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⚜️ Louisiana Things to do
43
items 🏡 My current home state. This list is an ongoing collection of places we’ve explored while living in Louisiana — local favorites, day trips, and new finds as we go.
Map
Sections
7
🌿 Outdoor & Scenic
🏛️ History & Culture
🍴 Food & Drinks
🛍️ Shopping & Wandering
🎭 Fun & Unique
🎡 Attractions & Entertainment
🌿 Outdoor & Scenic
There are Pelican Statues all over the town. Soo fun to look for them. There are some cute shops to browse in.
Slidell, Louisiana
This is Louisiana's only cave. It's small but if in the area worth the visit. It is known to be haunted. I've been several times. Havn't experienced anything strange though. There is a geocache hidden here.
Wolf Rock Cave and Historical Marker
If you love peaches this is a fun stop. Get some peach soft serve. Peach lemonade and even peach fudge.
Mitcham Farms LLC
My kids take riding lessons here. The coach also offers trail rides for those that just want to go horseback riding
Weaver Ranch
We have visited this park several times. We always have such a great time here.
Gator Country Louisiana
Beautiful lakeside spot with well-kept cabins and easy access to Toledo Bend Lake. Great place to relax, fish, or enjoy a quiet getaway surrounded by nature.
Toledo Bend Army Recreation Park - Fort Polk MWR
A quiet, low-key stop with a very small aquarium. Interesting to see briefly, but it’s more of a quick visit than a destination. We chose not to walk the ponds and didn’t feel like we missed much—best as a short add-on if you’re already nearby.
Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery
Great first stop for the Creole Nature Trail. We stopped here to get information on the 180-mile scenic drive. The staff was helpful and shared that fall and spring are the best times to go. A fun, informative stop before exploring Louisiana’s outbac...
Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point
One of our favorite Louisiana state parks—we’ve been several times now. Beautiful scenery with trails, kayaking, camping, and a great kids’ nature trail. Perfect for a family day trip, especially when the weather cools down.
Sam Houston Jones State Park
Such a pretty place to walk around. The views of the water are beautiful, the paths are well maintained, and it’s a peaceful spot to stretch your legs or just enjoy the scenery.
Lakefront Promenade | Lake Charles, LA
🏛️ History & Culture
Absolutely Fantastic museum. It's a small museum lots of reading to do. Young children may not enjoy it as much as adults. Real artifacts. The Cafe next door where they had their last meal was closed when we went. I will be returning to take my paren...
Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum, Gibsland, Louisiana
The city of Rayne Louisiana has frog Statues outside of soo many businesses and they are adorable. There are some nice antique shops here and an adorable candy shop called Candyland Cottage
Rayne, Louisiana
If you love to visit old cemeteries add this to your bucket list. It's a small cemetery. Alot of history and one of the coolest I've ever seen. A geocache is supposed to be hidden here. But we had no luck finding it.
Talbert-Pierson Cemetery Grave Houses
Such a beautiful concert venue
Louisiana Grandstand
A beautiful plantation. A John Wayne movie was filmed here
Oakland Plantation
This jail had the first in jail execution. It is haunted. Every Halloween they do a Haunted House. You can go on a lantern tour at night. Sometimes ghost investigators will be there and they do sleepovers.
Gothic Jail
A charming and nostalgic museum filled with vintage and collectible dolls. Small but thoughtfully curated, and a fun stop for families or anyone who loves classic Americana.
Lois Loftin Doll Museum
Great railroad museum with restored train cars and local rail history. Kid-friendly, interactive, and an easy stop if you’re in the area.
DeQuincy Railroad Museum
🍴 Food & Drinks
Great for gambling and if you don't the pools and the lazy river are amazing. My husband gambles while the kids and I swim. The resort is fantastic. Great stores including a sweet shop here.
Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino
A casual, local spot that’s easy to enjoy with kids. Good comfort food and a relaxed atmosphere—perfect for a laid-back meal while exploring Natchitoches. Not fancy, but a solid stop when you want something simple and family-friendly.
Mayeaux's Nakatosh Deli & Pub | Natchitoches LA
A fun dessert stop if you love rotating flavors and warm, oversized cookies. Crumbl changes its menu weekly, so there’s always something new to try, and it’s an easy, quick treat stop while out exploring Lake Charles.
