• Image of swamp, bayou, and marsh

    Jean Lafitte

    National Historical Park and Preserve Louisiana

The Treasure of Jean Lafitte

In Jean Lafitte's day, silver and gold filled a pirate's treasure chest, but today's treasures are people, places, and memories. Discover the rich cultural mix of New Orleans. Learn Cajun traditions from the people who live them. Stroll along a bayou and watch an alligator bask on the bank. Walk in the footsteps of the men who fought at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

Features

  • Image of ranger talking to visitors

    Park Sites

    Discover the treasures of south Louisiana at six sites of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Click the link to find a treasure!

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  • Men in uniforms and a little boy put flags on national cemetery graves

    Memorial Day at Chalmette National Cemetery

    Honor America's fallen troops with volunteer projects and a Memorial Day ceremony at Chalmette National Cemetery.

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  • Image of drawing of cannon

    The Civil War Comes to Barataria

    How did the Civil War affect life in Louisiana's wetlands? Find out at a special ranger program on Sunday, May 20, at the Barataria Preserve.

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  • Image of floating salvinia plant on dark blue water

    Job Opportunity: Summer 2012 Environmental Steward

    The park is seeking candidates to develop a comprehensive program for the bio-control of giant salvinia (seen in the picture above).

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  • Jean Lafitte Visitor Center sign

    Welcome to New Orleans!

    If you're visiting New Orleans and need a quick review of your delta history and culture, check out the park's French Quarter Visitor Center.

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  • Image of people waving from a boat on a bayou

    It's Cruise Season at the Acadian Cultural Center

    Rivers and bayous were Louisiana's first highways. Cruise Bayou Vermilion in Lafayette and discover the heart of "Cajun country."

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  • Image of exhibit case filled with guitars and other instruments

    Music, Bayous, and Family Fun

    The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux offers Cajun music, French conversation, bayou boat tours, and special programs just for kids.

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  • Image of a spoon stirring a pot of gumbo

    Stir Up a Roux

    If you want to learn to make a fine gumbo, dance Cajun-style, or just enjoy life, waltz on in to the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice.

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  • Image of boys pointing at an exhibit

    Calling All Teachers!

    Field trips for schools and groups at Jean Lafitte share Louisiana nature, culture, and history from animals to zydeco.

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Did You Know?

Two big red, black, and yellow lubber grasshoppers sit on a leaf

Lubber grasshoppers are sometimes known as devil's horses in south Louisiana. They lay their eggs in the fall and prefer loose dirt, so they often lay their eggs in cemeteries. These enormous flightless grasshoppers hatch in spring and spend the summer munching their way through vegetation.