you tour the Academy, you’ll visit Le Petit Musée, a museum dedicated to the history of the school, the Shrine of St. John Berchmans, where novice Mary Wilson was miraculously healed by then Blessed John Berchmans, and the extensive gardens and grounds. In continuous operation for 200 years, the Academy educates girls from one year old to 12th grade. In 2006, it was joined by a brother school, Berchmans Academy. The two schools, founded upon the mission and charism of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat and the Society of the Sacred Heart, seek to educate their students to be individuals of faith, intellect, service, and justice.

The Oaks at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau
Christmas at Coteau in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Christmas at Coteau in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Christmas at Coteau in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Academy of the Sacred Heart2022-08-22T12:04:21-05:00

St. Landry Parish Visitor Center
Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm

337.948.8004
978 Kennerson Road (I-49 exit 23)
P.O. Box 1415 • Opelousas, LA 70570

Visitor Guide (En)
Visitor Guide (Fr)

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