we were @ the welcome center 07.04.2025. sharon was informative about what to expect and helped us…read morenavigate the roads so that we had a smooth drive.

Starting point for the nature trail. Inside you will find restrooms, a small gift shop ,…read moremaps/brochures, exhibits & displays as well as helpful staff. It's a must stop if you are doing the trail or if you just need a quick bathroom break off the interstate. Will was working behind the desk during our stop and was extremely enthusiastic about the trail and culture of the area and was very helpful in providing info. I was very entertained by the interactive displays;) My favorite was the music station ....yes I was a big kid "playing" the instruments but I enjoyed every minute. It's an exhibit with different musical instruments with a choice of Zydeco or Cajun music . Once you choose which genre you want to hear, background music starts playing. It's up to you to bring the song to life by "playing" the different instruments: mandolin, washboard, accordion etc. Kids or adults, it's fun ;) Here you can also smell popular Cajun spices , peek inside a pelican's mouth, hear how common Cajun words and phrases are pronounced , take home a recipe and even try on clothes for a photo opp. Several exhibits also cover the wildlife and plants you will likely see on the trail. Everything is very well done! Definitely worth a stop.

Super hard to find, they need to have signs outside and inside pointing the way. All you see is a…read moreschool and nothing that says otherwise. We had to call twice. Once yo make sure we were in the right place and to ask which door to go into, and the other to find out where to go when we were inside. That being said- once inside we were amazed. So worth the $10. You think it's just a small room but it continues in the hallways and even more rooms. The gentleman that was running the place was very informative and knowledgeable. The history was so very interesting and and very fascinating. Im so glad we made it out here and you should definitely take the time to go and visit.

Had the best time! Room after room of floor to ceiling creations. David was a knowledgeable and…read morefriendly host. Wonderful for the solo traveler or groups. Hands on dress up area too! So much fun, beauty and legacy in one place -- it's the next best thing to the actual parade and accessible year round.

I was visiting Lake Charles and needed something to do with my 10-year-old. I wasn't sure if he'd…read morebe too old for it, but we went anyway and I'm glad we did. The Children's Museum is bright, colorful, and actually interactive in a way that keeps kids engaged. His favorite was the water feature. He easily spent 30 minutes there. There are some nice learning elements like ecosystems and the human body. The pretend play area felt a little young for him, but by then he'd already gotten his time in. I went on a Monday and the science center side was closed, which was a little disappointing. If you want to see both, I'd avoid Mondays. It's a little pricey. About $16 just for him, plus adults. But we stayed over two hours and he had a good time, so it felt worth it. Friendly staff and a cute gift shop on the way out. Overall, solid option if you're looking for something different to do with your kid.

Def recommend! I was amazed by a sweet kind beautiful young girl named kaleah she went above and…read morebeyond and had a bright smile on her face! She deserves a raise!

I love music, sports and history - so the Museum of the Gulf Coast was a perfect place to spend…read moreseveral hours on a rainy day in Port Arthur. The museum is part of the overall Port Arthur downtown revitalization program, and is a key lynchpin. This modern facility has two stories, with the lower story dedicated primarily to the history of the Gulf Coast Region - while the second story is broken down into specific sections of interest like music, art and sports. The collections are impressive and the staff amazingly friendly and helpful. Overall, this place is well worth your time.

Surprising place for such a small town. My biggest complaint is the building is not large enough to…read morehandle all its interesting artifacts and exhibits. (They rotate so you can come back and find new exhibits) Ive been there 4-5 times. Port Arthur is the birthplace of Texaco and Gulf Oil and the museum covers the history and science. Southeast Texas and West Louisiana are also the birthplace of swamp pop and there is a surprising amount of informative exhibits. I cant begin to name the artists, blues, cajun, creole, rock & roll....of course that includes Janis. Then there is the coastal and marsh exhibits including how and why there is much oil and gas. There are loads of ancient indian and fossil artifacts. With all the above, plus the exhibits on sports (3 NFL coaches) actors and celebrities from the area, you can spend all day. This review barely scratched the surface.

Sad to say that the ship is moving to Jacksonville Fl. We visited before it moved. It's sad Lake…read moreCharles never made a permanent dock on the lake. It would have been a great success.

Definitely ask for Jonathan if you go. He was very knowledgeable and did a fantastic job of…read moremanaging the younger attendees tension span. He really kept them engaged the entire time.

We decided to do a day trip to Orange to visit the Shangri-La Botanical Gardens (see my other…read morereview) and thought we'd stop at this old home for our elderly guest. You cannot go straight to the house for a tour, you must meet at the Stark museum across the street, purchase a ticket, and then be accompanied by a tour guide to the house. The museum is free if you'd like to visit that while you are there. Once you walk over to the house you cannot bring a camera in with you. A knowledgeable and very long winded tour guide will bring you around the average sized home for about an hour describing every room in detail. It's a pretty home from the outside and I wish that was all I had seen. The long tour of the inside was boring. Our tour guide was obviously very proud of the home and the history of the house in relation to Orange, Texas, but it wasn't as interesting to out of town people. I don't think that I am being overly harsh. My 70 year old mother-in-law accompanied us; she is a huge fan of old homes and antiques. She found the tour to be too long and to focus on mundane items in the house. My suggestion... go to Orange for the day. Visit Shangri-La and stop in front of this home to see how pretty it is from the outside.

We like going here around Christmas when the house is decorated and there is a small ensemble…read moreplaying Christmas music.

Small cute museum, worth visiting at least once. The woman inside is more than happy to give you…read moreall the information you could ever desire about the history of Nederland! You also can see the Acadian house (same person may give you the tour). She even let us try on the clogs/hats just for a fun picture.

Fun, quirky little shop if you're roadtripping through Texas! My boyfriend and I had to stop,…read morebecause his family is Dutch and he wanted to learn about the museum as soon as we saw it! The woman (docent?) downstairs was wonderful - and wanted to share with us everything she knew! All in all - a very interesting little museum! My boyfriend got a t-shirt in the gift shop, because he got such a kick out of the museum!

We went here on a Saturday. You enter through the genealogy library. The History Museum is located…read morein the basement. I didn't have high expectations since they don't charge admission. I was very pleasantly surprised. We were greeted immediately by their very helpful and informative staff. This little museum packs a ton of things in their space. We thoroughly enjoyed it and if you are a history buff stop by if you are in the area. It's worth the stop!

This is a hidden gem in this city. I wanted something to pass the time while I waited in motorcycle…read morerepairs. This place is amazing. They actually have a lot of stuff about Louisiana and the area. I was surprised and be it's all free! The staff were very helpful and took the time to walk me through and show me everything and tell me some of the history. It was amazing how much they knew. I know Alexandria doesn't have much going on for it but this museum is worth a day trip. Very happy I made the trip.

I visited the museum today for the second time. It's really a great place. They had a special…read moreexhibition called Branding the American West. I thought it was very interesting, but I love paintings and sculptures that feature lonely landscapes and typical North American animals. This did not disappoint. The museum itself isn't so big that you're overwhelmed. In fact, an hour or two is sufficient to take in what's on display. The bookstore is also good, with lots of interesting books and a couple of comfortable chairs to sit in for a brief read through. Admission is free and parking is plentiful. So, there's every reason to enjoy this Texas gem!

My kids and I had a great time. And it was free! The art was all "old west" themed, including the…read moreexhibit of work by local students. Not sure if it changes or if it's a permanent exhibit. We probably spent two hours here.