Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
In Jean Lafitte's day, silver and gold filled a pirate's treasure chest, but today's treasures are people, places, and memories. Discover New Orleans’ rich cultural mix. Learn Cajun traditions from people who live them. Watch an alligator bask on a bayou’s bank. Walk in the footsteps of the men who fought at 1815’s Battle of New Orleans.
Alerts
- CautionBarataria Visitor Center and Trails are Closed
Because of upcoming demolition and construction of the trails and Visitor Center, all trails at the Barataria Preserve and the Visitor Center are closed, with the exception of Twin Canals Trail. This is a day-use area only with no restrooms. Visitor services are relocated to the Wetlands Education Center and trails at 4917 City Park Drive, Jean Lafitte, 70067.
- CautionAcadian Cultural Center Temporarily Closed
The Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette is temporarily closed due to HVAC issues. Join us at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice for programs and events 5 days a week, Tuesday through Saturday.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
There is no admission fee for our park. Donations are accepted at visitor centers. All programs and events are open to the general public. All programs and events are free unless noted otherwise.
Hours
| Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve | Daily · All Day |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | All Day |
| Nov 11, 2026Veterans Day | Closed |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
| Jan 18, 2027Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Closed |
| Feb 15, 2027Washington's Birthday | Closed |
| May 31, 2027Memorial Day | Closed |
| Jun 19, 2027Juneteenth National Independence Day | Closed |
| Jul 4, 2027Independence Day | Closed |
| Sep 6, 2027Labor Day | Closed |
| Oct 12, 2027Columbus Day | Closed |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and September the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Barataria Preserve ↗Passport stamp
With more than 26,000 acres of wild Louisiana wetlands, the Barataria Preserve's hardwood forest, swamp, bayous, and marsh offer trails, picnic areas, fishing, hunting (in season and with permits), and wildlife viewing.
- Acadian Cultural Center ↗Passport stamp
Permanent and special exhibits, an award-winning film, ranger talks, and programs share the history, customs, language, and contemporary culture of the Acadians who became Louisiana's Cajuns. Admission to the center and to most programs is free.
- Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center ↗Passport stamp
The Acadians who made their home along Louisiana’s bayous created a unique Cajun culture shaped by life on the water. The center shares their stories through a short film, permanent and special exhibits, live music, walking tours of Thibodaux, and boat tours of Bayou Lafourche.
- Prairie Acadian Cultural Center ↗Passport stamp
The Acadian exiles from Canada's Nova Scotia who settled Louisiana's prairies developed a distinctive cultural mix of Cajun, Creole, and cowboy. The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center tells this story through ranger programs, exhibits, and films.
- French Quarter Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Visitor center exhibits and a film share the history and traditions of the lower Mississippi River delta and of New Orleans, home to one of America's most distinctive cultural mixes and rich in food, music, architecture, and more. Free admission.
- Chalmette Battlefield and Chalmette National Cemetery ↗Passport stamp
Site of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, Chalmette Battlefield contains a reconstructed American rampart, an 1830s house, 100-foot-high Chalmette Monument, and outdoor exhibits for self-guided tours. Visitor center films and exhibits share the battle and the site's later history.
Explore
Things to do
- Become a Jean Lafitte B.A.R.K. Ranger10-30 Minutes
Hey dog! Do you want to explore parts of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve with your leash-holding companions? Interested in getting your very own B.A.R.K. Ranger dog tag? We made it easy for your human to help you get one.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit the Park Store
Looking for the perfect souvenir? Visit the Park Store! There's one at each of the park's six sites.
Opens on the Park Service site - Relax in Our Courtyard
Soak in history by taking a break.
Opens on the Park Service site - Discover Native Plants in Our Courtyard
Come discover yet another reason why the Louisiana delta is such a unique place, by visiting our urban collection of native plants!
Opens on the Park Service site - Chalmette National Cemetery Audio Tour30-60 Minutes
This tour of the Chalmette National Cemetery shares a few of the thousands of stories of the men and women buried at the national cemetery, giving a voice to those who can no longer speak.
Opens on the Park Service site - Ask a Ranger: French Quarter
Curious about the French Quarter or New Orleans history? Ask a Ranger!
