Welcome to Louisiana's Cajun Country
Located in the South Central region of Louisiana and stretching across the Gulf of Mexico is the haunting and mystical area known as Cajun Country. The French Canadians settled into this area, permanently changing both the culture and landscape of Louisiana. In Cajun Country, you'll discover breath-taking bayous, dance to the Cajun & Zydeco music beat, and eat a bit of crawfish to boot! When you're ready for a Cajun Country Louisiana Bed and Breakfast experience which is rich in culture, the B&B innkeepers are ready to receive you.
B&B's in Cajun Country
Cajun Country Cottages - Breaux Bridge, La.
Country Charm Bed and Breakfast - Breaux Bridge, La.
Crawfish Haven/Mrs. Rose's Bed and Breakfast - Kaplan, La.
Ducote-Williams House - Abbeville, La.
Maison d'Memoire Bed & Breakfast Cottages- Rayne, La.
Maison Mouton Bed and Breakfast - Lafayette, La.
Maison Stephanie - Arnaudville, La.
The Caldwell House - Abbeville, La.
Landmarks, Historic Homes, Attractions
Oaklawn Manor
3296 E Oaklawn Dr, Franklin, LA 70538
(337) 828-0434
Oaklawn Manor is a plantation house located on the Bayou Teche in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, just outside of Franklin. The house was built by Alexander Porter about 1837. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the residence of Louisiana's former governor, Murphy J. (Mike) Foster.
Southdown Plantation
1208 Museum Dr, Houma, LA 70360
(985) 851-0154
Southdown Plantation is a historic southern home in Houma, Terrebonne Parish, La. It is a 19th century sugar plantation manor house, filled with antiquities and historical items. Fully-guided tours of the House and Slaves Quarters are available. Self-guided tours of our Workers' Cabin also available.
Acadian Village
200 Greenleaf Dr, Lafayette, LA 70506
(337) 981-2364
Acadian Village is a recreation of a typical 1800s Cajun village. It was created to serve three purposes: To preserve a piece of early Acadian heritage, to raise funds to help offset government cuts to the program, and to provide employment for LARC clients.
Vermilionville Historic Village
300 Fisher Rd, Lafayette, LA 70508
(337) 233-4077
The Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park is one of the world's largest physical representations of an early Acadian settlement. Situated on a 23-acre site, the seven restored original homes and structures date from 1765 to 1890. Local artisans demonstrate a variety of essential crafts performed by the early settlers.
Children's Museum of Acadiana
201 E Congress St, Lafayette, LA 70501
(337) 232-8500
The museum provides a range of hands-on, interactive exhibits which are designed to teach children about crafts & give them practical knowledge.
Lafayette Science Museum
433 Jefferson St, Lafayette, LA 70501
(337) 291-5544
Through interactive exhibits exploring paleontology, marine biology and geology, this museum is a playful portal into a vast universe of discovery. It offers a great hands-on experience for all ages, with exhibits designed to enlighten and educate. It also offers a planetarium.
International Petroleum Museum & Exposition, Inc.
111 1st St, Morgan City, LA 70380
(985) 384-3744
The International Petroleum Museum and Exposition serves to gather, save, preserve, and interpret artifacts and information about the offshore petroleum industry as well as educate the public concerning the impact and significance of this Cajun-born industry upon the rest of the world. It strives to point out the significance of the offshore oil and gas industry and its effect on the local area, the state, the nation and the world.
Shadows on the Teche
317 E Main St, New Iberia, LA 70560
(337) 369-6446
Shadows-on-the-Teche is a 3,750 square feet historic house and garden located in New Iberia, Louisiana. Built in 1834 for a sugarcane planter, the National Historic Landmark is currently owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Whitney Plantation
5099 LA-18, Edgard, LA 70049
The Whitney Plantation Historic District is an interesting museum devoted to slavery in the Southern United States. The district, including the main house and outbuildings, is preserved in Edgard, near Wallace, in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, on the River Road along the Mississippi River.
Events & Festivals
Giant Omelette Celebration
Abbeville, La.
