Lake Charles, LA Summary

Lake Charles is often referred to as “the Festival Capital of Louisiana” with good reason. The city of approximately 70,000 people hosts more than 75 events each year.

Lined by palm trees, this Cajun Riviera is also the only white-sand inland beach on the entire stretch of the Gulf Coast.

Most of the area was largely settled by the mid-1800s and was serviced by the paddlewheeler Borealis Rex, between Lake Charles and the Gulf Coast, bringing both freight and passengers to the shores.

Now three riverboat casinos have taken the paddlewheeler’s place, attracting hordes of people to their gaming rooms.

You don’t have to be a gambler to enjoy Lake Charles—there are plenty of other attractions. The city is proud of the Charpentier Historic District, an area covering 20 blocks of unique Victorian residences. Many of the homes were constructed before architects came to the region, so there is an eclectic range of designs with individual exterior features.

The most impressive gallery is the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, built on the original site of a cabin belonging to the town’s namesake, Charles Sallier. The museum chronicles the history of the Lake Charles region in a series of realistic exhibits together with Civil War paraphernalia, period costumes, and documents. The Children’s Museum on Enterprise Boulevard allows children to participate in a number of different activities. They can even broadcast their own news from the studio.

Lake Charles was once an area inhabited by pirates; the most famous was Jean Lafitte, who stashed his booty around the present-day city’s shorelines. Two weeks of festivities known as Contraband Days celebrate the buccaneer’s legacy. The highlight event of the festival is walking the plank.

Thirteen miles west at Sulphur is the Brimstone Historical Society Museum, located in the Southern Pacific Railway Depot. The museum chronicles the history of the sulphur mines, and has photographs of the old mining town and regional exhibits. From Sulphur, Route 27 travels south to the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge in the heart of Louisiana’s marshlands. The highway also is part of the Creole Nature Trail, a 105-mile byway that provides excellent hiking trails as well as ample opportunities to spot various species of birds as well as alligators. Looping around to Lake Charles after traveling to the Gulf Coast, the trail intersects several other wildlife refuges together with some wonderful bayou scenery.

Located 125 miles west of Baton Rouge along I-10, Lake Charles is serviced by its regional airport; bus service is also available.