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 9Hide
- Discover French Quarter Architecture
Take a stroll while you learn about architectural history.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore Natural History at Barataria
Take a stroll through forest, swamp, and marsh on the Barataria Preserve audio tour.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk the Trails at the Barataria Preserve
Want to experience Louisiana's wetlands? Walk the trails at the Barataria Preserve.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Chalmette Battlefield - Battle of New Orleans Talk10/1402:45 PM · runs through Dec 31 · freeChalmette Battlefield 1 Battlefield Road Chalmette, LA 70043
- Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center - Edward Angelloz Exhibition10/1409:30 AM · runs through Oct 31 · freeWetlands Acadian Cultural Center 314 St. Mary Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301
- Barataria Preserve - Wetland Trace Walk10/1401:00 PM · runs through May 27 · freeThis is an offsite program. Meet at trailhead at Wetland Trace at 4917 City Park St, Jean Lafitte, LA 70067
- Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - "Where Y'all At? Post Cards Through the Years"10/1409:30 AM · runs through Oct 31 · free250 Park Ave Eunice, LA 70535
- French Quarter - History Talk10/1410:00 AM · runs through Sep 30 · freeThe French Quarter Visitor Center is located at: 419 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 17030
- Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center - Historic Thibodaux Walking Tour10/1402:00 PM · runs through Dec 30 · freeWetlands Acadian Cultural Center 314 St. Mary St. Thibodaux, LA 70301
Show all 10Hide
- 03:00 PM · freeNational Park Service French Quarter visitor center - 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130. (Near the statue of Bienville.)
- 01:00 PM · freeNational Park Service French Quarter visitor center - 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130. (Near the statue of Bienville.)
- French Quarter - What's Cooking Wednesday Food Demonstration with Chef Dianne Honoré10/1412:00 PM · freeNational Park Service French Quarter visitor center - 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130. (Near the statue of Bienville.)
- Prairie Acaidian Cultural Center - Kitchen Lab: Spooky Slime10/1411:00 AM · free250 Park Ave Eunice, LA 70535
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Junglefowl 3× · American White Pelican 3× · Bald Eagle 2× · Eastern Fox Squirrel 2× · Belted Kingfisher 1× · Swan Goose 1× · Eastern Screech-Owl 1× · Barred Owl 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 262 birds, 29 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · American Swallow-tailed Kite · BALD EAGLE · BARN OWL · BARRED OWL · BLACK VULTURE · BROAD-WINGED HAWK · Cooper's Hawk · EASTERN SCREECH-OWL · Great Horned Owl · MERLIN · MISSISSIPPI KITE · NORTHERN HARRIER · OSPREY · Peregrine Falcon · RED-SHOULDERED HAWK · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAMERICAN COOT · AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN · American Bittern · American Wigeon · BLUE-WINGED TEAL · BROWN PELICAN · Black-bellied Whistling Duck · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Black-necked Grebe · Bufflehead · CATTLE EGRET · COMMON GOLDENEYE · COMMON LOON · DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT · GLOSSY IBIS · GREAT BLUE HERON · GREAT EGRET · GREEN HERON · Greater Scaup · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green-winged Teal · HORNED GREBE · Hooded Merganser · King Rail · Least Bittern · Lesser Scaup · Little Blue Heron · Mottled Duck · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · RUDDY DUCK · Red-breasted Merganser · Reddish Egret · Ring-necked Duck · Ross' Goose · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · TRICOLORED HERON · VIRGINIA RAIL · WHITE IBIS · WOOD DUCK · White-faced Ibis · YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · American Golden Plover · American Woodcock · BLACK SKIMMER · Black Tern · Black Turnstone · Black-bellied Plover · Bonaparte's Gull · CASPIAN TERN · Common Snipe · Common Tern · Dunlin · FORSTER'S TERN · GREATER YELLOWLEGS · Gull-billed Tern · HERRING GULL · KILLDEER · LAUGHING GULL · LEAST SANDPIPER · Least Tern · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Dowitcher · Magnificent Frigatebird · Marbled Godwit · Pectoral Sandpiper · Pomarine Jaeger · RING-BILLED GULL · ROYAL TERN · SEMIPALMATED PLOVER · Sandwich Tern · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Short-billed Dowitcher · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper · WESTERN SANDPIPER · WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER · Wilson's Phalarope
Gamebirds & dovesEurasian Collared Dove · Inca Dove · MOURNING DOVE · ROCK DOVE
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · NORTHERN FLICKER · PILEATED WOODPECKER · Red-bellied Woodpecker · YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Hummingbirds & swiftsBuff-bellied Hummingbird · Chimney Swift · RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD · Rufous Hummingbird
