Spanish moss hangs from live oak tree Photo: NPS Photo

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

National Historical Park and Preserve · Louisiana

In Jean Lafitte's day, silver and gold filled a pirate's treasure chest, but today's treasures are people, places, and memories.

  • LocationNew Orleans, LA
  • Entrance No fee listed
  • HoursOpen 24 hours, daily
  • Weather now76°F Light drizzle
  • Alerts 2 active alerts

Overview

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.

Follow the link to discover the treasure of Jean Lafitte.

Topics
  • African American Heritage
  • Alligators or Crocodiles
  • Animals
  • Architecture and Building
  • Artillery
  • Arts
  • Battlefields
  • Birds
36 more topics
  • Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite
  • Civil War
  • Climate Change
  • Colonization and Settlement
  • Deciduous Forests
  • Enslavement
  • Fish
  • Forests and Woodlands
  • Grasslands
  • Immigration
  • Indigenous and Native Warrior
  • Infantry and Militia
  • Maritime
  • Marshes
  • Migrations
  • Military
  • Monuments and Memorials
  • Music
  • National Cemetery
  • Photography
  • Piracy and Privateering
  • Prairies
  • Presidents
  • Reconstruction
  • Scenic Views
  • Schools and Education
  • Swamps
  • Trails
  • Urban America
  • US Army
  • US Coast Guard
  • US Marines
  • US Navy
  • War of 1812
  • Wars and Conflicts
  • Wetlands
An oak tree arches over a cannon-guarded rampart with historic house and American flag in background
Chalmette Battlefield's American rampart and cannons still guard the site of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. — NPS Photo

Alerts (2)

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 a… Read more

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. Rangers will be on site Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 am to 2 pm for programming and ranger talks at the Town of Lafitte's Civic Center.

CautionAcadian Cultural Center Temporarily Closed The Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette is temporarily closed due to HVAC issues. Join us at the Prairie Acadian Cultur… Read more

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.

Things to Do

9 experiences from the National Park Service. Check details on NPS.gov before you go.

Showing 1 of 1

All 24 activities in the park

Pick one to find other parks that offer it.

Show 12 more activities

Facilities & Services

Find visitor services available in the park. Check current hours and availability before you go.

Other Visitor Services

  • ACC Building

    Acadian Cultural Center

    Facility

    Permanent and special exhibits, an award-winning film, ranger talks, and programs share the history, customs, language, and contemporary culture of the Acadians who…

    Details
    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.
  • The Barataria Preserve Visitor Center

    Barataria Preserve

    Facility

    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…

    Details
    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. Visitor center films and exhibits explain the wetlands habitat and current environmental challenges; ranger programs are offered daily. Admission to the preserve and to most programs is free.
  • The American Rampart at Chalmette

    Chalmette Battlefield and Chalmette National Cemetery

    Facility

    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…

    Details
    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. Ranger talks offered daily. Chalmette National Cemetery was established during the Civil War and holds more than 14,000 graves of Americans from the War of 1812 to the Vietnam War; audio tour available. Free.
  • Outside the Visitor Center

    French Quarter Visitor Center

    Facility

    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…

    Details
    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.
  • PACC exterior

    Prairie Acadian Cultural Center

    Facility

    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…

    Details
    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. The center features cooking and crafts demonstrations, local musicians, and dancing for all. Center admission is free.
  • Entry - Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center

    Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center

    Facility

    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…

    Details
    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. Admission is free for the center and most programs. Enjoy our interactive playroom for kids of all ages, and explore our art gallery, featuring amazing artwork from Louisiana artists! Visit and experience life here on the bayou!

Plan Your Visit

Hours

Open 24 hours, daily · Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Hours details
  • Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and PreserveOpen 24 hours, daily

    Each of Jean Lafitte's six sites is open year-round. See the specific site(s) you want to visit for operating hours and days information.

Entrance fees

No entrance fees listed.

Address

419 Decatur St
New Orleans, LA 70130

Weather & conditions

76°F
Light drizzle · feels like 83°
  • Today 88° 76°
    Patchy rain nearby
    84% rain
  • Tomorrow 80° 75°
    Light rain shower
    92% rain
  • Monday 80° 74°
    Patchy rain nearby
    54% rain

Updated 3 hr ago

WeatherFlood Advisory Details

Flood Advisory issued October 3 at 2:24PM CDT until October 3 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS New Orleans LA

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.

* WHERE...Northwestern Jefferson Parish in southeastern Louisiana...
Southwestern Orleans Parish in southeastern Louisiana...
West Central St. Bernard Parish in southeastern Louisiana...

* WHEN...Until 530 PM CDT.

* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 224 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to
thunderstorms. Minor flooding is already occurring in the
advisory area.
- Some locations that will experience flooding include...
New Orleans, Kenner, Harvey, Chalmette, Metairie, Jefferson,
Gretna, Arabi, Terrytown, Bridge City, Elmwood, Meraux, River
Ridge, Violet and New Orleans Armstrong Airport.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

What to expect by season

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.

Upcoming Events

10 coming up
  • Chalmette Battlefield - Battle of New Orleans Talk

    Oct 3, 2026 · 02:45 PM–03:15 PM · through Dec 31 Chalmette Battlefield 1 Battlefield Road Chalmette, LA 70043 Free

  • French Quarter - Drum Circle with Tim Brown, II

    Oct 3, 2026 · 10:30 AM–11:30 AM · through Oct 31 National Park Service French Quarter visitor center - 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130. (Near the statue of Bienville.) Free

  • French Quarter - History Talk

    Oct 3, 2026 · 10:00 AM–10:30 AM · through Sep 25 The French Quarter Visitor Center is located at: 419 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 17030 Free

  • French Quarter - Jazz Program - New Orleans Ragtime Festival

    Oct 3, 2026 · 01:00 PM–04:00 PM National Park Service French Quarter visitor center - 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130. (Near the statue of Bienville.) Free

Show 6 more events
  • Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - "Where Y'all At? Post Cards Through the Years"

    Oct 3, 2026 · 09:30 AM–04:30 PM · through Oct 31 250 Park Ave Eunice, LA 70535 Free

  • Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - Cooking Demonstration

    Oct 3, 2026 · 01:30 PM–02:30 PM Prairie Acadian Cultural Center 250 W. Park Avenue, Eunice, LA 70535 Free

  • Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - Cooking Demonstration

    Oct 3, 2026 · 01:30 PM–02:30 PM Prairie Acadian Cultural Center 250 W. Park Avenue, Eunice, LA 70535 Free

  • Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - Rendezvous in the Prairie

    Oct 3, 2026 · 03:00 PM–04:00 PM · through Oct 31 Prairie Acadian Cultural Center 250 W. Park Avenue, Eunice, LA 70535 Free

  • Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - Steep and Stitch

    Oct 3, 2026 · 10:00 AM–12:00 PM 250 Park Ave Eunice, LA 70535 Free

  • Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center - Edward Angelloz Exhibition

    Oct 3, 2026 · 09:30 AM–04:30 PM · through Oct 31 Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center 314 St. Mary Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301 Free

Photos

Getting There

419 Decatur St
New Orleans, LA 70130

Jean Lafitte's headquarters and the park's French Quarter Visitor Center are located at 419 Decatur Street in New Orleans. There are five other park sites scattered throughout south Louisiana.

Full directions

For information on all of the park sites and visitor centers, see the Directions Details link.

Mailing address: 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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