At the understated, educational Acadian Village, you follow a brick path around a rippling bayou to restored houses, craftsman barns and a church. Old-timers sometimes still hang out here, regaling visitors with Cajun songs and stories from days gone by. The village becomes a Christmas light extravaganza in December, when it is open every evening, weather permitting.
Acadian Village
Cajun Country
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
6.36 MILES
This tranquil, recreated 19th-century Cajun village wends along the bayou near the airport. Friendly, enthusiastic costumed docents explain Cajun, Creole…
11.7 MILES
This lake – a mossy green dollop surrounded by thin trees and cypress trunks – serves as a wonderful, easily accessible introduction to bayou landscapes…
21.45 MILES
In 1890 Tabasco founder EA McIlhenny started this bird sanctuary on Avery Island. At Jungle Gardens you can drive or walk through 250 acres of moss…
21.71 MILES
Driving here feels a bit like entering Oz. After stopping and waiting for the gate to lift, you drive onto Avery Island – which isn’t really an island,…
20.49 MILES
This grand, Gothic Greek Revival plantation house sits on the banks of – you guessed it – Bayou Teche, a geographic location that adds to its eerie,…
Prairie Acadian Cultural Center
29.06 MILES
This NPS-run museum has exhibits on rural life and Cajun culture, and shows a variety of documentaries explaining the history of the area. It's the…
Cajun Music Hall of Fame & Museum
29.01 MILES
This small collection of instruments and cultural ephemera feels a little cluttered, but you're witnessing a pretty fascinating trove of material Cajun…
Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center
24.7 MILES
Squatting sleepily alongside Hwy 49, Opelousas' historic downtown is home to this grandma's attic of exhibits, artifacts and esoterica related to the town…
Nearby Cajun Country attractions
1. Children's Museum of Acadiana
5.59 MILES
Lafayette's children's museum is a pretty good spot to kill half a day with younger kids. There's a TV studio, fake dentist office (yay?), bubble 'factory…
6.36 MILES
This tranquil, recreated 19th-century Cajun village wends along the bayou near the airport. Friendly, enthusiastic costumed docents explain Cajun, Creole…
6.4 MILES
This National Parks Service museum has extensive exhibits on Cajun culture and is a good entry point for those looking to peer deeper into Acadian…
11.7 MILES
This lake – a mossy green dollop surrounded by thin trees and cypress trunks – serves as a wonderful, easily accessible introduction to bayou landscapes…
20.49 MILES
This grand, Gothic Greek Revival plantation house sits on the banks of – you guessed it – Bayou Teche, a geographic location that adds to its eerie,…
21.45 MILES
In 1890 Tabasco founder EA McIlhenny started this bird sanctuary on Avery Island. At Jungle Gardens you can drive or walk through 250 acres of moss…
21.71 MILES
Driving here feels a bit like entering Oz. After stopping and waiting for the gate to lift, you drive onto Avery Island – which isn’t really an island,…
8. Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center
24.7 MILES
Squatting sleepily alongside Hwy 49, Opelousas' historic downtown is home to this grandma's attic of exhibits, artifacts and esoterica related to the town…