Lafayette, Louisiana

Lafayette is the parish seat of Lafayette Parish. The city is located in south central Louisiana, 58 miles (93 kilometers) west of Baton Rouge, 135 miles (217 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans, and 218 miles (351 kilometers) east of Houston. The community was founded in 1821, and its economy was originally agriculture-based, but today includes oil and gas and tourism.

The parish is one of the 22 that make up Acadiana, and one of the first things you can enjoy in Lafayette is its proud Acadian culture. For an introduction, visit Acadian Village, with replica Acadian homes from the 1800s. Or check out the artifacts and the home of Lafayette founder, Jean Mouton. And don't neglect to head to the Jean Lafitte National Park Acadian Cultural Center, which is one of the six sites that make up the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. (Of course, some would say that you'll learn all you need to know by enjoying some great Cajun and Creole cuisine!)

Lafayette is also a place that knows how to host a festival! A few you can enjoy are April's Festival International de Louisiane (the largest Francophone festival in the USA), September's Zydeco Music Festival, October's Festivals Acadiens, and fall Friday nights' Downtown Alive! (And of course, Mardi Gras goes without saying!)

For more culture, you can attend performances of the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, or those hosted by the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana and The Heymann Center. You can also visit the many galleries that are part of the Lafayette Art Association. And your kids will enjoy the Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium.

When you want some exercise, spend some time hiking at Acadiana Park Nature Station, in the northeast corner of town. You can also try out the local golf courses. And why not go a bit further afield and enjoy a state park, such as Cypremort Point State Park, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south on Vermilion Bay of the Gulf Coast.

There's a lot for you in Lafayette – including the historical, the entertaining, and the tasty!

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