Louisiana Jean Lafitte Historical Park map and highlights

Jean  Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve In southern Louisiana,  between Eunice and New Orleans. Short description of the Jean Lafitte  National Historical Park & Preserve.     

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve in southern Louisiana, between Eunice and New Orleans.     

The rich history of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta is the  focus of this diverse parks many sectors. Relics of Acadian history and  culture are on exhibit at the Lafayette, Thibodaux, and Eunice sites,  while boardwalks meander through the forest, swampland, and marshy  environments of the Barataria Preserve near Crown Point, just south of  New Orleans. Chalmette Battlefield was the site of the 1815 Battle of  New Orleans, and Chalmette National Cemetery holds the graves of  veterans from the Civil to the Vietnam wars. The visitor center, smack  in the New Orleans French Quarter, follows the history and culture of  the city and the Mississippi Delta. The Chalmette Monument and Grounds,  established in 1907, was transferred to the Park Service in 1933,  renamed a national historical park in 1939, and incorporated into Jean  Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve in 1978.     

WHAT TO SEE & DO     

Attending cultural demonstrations and educational programs,  canoeing, hiking, touring grounds, battlefields, and cemetery.  Facilities: 6 visitor centers: Acadian (501 Fisher Rd., Lafayette),  Prairie Acadian (250 W. Park Ave., Eunice), Wetlands Acadian (314 St.  Mary St., Thibodaux), Barataria (on Rte. 45, near Crown Point, 17 mi  south of New Orleans), Chalmette (St. Bernard Hwy, Chalmette), and  French Quarter (419 Decatur St., New Orleans); movies, self-guided  tours, hiking trails. Bookstores at each site. Programs & Events:  Acadian: film 9-4, hourly; Prairie Acadian: demonstrations Sat. 3-6,  live music Sat. 6 pm-8 pm; Wetlands Acadian: music Mon. 5:30 pm-7 pm;  Barataria: natural-history walks daily at 2, group walks (reservation  only), canoe trips Sat. 9:30 am (reservation only), full-moon canoe  trips (reservation only); Chalmette: battle talks daily 11:15 and 2:45,  living-history demonstrations (Mar-May and Oct. and Nov., Sat. 10-3),  Battle of New Orleans anniversary (2nd Sat., Jan.); French Quarter:  walking tours (daily at 9:30), folklife demonstrations (Sat. 11-3). All  sites have films shown on request. Tips & Hints: Visit in spring and  fall for best weather; summer is hot and humid. Watch for fire ants at  Chalmette Battlefield, snakes and alligators at Barataria Preserve.  Busiest Mar., Apr., and Oct.; least crowded July-Sept, and Dec. and Jan.     

LODGING     

Camping: None in park. Near Barataria Preserve: Bayou Segnette  State Park (7777 Westbank Expressway, Westwego, tel. 504/736-7140; 98  sites; $12; flush toilets, showers, hook-ups). Near Chalmette  Battlefield: St. Bernard State Park (St. Bernards Pkwy., Braithwaite,  tel. 504/ 682-2101; 51 sites; $12; flush toilets, showers, hook-ups). S  Hotels: None in park. In Eunice: Best Western (1531 W. Laurel Ave., tel.  337/ 457-2800 or 800/962-8423; 35 rooms; $69-$79).     

FEES & HOURS     

Free. Acadian open daily 8-5; Prairie open Tues.-Fri. 8-5, Sat.  8-6; Wetlands open Fri.-Sun. 9-5, Mon. 9-8, Tues.-Thurs. 9-6;  Barataria, Chalmette, and French Quarter open daily 9-5. All sites  except Prairie Acadian Cultural Center closed Mardi Gras.     

HOW TO GET THERE     

Between Eunice and New Orleans via 210 mi of 1-10 and U.S. 90.  Closest airports: Lafayette (lA mi from Acadian Cultural Center), New  Orleans (10 mi from French Quarter Visitor Center).     

CONTACTS     

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (419 Decatur  St., New Orleans, LA 70130, tel. 504/589-3882, fax 504/589-3851, ).  Acadian Cultural Center (501 Fisher Rd., Lafayette, LA 70508-2033, tel.  337/232-0789); Barataria Preserve (6588 Barataria Blvd., Marrero, LA  70072, tel. 504/589-2330); Chalmette Battlefield (8606 St. Bernard Hwy.,  Chalmette, LA 70043, tel. 504/281-0510); New Orleans Metropolitan  Convention & Visitors Bureau (2020 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA  70130, tel. 800/672-6124 or 504/566-5011, ); French Quarter Visitor  Center (419 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 70130, tel. 504/589-2636);  Prairie Acadian Cultural Center (250 W. Park Ave., Eunice, LA 70535,  tel. 337/ 457-8499); Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center (314 St. Mary St.,  Thi-bodaux, LA 70301, tel. 504/448-1375).   

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve In southern  Louisiana, between Eunice and New Orleans. Short description of the Jean  Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve