Welcome to Louisiana

Louisiana has the most colorful history of any state and of many countries. Beginning long before the Louisiana Purchase, our state took shape in prehistoric times. We have had a past of many battles, on the battlefield and in the political arena. Our architecture is a lasting impression of French and Spanish rule. Today, there are many reminders of the past in our museums, plantations, historic sites and attractions. Louisiana culture has a rhythm all it’s own—a suite of jazz riffs, zydeco swing, cajun and gospel harmonies. Between the gumbo and the magnolias, you’ll feel our bass line beating from the banks of the Red River to the crescent of the Mississippi, pulsing with the cadence of the streets and the wall of the blues.

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Le Festival de Mardi Gras a Lafayette

Live music grandstand featuring the best in local, regional and national talent, gigantic midway and food. Mardi Gras parades roll through the fairgrounds. Just as the Cajuns and Creoles are known for their fabulous, spicy food, Cajun Country is known for the fabulous spice it adds to the Mardi Gras celebration. In Lafayette, you can celebrate Mardi Gras with parades and special events. Le Festival de Mardi Gras à Lafayette, held Mardi Gras weekend, features rides and games on the carnival midway, live bands on the sound stage, and a prime spot for parade viewing. More about Le Festival de Mardi Gras a Lafayette

The Cypress Bayou Casino

Cypress Bayou Casino/Shorty's offers gaming for every taste, from Live action Poker to High Stakes Indian Bingo to Off Track Betting. There are over 1350 Slots with denominations ranging from penny to twenty five dollars and Table Games feature everything from Double Deck Blackjack to 4 card Poker. Celebrating your winning with live performances by Chicago, Rob Thomas, Gladys Knight, Dolly Parton, Chris Isaac, or Lionel Richie, the list goes on. You don't want to miss out on this great experience! More about The Cypress Bayou Casino

High Delta Safari Park

Experience Northern Louisiana's most picturesque landscape as hundreds of exotic and endangered animal species roam freely as they would in their natural habitats. The safari park provides a sanctuary for animals from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. Due to our highly successful breeding programs of some of the rarest animals in the world, we have been able to increase our herd numbers of each species and provide other sanctuaries throughout the Country with offspring from the animals at High Delta. More about the High Delta Safari Park

Louisiana Birding Trails

Welcome to the America's Wetland Birding Trail along the Louisiana Great Gulf Coast. With landscapes ranging from coastal wetlands to rolling hills and prairies, Louisiana is a natural paradise. The trail's 115 sites will introduce you to a variety of Louisiana's coastal habitats including fresh and saltwater marshes, cheniers, upland pines, cypress-tupelo swamps, bottomland hardwood forests and open meadows, among many others. The trail will guide you to some of the state's most productive natural places along the Great Gulf Coast and will offer ready access to some of the best birding in the country. So, get out your walking shoes and your binoculars, and let the bird count begin. More about the Louisiana Birding Trails

Rip Van Winkle Gardens

Near the southernmost part of Louisiana's delta country lie a series of five wooded "islands" which rise up above the grassy marshlands and prairies that surround them. Jefferson Island is one of the five islands. Lose yourself in a wonderland of flora and fauna, a twenty five-acre semi tropical paradise that captures the senses and cleanses the soul. Discover a year-round explosion of color where irises, magnolias, hibiscus, camellias, azaleas, thousands of springtime bulbs and a breathtaking array of annuals paint a landscape across the Southern sky. More about the Rip Van Winkle Gardens

Noel Acadien au Village

The Acadian Village comes alive the first three weeks of December for Noel Acadien au Village. With over half a million lights and animated displays, Noel Acadien is one of the largest lighting displays in the South. Entertainment includes area musicians, choirs, choruses, bands and much more. Every night kids of all ages can have their photo taken with Santa! Enjoy hot chocolate doing some last minute shopping at our General Store, Art Gallery, Le Magasin au Noel (Christmas store in the Pavilion) or visit the arts and crafts booths set up inside and outside The Pavilion. More about the Noel Acadien au Village

Bayou Lafourche Mardi Gras

A Mardi Gras celebration like no other! Over 15 parades, carnival balls, parties and tableaus take place throughout the three-week event, which brings thousands to Lafourche Parish's Bayou Country each year. For two weeks prior to Mardi Gras Day, the Cajuns celebrate a wholesome, madcap experience enjoyed by all ages. Parades are held in several communities where groups of families and friends get together to eat, drink and enjoy the parades. Family oriented parades have spectators lining the parade routes with picnics, bar-be-ques and seafood boils hours before the first float hits the street. Millions of carnival throws are handed out to all in attendance. Beautiful, colorful costumes and elaborately decorated floats amaze the audiences. Visitors are always welcome to join in the fun! More about the Bayou Lafourche Mardi Gras

Great River Road Plantations

Plantation homes are to Louisiana what the crown jewels are to England-each is a sparkling gem, in an equally spellbinding setting, with a unique story attached. Marked by palatial antebellum estates that define this charming section of the state, Plantation Country is the perfect destination for anyone interested in seeing what life was like back when cotton was king. The history of Louisiana truly comes to life in Plantation Country, located in the Southeastern region of the state. Come wind your way across the Atchafalaya Basin, through the rolling hills of St. Francisville and along the Great River Road that begins just west of New Orleans as you travel back to the 1800's. Each home gives you an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of this fascinating period in history. More about the Great River Road Plantations

Café Du Monde

Here in New Orleans nothing goes better with café au lait than beignets. The Original Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stand was established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market. Whether in the morning or after a late night on the town, no stop to the French Quarter is complete without having a cup of cafe au lait and beignets. Cafe au lait is chicory coffee mixed half-and-half with hot milk. Beignets are those delightful, square, French-style doughnuts, lavishly covered with fine, powdered sugar. No one visits New Orleans and doesn't sip coffee at Cafe du Monde. Now you don't have to make the trip to enjoy the experience. More about the Café Du Monde