7 Things To Do in Lafayette, Louisiana – Our Favorite Recommendations

Situated west of Baton Rouge on I-10, Lafayette is true Cajun country. From the food, and the people (descended from the Acadians, many who speak French) to the French names and streets, Lafayette’s French inspired Cajun history is everywhere. Following is a list of our recommendations of things to do and places to visit in this Southern Louisiana town, just 2 1/2 hours from New Orleans.

1. Vermilionville Historic Village; Acadian History Museum:

We discovered this museum as a Harvest Host destination and we are so glad we did. It is the Vermilionville village showcasing buildings, history and the Acadian peoples way of life; who they are, where they came from and how they lived.

We were fortunate on the day we visited that several docents were there, dressed in historical outfits, ready to share historical and very interesting information on various activities including: weaving textiles, wood carving, Cajun music and basket weaving. They were great and most spoke French, which Eric especially appreciated. (Although, they also spoke English for the non-French visitors.:) )

We recommend visiting the museum first on your trip, so you have a real feel for the history and culture of the Acadian/Cajon people.

2. Downtown Lafayette:

The quiet, quaint downtown is perfect for strolling for an afternoon. Check out some of the shops and café’s while you enjoy the old buildings and streets. We visited a French bakery, Poupart’s, to buy our official ‘King Cake’. It’s the cake of Mardi Gras so, of course, we had to try it. Puff pastry with an almond paste filling….delightful!.

A definite highlight we recommend is the 911 Memorial. It is a moving tribute to the 3000+ lives lost that day from the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and all the flights. The large structure utilizes two 13ft girders from Ground Zero and highlights the times that each tower fell, the time the Pentagon was hit and the times of each of the plane crashes. It is a sad but poignant reminder of September 11, 2001.

The 911 Memorial in Lafayette, Louisiana

3. The French Press Restaurant:

Although there are several good restaurants in the town, including Cajun ones, our visit to the French Press was delightful. The atmosphere is urban rustic with the walls in ‘crumbling’ plaster, decorated with antique printing press boxes and the bar was made from large iron girders. Very cool!

And the food, of course, is delicious! Real Cajun flair. Try their ‘Boudin Po Boy’ (a Cajun Favorite) Boudin is a traditional Cajun sausage with rice. You’ll see signs advertising it everywhere along with ‘Cracklin’. But this sandwich takes the Boudin and adds cheese and Praline Bacon on a toasted French bread…intense!

Another must try is the Cajun Benedict, an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ take on the traditional French egg dish. They serve poached eggs over Boudin and French bread, then smother all of it in Andouille sausage gumbo and topped with fried shrimp. Wow!

4. Girard Park Recreation Center:

After your big meal at the French Press, some open air and a nice walk will be just the ticket. Head to Girard Recreation Center; a nice city park with expanses of grass to walk or take a nap along with gravel pathways if its wet. There’s also picnic tables and even tennis courts if you’re so inclined.

The park is a quiet, peaceful place to relax for an hour or so before the next adventure or discovery.

5. Bayou Teche Brewing:

We discovered this brewery just outside of Lafayette as part of the Harvest Host program. And we were so glad we did. First, Carlos, the owner is incredibly hospitable and kind. It’s a bit of a drive to get there and it seems so way out in the country, it’s hard to imagine a big brewery out here. But it’s totally worth the little bit of beautiful, country driving to get here. The beer is great. We especially liked the Acadie French Farmhouse ale. They have wood-fired pizzas (which unfortunately we didn’t get to try) and music on certain nights. This place is a must on your visit to Lafayette. They also sell in local liquor stores…just in case you want to try some without visiting. 😉

The next two recommendations are not in Lafayette proper, but they are so worth a visit, we couldn’t leave them off our list. And they are just a short drive away.

6. Tabasco Factory in Avery Island:

It’s worth a trip to see where all the Tabasco is made. And especially to be able to taste all the different flavors, different than the original, that you can’t find in stores. Our favorite? Definitely the Smoky Chipotle Tabasco. It’s great on anything….

7. Bayou Rum at The Louisiana Distillery:

This may be last on the list, but I’d say it’s first as far as a unique and wonderful stop. Just one hour west on I-10, it is definitely worth the drive. Beautiful place, great staff, awesome tasting room and the rum?…YUM! They offer 3 tastings per person, but as there were 2 of us, we were able to taste all 5 of their rums. Plus the nice gentleman doing the tasting even offered their Bayou XO Mardi Gras Select. We liked them all, but especially the Spiced Rum (the most versatile); the bourbon barrel aged Select Rum (Is it rum or bourbon? You decide.); the Satsuma (more of a mixing liquor type but would be great over ice as well); and finally the Coffee Rum (oh my gosh!, so good and so unique.) Ok, so that was all of them except the white rum, (which is also good but not as outstanding as the rest), so, yes, we loved their rum. 😉

We left with several bottles, two of the coffee as it’s only available at the tasting room. The rest of the rums are distributed in 44 states, so if you can’t make it to Lafayette, at least try to find Bayou Rum in your liquor store. Definitely a winner!

So that’s our fun recommendations for Lafayette, LA. Hopefully, you’ll get a chance to experience this true Cajun town. And please comment and let us know if you have a favorite place to visit we did not include in our list.

As always, thanks for reading and remember, ‘Someday….is Today’.

If you like our blog, please subscribe and be notified when we post new content. We promise not to spam you. 😉