Scattered across south Louisiana, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve contains six sites that represent a treasure trove of the region’s historical and cultural riches. People from nearly every country, ethnic group, language, and region came to the lower Mississippi River Delta and left traces of their presence. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park celebrates these rich living histories, cultures, and communities.
Each unique in its focus, the park’s six sites share the story of a place where change is the only constant. Sites like Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, and the French Quarter Visitor Center celebrate the vibrant community and culture of the region, telling the stories of the origins, migration, settlement, and contemporary culture of the Acadians (Cajuns) and other area groups. Chalmette Battlefield honors the last great battle of the War of 1812, in which Andrew Jackson led a hastily assembled army of sharpshooters, freedmen, buccaneers, and other non-professional soldiers, to a decisive victory. And Barataria Preserve and the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center offer an intimate look at Louisiana’s wetlands, including bayous, swamps, marshes, and forests.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve explores and celebrates the variety of south Louisiana’s history, culture, and landscape. As William Faulkner wrote, “the past is never dead. It’s not even past.” In south Louisiana, look around every corner and down every bayou and you’ll find reverence for past generations and progress for the future.
Produced by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation, this exciting video invites you to #FindYourPark / #EncuentraTuParque and to stand where our heroes stood.
