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

Church of St. Charles Borromeo

2022-02-22T16:01:57-06:00

This magnificent, predominately wooden structure designed by New Orleans architect, James Freret, is architecturally the finest gem in the Grand Coteau crown. Following the approval of the plans by Pope Pius IX, the first cornerstone of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo was blessed and placed on March 19, 1879. The rear belfry was a significant addition to the church in 1886. Its second empire style with a mansard roof is rare and possibly unique among churches in the United States. It houses a 3,104-pound bell, still rung today. The church has a superb collection of religious art, paintings, and statues.

For a guided tour, contact the church to schedule an appointment with Bonnie Barry. Bonnie is a local historian, photographer, and author of the book, For the Greater Honor & Glory of God. Most fascinating is her knowledge of the church's thirty-two original paintings, including the fourteen Mysteries of the Rosary, and the artist responsible for several pieces, Mr. Erasmus Humbrecht. Guided tours of the church and cemetery are also offered every October during the Sweet Dough Pie Festival!

Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Church of St. Charles Borromeo2022-02-22T16:01:57-06:00
23 Jul 2018

Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site

2022-02-17T16:00:42-06:00

The Cajun Prairie Habitat is a beautiful 10-acre living exhibit of Louisiana native plants, flowers, and grasses in Eunice. This restored prairie is a project of the Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society (501c3) whose goal is to ensure the survival of prairie flora. Southwest Louisiana's Cajun Prairie once occupied 2.5 million acres and is now reduced to less than 150 acres of land. In 1988, Society volunteers used local seeds to cultivate the new prairie site and today it is touted as one of the United States' leading restoration sites with more than 100 flora species.

Visitors can make an appointment to take a guided tour of the habitat or explore on their own, enjoying the paved walking path, covered pavilion, and benches. Every year the Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society offers a guided tour in the spring and again in the fall during their meetings. The public is welcome to join and meet experts in the field including Dr. Malcolm Vidrine and Dr. Charles Allen, an esteemed author and botanist. These tours also include a special guest speaker and different topics of interest to gardeners.

The Society was named the 2013 Conservation Organization of the Year in the Annual Governor's Conservation Achievement Recognition Program conducted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation.  

Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site in Eunice, Louisiana
Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site2022-02-17T16:00:42-06:00
23 Jul 2018

Cajun French Music Hall of Fame & Museum

2024-10-21T14:06:38-05:00

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.

  • Summer: Wednesday-Saturday 8:30am-4:30pm | 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 & Museum2024-10-21T14:06:38-05:00
23 Jul 2018

Budden’s Store

2022-06-10T11:38:41-05:00

Guy Budden is continuing his family's business in rural Palmetto, a small community northeast of Opelousas. The family established Budden's Store in 1934, selling general merchandise and dry goods. Though times were hard during the depression, the Budden family pushed through and the store is still open today. In fact, Guy still uses the same charge register to provide candies, grocery items, gadgets, and tools to locals. The general store truly retains the character and charm of the early days of Palmetto when it was the trade center for the surrounding agricultural area.

Ici on parle français. French is spoken here.

  • Monday-Wednesday and Friday 8am-5pm | Thursday 8am-12pm | Saturday 8am-4:30pm

  • 165 West Railroad Avenue, Palmetto, Louisiana 71358

  • 337-623-4711

  • Budden's Store Facebook Page

Budden's Store
Budden's Store
Budden's Store
Budden's Store
Budden's Store

Budden’s Store2022-06-10T11:38:41-05:00
23 Jul 2018

Bayou Teche Brewing

2025-02-28T16:38:57-06:00

Started in a converted old rail car near the banks of the Bayou Teche, Bayou Teche Brewing is crafting innovative ales true to the brewer's original intent—beers that complement the unique foods and lifestyles of South Louisiana. The brewery offers tours in French and English, and most beers are named in Cajun French in an effort to help preserve and promote the native language.

The brewery is located in Arnaudville, Louisiana and offers beer flights in the tap room with a wide range of choices for even the most particular palate. New to the brewery is Cajun Saucer Pizza. That's right; the brewery has a brand new pizza oven and is making fresh, hand-tossed pies on site. Each recipe is topped with Cajun cooking favorites such as smoked boudin, tasso, and Cajun-style sausage. There's plenty of space to dance on the brewery's "front porch" during a Sunday jam session or on a Saturday with live Cajun or zydeco music. For a full list of events at the brewery, view the calendar at BayouTecheBrewing.com.

You can also rent the brewery for your next party, meeting, wedding, or reunion.

Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, Louisiana
Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, Louisiana
Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, Louisiana
Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, Louisiana
Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, Louisiana
Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, Louisiana
Bayou Teche Brewing2025-02-28T16:38:57-06:00
23 Jul 2018

Bayou Teche National Water Trail

2022-04-29T13:27:34-05:00

You can kayak, canoe, or drive along the Bayou Teche Paddle Trail. Volunteers with the TECHE Project organize and conduct cleanup days, year-round, to keep the Teche in good shape for leisurely outdoor activities and events such as Tour du Teche. Also through the efforts of the TECHE project, in 2015 Bayou Teche was added to the National Water Trails System, a first for Louisiana! The National Water Trails System is a network of "exemplary water trails that are cooperatively supported and sustained." The system was established to protect and restore waterways, something local volunteers have been doing on the Teche for a long time.

Thanks to their hard work, visitors can paddle through 15 communities and four parishes (St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, and St. Mary) along 135 miles of water on their own using the Bayou Teche Water Trail map. The map identifies all thirteen established access points for paddle trips as short as seven miles and as long as 135.  It is nestled in the Bayou Teche Corridor and is part of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area.

For more recreation information, visit TecheProject.org.

Port Barre, Louisiana
Bayou Teche National Water Trail
Bayou Teche National Water Trail
Bayou Teche National Water Trail
Bayou Teche National Water Trail2022-04-29T13:27:34-05:00
23 Jul 2018

Arnaudville Town Mural

2021-03-12T09:54:41-06:00

Vincent Darby's classic style adds beauty to the side of Arnaudville Town Hall in this timeless mural. The image depicts a time before there were paved roads and when everyone's favorite bread was Evangeline Made. Vincent Darby was a native of Arnaudville, Louisiana and a self-taught artist. After retiring from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and fisheries, he began his work as an artist full time, painting beautiful images of Louisiana's outdoors. Though he passed away in 2017, he is still remembered for his remarkable, natural talent and love of Louisiana.

  • 107 Rue de Jausiers, Arnaudville, Louisiana 70512

Arnaudville Town Mural2021-03-12T09:54:41-06:00
23 Jul 2018

Acadian to Cajun Mural

2021-06-11T12:47:54-05:00

The Acadian to Cajun Mural depicts the journey of the Acadians, from their exile from Nova Scotia, in the mid-1700s, to their settlement here in south Louisiana. The 20′ by 12′ mural is located in downtown Opelousas, across from the St. Landry Parish Courthouse, and was created by local artist, Jerome Ford. Jerome grew up in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans and moved to Opelousas with his family in 2006. It's clear that both worlds have inspired his colorful depictions of Louisiana's people and culture. Today, Jerome teaches art and also creates new works of art as a professional artist. Learn more about the artist at his website JFordArt.com.

Acadian to Cajun Mural2021-06-11T12:47:54-05:00
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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