Crumbl
Really good food in a classic New Orleans setting. This is a great spot for traditional Creole dishes, and yes — you can get turtle soup here, which is a true New Orleans staple.
The Court of Two Sisters
A New Orleans classic. Fresh, hot beignets covered in powdered sugar paired with great coffee — especially the café au lait. Simple, iconic, and always hits the spot.
Cafe Du Monde
🛍️ Shopping & Wandering
This candy store is a must stop while visiting the city of Rayne
Candyland Cottage & Ice Cream Shoppe | Scott & Rayne, LA
This candy shop is loved by kids and adults. It is soo unique. Fun photo apps. They have an old coin operated kid ride from McDonald's that still works and the kids can ride it. You can even paint pottery here.
Mr. Clint’s
Such a fun shopping area. Bulldog Statues all over the town. Make good photo ops
Antique Alley
We visited during the annual spring festival, which made this stop even more fun. A classic roadside spot for pecans, sweets, and Louisiana-made treats, with a festive, family-friendly vibe during events. Easy to enjoy with kids and great for local s...
Little Eva Pecan Company-Natchitoches Pecans
Established in 1863, this is Louisiana’s oldest general store and a fun stop while walking through downtown Natchitoches. Packed with old-fashioned goods, toys, gifts, and nostalgic finds, it’s especially enjoyable with kids and makes for a great bro...
Kaffie-Frederick Inc.
A colorful, photo-worthy alley in Olde Towne Slidell with bright umbrellas suspended overhead. It’s a fun, walkable art spot that makes a perfect stop while exploring local shops, murals, and cafés nearby.
Great for quick photos, casual strolling, an...
Antique Umbrella Alley
A nice place to shop while you’re already downtown. It’s right on the river, easy to walk through, and a good break from the heat or rain while still staying close to the action.
Riverwalk Outlets
🎭 Fun & Unique
Very cool store and they do tours. I didn't get a chance to do one. So I'll be back for the tour. I was super excited to find a geocache by accident here.
Duck Commander
There are a several events year round here at the fairgrounds including a Mardi Gras, Harvest and Watermelon Festival
Beauregard Parish Fair Grounds
Soo many fun events here all years long. We love the children's mardi gras festival. Park here for the mardi gras parades.
Lake Charles Event Center
We went to the very first Big Foot Festival. We had a great time. I hope next time the vendors have more merchandise. But it was a trial run
Natchitoches Louisiana Bigfoot Festival
CM Farms has a fantastic pumpkin patch. The kids could spend all day here with the amount of activities they have
CM Farms - Louisiana Easter, Strawberry Picking and Fall Events
🎡 Attractions & Entertainment
We absolutely love this park. We get to feed soo many animals.
Gone Wild Safari
We love this zoo. You can feed fish and birds here. Great lunch area. They have Christmas lights at the zoo and trick or treating during the holidays
Alexandria Zoological Park
Had a fantastic time here with all the animal encounters. I have also been here for the pumpkin patch which is also amazing fun.
Magnolia Wilds Adventure Park
Visiting Louisiana or maybe you live here. You can hold baby Gators here for free. I take the kids whenever we are in the area. We love it
Hold A Gator | The Gator Chateau - Jeff Davis Parish
Hands-on science museum that’s perfect for kids and school groups. We spent hours exploring interactive exhibits and watched a dome star show at the IMAX theater. Educational, engaging, and a great stop for families.
Sci-Port Discovery Center
Fun drive-through Christmas light show that’s perfect with kids. Easy to enjoy from the car, lots of festive displays, and a relaxed way to get into the holiday spirit without crowds. The kids loved it, and it made for a fun seasonal evening out.
Christmas On The Ranch
wrestling show with tons of crowd interaction. The matches were hilarious, loud, and full of personality — definitely more about fun and spectacle than traditional wrestling. A unique night out if you’re looking for something different and memorable ...
MICRO WRESTLING | Action-Packed - High-Flying | Professional Wrestling ...
👉 Cities, Towns & Walkable Areas
Walking downtown Natchitoches along the Cane River is such a charming experience. Cute shops, historic buildings, river views, and a relaxed pace that’s perfect for families or a casual afternoon stroll.
Cane River National Heritage Area