20 Fun Things To Do In Lafayette Louisiana

1. Taste Seafood At Half Shell House Of Lafayette

If you love to enjoy seafood, then you can visit the Half Shell Oyster House of Lafayette. It is known for its southern hospitality of fresh seafood like raw oysters in a half shell and grilled oysters with the topping of garlic and parmesan cheese.

Eat gulf shrimp, which is served with cheesy grits with cajun cream sauce, and redfish with gulf shrimp topped with creamy parmesan sauce.

Different items, like fried oysters with French bread, classic sandwiches, fried shrimp with a taste of tomato, lettuce, and remoulade, red beans with rice, and end lime pie or a bread pudding in traditional southern bread pudding as a dessert.

2. Experience Traditional Pamplona Tapas Bar & Grill

Enjoy a traditional cajun cuisine known as the mecca of cajun perfectly served daily with delight in the happy hours at Pamplona Tapas Bar.

You will get a meal that serves you exquisitely refined dishes in a variety of flavors of traditional Spanish food with influences of French, Italian, and North African. The meals are served farm fresh organic products, fresh meats, and seafood in small plates, or tapas.

If you go to the bar, you will be offered mixologists of fresh juices, homemade tinctures, bitters, and syrups, including absinthe, A unique experience with the blend of flavors at a tapas bar.

4. Experience Traditional Native American Lifestyle At Vermilionville Village

Vermilion is a historic village rich in cultural diversity, this village is a living historical museum, and one can find stations and lifestyles of native American and Acadian communities, that have been in habitat from the 18th to 20th centuries.

Visitors will observe the Native people's influence and culture in this area, a showcase of the Acadian way of life, and the traditional way of adapting to the environment. Music and dance are a part of the culture of Vermilionville natives. You can also take part in live performances by locals in traditional Cajun and Creole music.

Special festivals and social events are also organized to engage visitors. For instance, taking part in cooking classes, seasonal celebrations or just being in workshops to make local and natural products.

3. Enjoy Some Local Crawfish

Lafayette is known as the home of crawfish. You will find several stalls and restaurants so enjoying crawfish is not just a meal, but a cultural experience over local and traditional food, boiling crawfish is available in most shops and restaurants so you cannot avoid this food.

These crawfish are caught and farmed locally, so they are fresh and good in taste and smell, If you want to try the home type, you can visit C'est Bon Crawfish, which has been operated by a family, for more than 20 years.

5. Taste Food And Tradition in Cajun Food Tours

Cajun food tour is one of the must-do Lafayette Louisiana activities. One can experience the lifestyle of Cajun culture through culinary food samples of Creole dishes.

In food, you will find "gumbo," the local name for a bowl of a rich, variety of meats and seafood, given in the "holy trinity" of Cajun food: onions, celery (lettuce), and bell peppers.

Another must-try local dish includes Boudin, a sauce popular as a local snack among locals. It is traditionally served with local crawfish, which cannot be avoided in its peak season. Other food items include deep-fried pasties made from the dust of sugar.

6. Relax At "Y'' Pose At Park Sans Souci

Park Sans Souci is the heart of the attractions in Lafayette LA, it is a small park downtown, that includes a playground for children and places for picnics for the family

The large colorful letter built inside the park highlights the park. You can be part of the park monument; in the park, you will see the letter "Lafayette," where the letter Y is absent and this is fun for one who takes a picture while raising their hands in Y shape.

Here you will find food craft work from good artists from the south, a perfect place for buying gifts, pottery, ornaments, and glass items.

7. Gather Some Educational Experience At Lafayette Science Museum

The Lafayette Science Museum is a destination that provides an educational experience with fun, it gives lots of information about technology, wonders of science, and natural history. 

Inside the museum, there is a state-of-the-art, exhibit where visitors can explore the universe, covering topics of the solar system in 4K HD on a big projector. A few steps ahead, explore the fossils and replicas of dinosaurs, discover the collection of minerals, an impressive collection of gemstones; and fossil-pointed rocks and crystals 

You will explore the advancements in robotics and engineering, which include robotic arms and demonstrations. And do not miss out on the space artifacts, different models of spacecraft, and the dresses of astronauts.

8. Fishing And Camping Inside Chicot State Park

If you are wondering what is there to do in Lafayette LA? Then there are many wildlife reserve areas to visit as your choice like Chicote State Park.

Chicote State Park offers a wide range of outdoor activities with beautiful scenarios of nature and natural wildlife. You can engage in hiking, and fishing in the 2000 acres of human-made lakes, habitats of catfish, crappie, and bass, and build gills, making it a popular destination for fishing.

This park is a nature center for camping and hiking with 20-mile trails around the lakes. You can do bird watching, and see various species of birds, songbirds, and waterfowl, excellent and interesting places for photographing birds and wildlife.

9. Go To Lafayette Farmer And Artisans Market For Local Products

If you want the local produce of Lafayette, then every Saturday, the local business community organizes local and diverse vendors at Moncus Park. The local farmers and artisans gather their products every week; visitors get fresh food, chemical-free, grass-fed animal meat, local honey, fresh eggs from local hens, and dairy products from grass-fed cows. 

It will be a perfect way for visitors to take one of the products from the markets as memories, handmade crafts, jewelry, woodworking and home decor, and organic seasonal fruits and vegetables.

10. Experience Wildlife At Champagne Cajun Swamp

Champagne Cajun Swamp Tours offers a wildlife experience, where visitors observe beautiful and mysterious bayous in Lafayette, LA. The way of swamps and bayous tours are designed with a unique ecosystem of wildlife areas and experience authentic marshland.

