From the plight of the Acadians to the state’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, visitors hear the call of Louisiana’s history.
The state can satisfy any history buff because it features both historic attractions of national significance and historic sites dedicated to exploring the cultural cradle that brought us magnificent Mardi Gras parades, toe-tapping zydeco music and the lively Cajun two-step.
This itinerary highlights some of Louisiana’s top historic and cultural attractions, beginning in New Orleans before heading northwest to Baton Rouge with a stop in Darrow. The trip then takes groups west to St. Martinville and finally into Lafayette, the heart of Acadiana. Planners should allot five days to explore southern Louisiana’s historic offerings.
The National WWII Museum
New Orleans
New Orleans is a vibrant cultural hub with many museums and historic sites, but one of its most visited is The National WWII Museum. Located downtown, just blocks from some of the city’s other major attractions, the museum is the nation’s official museum dedicated to the second world war. It contains nearly 250,000 artifacts, from personal accounts of WWII veterans to uniforms, weapons and even aircraft. Exhibits cover topics such as combat in Germany, Pearl Harbor, the Holocaust, the Manhattan Project and more. Visitors can explore how this global conflict affected every group, from the soldiers who fought to the everyday Americans who mobilized to keep life on the homefront running.
The museum offers both self-guided and guided tours for groups, with discounted rates available for groups of 10 or more. They can dine in the museum’s American Sector Restaurant & Bar. Box lunches are also available. Complimentary tickets are offered to bus drivers, and bus parking is available down the street from the museum.
While You’re Here: When in the Big Easy, there’s no shortage of group-friendly activities and attractions. Groups can enjoy beignets and chicory coffee at Café du Monde, visit the French Quarter and Bourbon Street, or visit the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Whether they showcase the mouthwatering flavors of the city or investigate some of its most spine-chilling legends, walking tours are another excellent way for groups to explore.
Houmas House Estate
Darrow
Houmas House Estate and Gardens comprise 38 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, three restaurants, a museum and a historic mansion. Once a massive plantation, today the property offers tours that showcase its Southern heritage and tell its story, from the mansion’s origins as a humble two-story dwelling to its pinnacle as one of Louisiana’s most recognizable attractions. Groups can take a guided tour of the 1840 Greek Revival mansion, which contains much of the home’s original period furnishings, and they can explore the grounds, including several distinct gardens.
Also on property is The Great River Road Museum, dedicated to exploring life along the Mississippi River, from pre-colonization to present day. After exploring the house and museum, groups can grab some Southern cuisine from Dixie Cafe or The Carriage House Restaurant.
While You’re Here: Also in Ascension Parish, groups will find Cajun Village, a collection of Acadian dwellings that have been restored and turned into shops and eateries. Visitors can purchase Cajun spices, home goods, sportswear and more; afterward, they might even glimpse the village’s resident alligators.
Louisiana’s Old State Capitol
Baton Rouge
Resembling a castle more than a government building, Louisiana’s Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge is iconic for its distinctive architecture, from its turrets to its colorful stained glass dome. The National Historic Landmark was completed in 1852. During the Civil War, it was occupied by the Union Army and used as a prison and later a garrison before catching fire. It was rebuilt in the 1880s and remained Louisiana’s statehouse until 1932, when the capitol moved to its current location. During the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott, the first bus boycott of the Civil Rights Movement, organizers arranged transportation for Black bus riders on the grounds of the old capitol building. Now a museum, the Old State Capitol houses rotating exhibits covering Louisiana’s history from Colonial days to recent political movements.
Groups can arrange a guided tour of the museum to learn about Louisiana history and the Gothic Revival-style building. Add-ons are available for student groups. The museum’s nearby sister museum, Louisiana Old Governor’s Mansion, explores the state’s political past in more detail.
While You’re Here: The Capitol Park Museum, housed in the current state capitol, features artifacts like Louis Armstrong’s bugle, Mardi Gras paraphernalia and a shrimp boat, making it an excellent study on Louisiana culture. Groups can also visit the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, which includes a planetarium, or the USS KIDD Veterans Museum, which features guided tours of a WWII destroyer ship and an accompanying museum.
Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site
St. Martinville
Named for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1847 epic love poem “Evangeline,” which told the story of two Acadian lovers, Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site is the oldest state park in Louisiana. The park tells the story of Bayou Teche, from the time it was home to Indigenous tribes to present day. The historic site was once part of a large cattle ranch and then an indigo plantation before being bought by a wealthy landowner, who built the property’s signature plantation home. The raised Creole cottage is a great example of the combination of French, Caribbean and Creole architectural influences typical of the region.
Groups can visit the historic site to learn about the cultures and legacies of the many people who lived on the property, from some of the first Acadians to the enslaved people who built the plantation home. Guided tours detail life on the estate, and a small visitors center features additional exhibits about the area and the Evangeline legend.
While You’re Here: When in St. Martin Parish, groups can visit downtown St. Martinville and shop in the historic town of Breaux Bridge. They can take an airboat swamp tour in the Atchafalaya Basin to see Spanish moss-draped cypress trees and meet some of Louisiana’s alligators and other wildlife in their natural habitat.
Vermilionville
Lafayette
Located on 23 acres along Lafayette’s Bayou Vermilion, Vermilionville is a living history museum that preserves and explores the Native American, Creole and Acadian cultures during the 18th and 19th centuries. Costumed artisans and guides demonstrate their crafts, including quilting, woodworking and Acadian music. The village features seven authentic homes and structures dating as far back as 1790, as well as original artifacts, such as furniture, boats, tools and appliances. The structures in the village represent different time periods and different groups of people who once dwelled along the bayou. The village also features a traditional Acadian healer’s garden and a watershed exhibit dedicated to conservation of the area’s ecosystem.
Guided tours of Vermilionville are available, with special rates for groups of 20 or more. The attraction offers add-ons to its tour packages that can enhance each group’s experience, including Cajun cooking classes and dance lessons.
While You’re Here: As the heart of Acadiana, Lafayette has a lot to offer when it comes to Cajun history and culture. It’s also home to LARC’s Acadian Village, a 10-acre re-created Cajun village from the 19th century that features historic structures, artifacts and live demonstrations of Cajun culture.