Also on the checklistACADIAN FLYCATCHER · ALDER FLYCATCHER · AMERICAN CROW · AMERICAN PIPIT · AMERICAN ROBIN · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · Anhinga · BALTIMORE ORIOLE · BELTED KINGFISHER · BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER · BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO · BLUE GROSBEAK · BLUE JAY · BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER · BLUE-HEADED VIREO · BROWN THRASHER · BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Black-necked Stilt · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue-winged Warbler · Boat-tailed Grackle · Bobolink · Brewer's Blackbird · Bronzed Cowbird · Brown Creeper · CAROLINA CHICKADEE · CEDAR WAXWING · CERULEAN WARBLER · CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW · CLIFF SWALLOW · COMMON NIGHTHAWK · Canada Warbler · Canvasback · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Wren · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Clay-colored Sparrow · Common Grackle · Common Moorhen · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · EASTERN PHOEBE · EASTERN TOWHEE · EUROPEAN STARLING · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Wood-Pewee · Eurasian Whimbrel · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET · GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER · GRAY CATBIRD · GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER · Gadwall · Gray-cheeked Thrush · Groove-billed Ani · HOUSE SPARROW · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Warbler · House Finch · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · KENTUCKY WARBLER · LEAST FLYCATCHER · LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH · Lark Sparrow · Le Conte's Sparrow · Limpkin · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · MAGNOLIA WARBLER · MALLARD · MARSH WREN · NORTHERN CARDINAL · NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD · NORTHERN PARULA · NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW · NORTHERN SHOVELER · Nashville Warbler · Northern Waterthrush · ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER · ORCHARD ORIOLE · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Ovenbird · PALM WARBLER · PINE WARBLER · PRAIRIE WARBLER · PURPLE GALLINULE · Painted Bunting · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Siskin · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · RED-EYED VIREO · RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Redhead · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Roseate Spoonbill · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rusty Blackbird · SCARLET TANAGER · SEDGE WREN · SONG SPARROW · SUMMER TANAGER · SWAINSON'S THRUSH · Savannah Sparrow · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Sora · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · TENNESSEE WARBLER · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Velvet Scoter · Vesper Sparrow · WINTER WREN · WORM-EATING WARBLER · Warbling Vireo · Western Kingbird · Western Tanager · Whip-poor-will · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Wilson's Warbler · Wood Thrush · YELLOW WARBLER · YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER · YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO · YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT · YELLOW-THROATED VIREO · YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler
Small mammalsBLACK RAT · EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL · EASTERN WOODRAT · HISPID COTTON RAT · HOUSE MOUSE · MARSH RICE RAT · MUSKRAT · NORWAY RAT · SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL · SWAMP RABBIT · White-footed Deermouse
Marine mammalsBottlenose Dolphin
PredatorsA RIVER OTTER · BOBCAT · COMMON RACCOON · COYOTE · MINK
Hoofed mammalsWHITE-TAILED DEER
BatsBRAZILIAN FREE-TAILED BAT · EASTERN PIPISTRELLE · EASTERN RED BAT · EVENING BAT · NORTHERN YELLOW BAT · RAFINESQUE'S BIG-EARED BAT · SOUTHEASTERN MYOTIS
Also on the checklistFERAL HOG · NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO · NUTRIA · VIRGINIA OPOSSUM
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
All of the temperatures listed are in degrees Fahrenheit. Note that relative humidity, especially in summer months, can reach 90%, so temperatures can feel 10-20 degrees hotter than the actual temperature. Spring (March, April, May): average high 77 and low 61. Summer (June, July, August): average high 89 and low 75. Fall (September, October, November): average high 78 and low 64. Winter (December, January, February): average high 64 and low 48.
Questions people ask
Does Jean Lafitte charge an entrance fee?
No. Jean Lafitte is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Jean Lafitte open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Jean Lafitte right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Barataria Visitor Center and Trails are Closed; Acadian Cultural Center Temporarily Closed.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Jean Lafitte?
226,543 recreation visits in 2025, number 167 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Jean Lafitte?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Jean Lafitte?
All of the temperatures listed are in degrees Fahrenheit. Note that relative humidity, especially in summer months, can reach 90%, so temperatures can feel 10-20 degrees hotter than the actual temperature.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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