According to legend, when Napoleon and his army were traveling through the south of France, they decided to rest for the night near the town of Bessieres. Napoleon feasted on an omelette prepared by a local innkeeper which was such a culinary delight that he ordered the townspeople to gather all the eggs in the village and to prepare a huge omelette for his army the next day. To commemorate this event, on the Sunday of this festival, a 5,000 egg omelette is prepared in a 12’ skillet and is passed out free to the hungry audience, along with a slice of French bread. It is a symbol of a world-wide fraternity, rich in friendship, tradition and cultural exchange, known as the Confrerie. Abbeville is the only place where this festival takes place in the United States. South Louisiana music, a juried art show and more takes place during the weekend, which is held on the first full weekend in November.
(Paul Kieu Photography)
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival
Breaux Bridge, La.
The Crawfish Festival began in 1960 and celebrates one of the most important crustaceans in our area, the crawfish, in Breaux Bridge, the Crawfish Capital of the World! The festival features music and dancing with over 30 local Cajun, Zydeco & Swamp Pop bands, foods featuring crawfish prepared in many ways, an art & craft show and more.
Gueydan Duck Festival
Gueydan, La.
This festival, which began in 1977, highlights the hunting heritage of the Acadiana region. There are many activities held during the festival, including a parade, pageant, cooking contest, duck-calling contest and more.
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles
Lafayette, La.
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is a three-day festival celebrating the music, workshops, art & crafts, and food of South Louisiana. It is held annually in in October in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Shrimp & Petroleum Festival
Morgan City, La.
This 5-day festival honors the two industries, shrimp and petroleum, that built the South Louisiana community! It features an art & craft show, music & dancing, South Louisiana cuisine, a parade, fireworks and more. The festival takes place annually during Labor Day weekend.
Courir de Mardi Gras
Communities of French Louisiana, west of Lafayette
The Courir de Mardi Gras is a traditional Mardi Gras event held in many Cajun and Creole communities of French Louisiana on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It includes a parades, music & dancing, a chicken run and more. Courir de Mardi Gras is Louisiana French for "Fat Tuesday Run".
(Herb Roe Photographer)
Nature
Lake Martin
Breaux Bridge
Lake Martin is a wildlife preserve and one of Louisiana's swamplands. It is home to a few trails as well as many different kinds of animals such as herons, egrets, ibis, bullfrogs, cottonmouths, alligators, and coypu rats.
McGees Louisiana Swamp & Airboat Tours
Breaux Bridge
McGee's Swamp Tours immerses guests into Louisiana's beautiful, vast, and mysterious Atchafalaya Swamp. It offers swamp tours and airboat rides that are entertaining, eco-sensitive and educational to people from around the world.
Zoosiana
Broussard, La.
The zoo was established in 1992 to provide children and families in and around the Acadiana area with an enjoyable experience. Its purpose is to educate about our planet’s wildlife, as well as provide for the animals which call Zoosiana home.
Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum
Houma
Offers eye-catching displays and interactive panels which introduce visitors to the industries, traditions, and personal stories that collectively comprise the unique South Louisiana culture!
Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge
Southwest of Houma
Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1996 and is located in Terrebonne Parish, 5 miles southwest of Houma, Louisiana. The 4,619-acre refuge is composed of freshwater marsh and cypress-tupelo swamp. It provides habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, and neotropical songbirds.
Note: Access is by boat only and foot travel is extremely difficult due to the soft marsh environment.
Paddling Trails
Morgan City
If you enjoy kayaking or canoeing, come and explore the natural beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp, the largest overflow swamp in the United States. Enjoy moss-draped cypress trees, majestic oaks, over 170,000 acres of designated wildlife management areas and an abundance of bird and animal life along our secluded waterways.
State Parks
Palmetto Island State Park
South of Abbeville, La.
Palmetto Island State Park's very name hints at the untamed wildness you can expect in this southern corner of the state. Palmettos, those shaggy, tropical trees found all over the swamps, grow alongside tall cypress and other Louisiana native plants.
Cypremort Point State Park
Cypremort, La.
A half-mile stretch of a man-made beach provides a delightful area for relaxing, picnicking and enjoying the water. It also affords an opportunity for fishing, crabbing, water skiing, windsurfing and, of course, sailing.
Lake Fausse Point State Park
St. Martinville, La.
Lake Fausse Pointe State Park occupies a 6,000-acre site in the Atchafalaya Basin. Fishing, boating and canoeing opportunities abound. Located at the edge of a beautiful water wilderness, it is also a perfect point from which to explore the natural and cultural heritage of South Louisiana.