It will offer guided boat tours, this place is a good example of local geology and a place to observe the cult of swamps. The boat maintains strict safety regulations for the passengers, so there is no need to worry; passengers will be surrounded by wildlife landscapes, making it an excellent place for wildlife observation and photography. 

11. Explore The Taste And Night Life At Frankie's Daiquiris

If you are an adult and want some delicious drinks to add some vivid atmosphere with some good company, then visit Frankie's Daiquiris, a place for things to do in Lafayette LA for adults.

There is a daiquiri bar inside, where you will be offered chill daiquiris, and cocktails, a perfect place to get together and socialize in local nightlife. The nightlife offers a delightful mix of drinks and a favorite hangout spot. Adults are eager to experience the social scene and have a memorable time in Lafayette. 

12. Culture And Community Experience At Lafayette Artwalk

On every second Saturday of each month at downtown Lafayette, an exhibition, live music, and theatrical performances are done, showcasing the creative side. An inspirational exploration where participants from the community are inspired to support Acadiana's local creators and artists at the public park.

Be ready to expect art galleries and studios that offer a diverse range of art, which includes painting and photography, the opportunity to meet with the artist, and an inspirational visit for those who are interested in art and exhibitions.

On the streets, you will find performances including dancers, magicians, and local musicians, adding a festive vibe to the event.

13. Experience The Atmosphere Of Zydeco Music

Everybody loves music and Cajun culture is not just known for its food but for its music as well, Zydeco music originated in the Creole communities of southwest Louisiana. A combination of the musical rhythms of guitar, bass, and drums is, fast and rhythmic, with a mixture of French and English.

A memorable experience with music, that touches your heart and soul and carries the musical heritage of Louisiana, the Southwest. The time to experience the annual festival in downtown Lafayette is in April when a major festival, celebrates music, food, and performances by Zydeco artists.

14. Have Some At Local Bakery

When you try out those boiled crawfish and shrimp and still want to try something new, you can visit the local bakeries downtown, to bake home-made items or try some slices of cake or pastry from the shop.

Poupart Bakery is one of the oldest and most popular French bakeries in town, known for its amazing bread and bakery items. Another is Keller's Bakery Downtown, which belongs to the Keller Family, who migrated to the USA from France in the time frame of the 1700s.

15. Experience The Acadian Life And History At Acadiana Cultural Center

Your trip is incomplete if you miss the Acadiana Culture Center, located inside the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park in Lafayette. This culture center preserves the cultural history of the Acadian people, who migrated from Nova, Scotia in the 18th century. 

Inside the center, you will see how Acadians developed their unique culture and identity. In the photographs, you will see cultural artifacts of the tribe's clothes, household items, farming tools, and musical instruments—the Acadiana people's way of life.

16. Enjoy Bird Watching In Martin Lake

Matin Lake comes under Cypress Island Preservation, managed by The Nature Conservancy, with an area of 9,500 acres. Most of the area is covered by marshland and bottomland hardwood forests.

You can experience a haven in Lake Martin, a peaceful place for recreation of the natural beauty of Louisiana's wetland area. Grab a binocular because you are going to a birdland and a breeding ground for wading birds and other wild animals so you will see birds and their young.

It offers a adventurous tour; full of wildlife vistas, and opportunities to explore outstanding experiences.

17. Celebrates Charm Of Southern At Rip Van Winkle Gardens At Jefferson Island

The Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Jefferson Island was once owned by 19th-century actor Joseph Jefferson, and it comes among the five salt dome islands. 

This island's gardens are covered with seasonal beauty, At Botanical Gardens, you will see a variety of plants and flowers; you will explore the path by observing planting, and you will enjoy scenic views of landscapes.

This garden is popular for many species of birds and animals but among them is the house of several peacocks. Many peacocks roam in the surroundings of visitors, a spot for native wildlife.

18. The Hilliard Art Museum: Hub For Artist Expression

Hillard Art Museum is a cultural institution that plays a significant role in the conservation of local arts, conducting educational programs, holding public events in rotational exhibits, and focusing on traditional and contemporary frameworks.

For instance, this museum exhibits the historical arts and culture of different periods as well as presents time trends, and artistic practices in the sectors of painting, sculpture, digital humanities, and photography.

This museum is completely engaged with the local communities, it offers programs in collaboration with community levels and other cultural institutions.

19. Avery Island A Unique Destination Of Tabasco Sauce Inside Nature

Avery Island is an area of marshes and wetlands, but the place is popular as the birthplace of Tabasco Sauce, which has been producing hot sauce since the 1860s.

You will find several things on this island, a jungle garden spanning 170 acres with a diverse variety of plants, animals, and birds. Grooves, camellias oak trees, herons, and ibises are some of the visiting birds of this island, and alligator marsh, turtle, and other species of water animals.

When you go inside the sauce factory, you will learn about the heritage of Tabasco sauce, invented in 1868 by Edmund Mcllhenny.

20. Handmade Craft From Jokey Lot Flea Market

The Lafayette Jockey Lot Flea Market is a place where visitors will be welcomed by local handmade items, food, and music in the same place. You can begin your journey at the vendor stalls, places of antiques and collectibles, and varieties of vintage crafts. 

You can even price bargain for clothing, and try the culinary items from the local and live performances of music by the local musicians and bands to entertain visitors, a perfect celebration of local culture, and a lively atmosphere can become a memorable outing.