The six sites of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve highlight the people and environment of Louisiana's lower Mississippi River delta. The park's sites are found throughout south Louisiana, from the cities and towns, to the bayous and the prairies. See the big picture above; information about each site is below.
Here are quick links to transportation options and to information about hours and days that park sites are open.
There are three park sites in and near the city of New Orleans.
- French Quarter Visitor Center - 419 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70130; 504-589-3882. Information about the French Quarter Visitor Center.
- Please note: This visitor center is also the home of the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
- The visitor center hosts performance spaces for visitors to explore one of America's most important musical genres, its roots in the distinctive culture of New Orleans, and its continuing influence on music worldwide, while telling the story of the city as a cultural crossroads for over 300 years.
- Chalmette Battlefield and Chalmette National Cemetery - 1 Battlefield Rd, Chalmette, LA 70043; 504-281-0510. Information about the Chalmette Battlefield.
- Chalmette Battlefield is 6 miles downriver from the French Quarter visitor center. It is about a 20 minute drive from the French Quarter to the Chalmette Battlefield.
- Chalmette Battlefield is 145 acres of lands forming the core of the scene of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. Chalmette National Cemetery, established in 1864 and also located on the former battlefield, serves as the final resting place for more than 15,000 interments from every major U.S. conflict between the War of 1812 and Vietnam. The Battlefield was the former home to the Fazendeville community. Long before the Battle, the land was initially used and occupied by many different Native American Tribes.
- Barataria Preserve - 6588 Barataria Boulevard, Marrero, LA 70072; 504-689-3690. Information about the Barataria Preserve including trail maps. If you use a GPS system, we recommend that you use the visitor center address, not just the name Barataria Preserve, and doublecheck the map since not all systems find the preserve successfully.
- Barataria Preserve is 18 miles from the French Quarter visitor center and on the other side of the Mississippi River. It is about a 40 minute drive from the French Quarter to the Barataria Preserve.
- The Barataria Preserve is comprised of over 26,000 acres of Louisiana wetlands, that include bottomland hardwood forest, cypress swamp, freshwater and intermediate marshes, bayous, and canals. The boardwalks and walking trails allow visitors to observe alligators, snakes, native plants, and over 200 species of birds.
There are three more park sites in Acadian (south-center Louisiana):
- Acadian Cultural Center - 501 Fisher Road, Lafayette, LA 70508; 337-232-0789. Information about the Acadian Cultural Center.
- The Acadian Cultural Center is 140 miles west of the French Quarter visitor center. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from the French Quarter to the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette.
- The Acadian Cultural Center is about 45 miles southeast of the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice. It is about a 1 hour drive from the Center in Lafayette to the Center in Eunice.
- The Acadian Cultural Center is about 100 miles northwest of the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux. It is about a 1 3/4 hour drive from the Center in Lafayette to the Center in Thibodaux.
- The Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette presents the history of the Acadian (Cajun) people who were exiled from Canada and settled in South Luisiana's prairies, bayous, and marshes. It offers a museum, park film on the history of the Acadian people, art exhibits, music, and cultural folklife programs.
- Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center - 314 St. Mary Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301; 985-448-1375. Information about the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center.
- The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center is 60 miles southwest of the French Quarter visitor center. It is about a 1 1/4 hour drive from the French Quarter to the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux.
- The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center is about 100 miles southeast of the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette. It is about a 1 3/4 hour drive from the Center in Thibodaux to the Center in Thibodaux.
- The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center is about 145 miles southeast of the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from the Center in Thibodaux to the Center in Eunice.
- Nestled in the culturally rich and diverse bayou area of Thibodaux, Louisiana, the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center allows visitors to experience the cultural gumbo of South Louisiana. The visior center offers museum exhibits and programs on history and cultures of Louisiana's bayou country, jam sessions with local musicians at weekly concerts, bayou boat tours, French Cajun language workshops, and history walks. Come and live for a moment the "Cajun Bayou" way.
- Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - 250 W. Park Avenue, Eunice, LA 70535; 337-457-8499. Information about the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center.
- The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center is about 160 miles west of the French Quarter visitor center. It is about a 2 3/4 hour drive from the French Quarter to the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice.
- The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center is about 45 miles northeast of the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette. It is about a 1 hour drive from the Center in Eunice to the Center in Lafayette.
- The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center is about 145 miles northeast of the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from the Center in Eunice to the Center in Thibodaux.
- The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice focuses on prairie lifeways and the unique blend of Cajun, Creole, and cowboy cultures, told through museum exhibits, music, dancing, and craft and cooking demonstrations.
Headquarters for the whole Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve:
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