These 7 Towns In Louisiana Feel Like Home

Among legendary US states, Louisiana stands out. The place has long been celebrated for world-spanning culture: from a French legacy and the roots of jazz music, to its own school of cooking, to the status of its most famous town, New Orleans, as a place of where historical and cultural influences mix together. Beyond Louisiana's larger towns, such as the state capital Baton Rouge, smaller towns make visitors feel right at home. From its position along the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America), Louisiana towns like these deserve to be better known. Here are seven Louisiana towns that feel like home.

Jennings

In the state's southwest corner, the small town of Jennings offers a window into simpler times. Along its quaint Main Street, the W.H. Tupper Museum exhibits artifacts like old telephones and consumer products no longer in use. The site celebrates the days when community centered around general stores like this one, and locals picked up mail, groceries, and gossip here.

Traveling families will not want to miss the town's Gator Chateau, a nursery that raises baby alligators. Kids can pick up and pet the scaly creatures in a supervised environment. There is also a gift shop inside the center, offering "tons of gator merchandise," according to its website, and a chance to find a keepsake to better remember the visit. Accommodations in Jennings include many major hotel chains.

Mandeville

Opposite New Orleans and the famous Lake Pontchartrain, the town of Mandeville, along what is known locally as The North Shore, has long welcomed visitors. The town is home to Fontainebleau State Park, a place where iconic cypress trees spring up from the water. A visitors center features a deck overlooking the majestic Lake Pontchartrain.

For a unique way to explore Mandeville's history, rent a bicycle at Brooks' Bikes, Trikes, and Beyond, a cycling outfitter in town, then roll to Old Mandeville, the town's historic district. A unique regional lunch awaits at La Lou, with a French-inspired place on the lively Girod Street. More adventurous bikers can continue along Tammany Trace, a 31-mile route through town, and Louisiana's first trail converted from a former railroad track.

Natchitoches

The hard-to-pronounce Natchitoches (the local treatment makes it sound like NAK-a-tish) is a hub for history-focused tourism. In African American legacies, the town's place on the state heritage trail provides a view into the hardships and resilience of the town's former slave population. Local history goes even deeper: Natchitoches was the first city in the Louisiana Purchase, according to the city's website, and local culture blends African, French, Spanish, Native American, and other influences in this diverse place. For a taste of all these influences, try a Natchitoches meat pie, a local delicacy.

Natchitoches also hosts the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, which is also a history museum for northwest Louisiana. The site pays tribute to world-famous athletes with a local connection, including football great Archie Manning and basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal.

Plaquemine

In south-central Louisiana, set in a bend of the Mississippi River, the town of Plaquemine honors its contributions to the industrial development of the region. The Plaquemine Lock Historic Site sheds light on how the local lock system regulated boat traffic and shipping, which encouraged trade and job growth here.

Fans of religious history can find much to ponder at the Madonna Chapel in Plaquemine, a Catholic site devoted to the Biblical figure of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The chapel is considered "the world's smallest church," measuring just 9 feet by 9 feet. More history awaits at the Iberville Museum in town, which focuses on the local swamplands and human adaptations to living in them.

Thibodaux

Louisiana food rarely gets better than in Thibodaux, southwest of New Orleans. The town hosts a number of fresh-food markets, while the restaurant Spahr's Seafood Downtown, a local institution, offers Louisiana's Cajun food in all its delicious glory. Another, equally local option stands out at Big Mike's BBQ, a beloved local temple to smoked meat and other kinds of barbecue.

To walk off an extravagant meal, and to learn more about the influences that made Thibodaux, the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center celebrates and preserves Cajun culture. This way of life, which combines French influences, unique food and music, and more, will interest the culturally curious visitor coming through Thibodaux.

Eunice

In south-central Eunice, the influences of bayou and prairie come together for a one-of-a-kind cultural gumbo. Just before the region's annual Mardi Gras festival, Eunice kicks things off with a Lundi Gras Boucherie, when the town prepares an array of meats from a pig selected for the occasion. The event brings the community together around styles of food, music, and dancing associated with Cajun culture. Eunice itself is known as the "Prairie Cajun Capital."

To wash down the samplings of Lundi Gras, or when in town any other time of year, head to Cafe Mosaic, which prepares brews of lattes, espressos, and other coffee-based drinks. The cafe, housed in a general store from the early 1900s, also serves small bites with local flavors from Louisiana ingredients.

Tallulah

In rural northeast Louisiana, the town of Tallulah stands apart as a destination for bird-watchers and other nature fans. In the Tensas National Wildlife Refuge near town, birders can spot egrets, herons, and geese and ducks of many kinds. The location's visitor's center offers helpful signs and explanatory placards on the region's diverse wildlife, as a part of the greater Mississippi River basin, which flows just a few miles east of town.

For a break from time outdoors, head to local-favorite eateries like Sugas, which serves southern-style comfort food, or Fox's Pizza Den. Places to stay in Tallulah include the Holiday Capri Motel and a Super 8 by Wyndham, both budget-friendly options.

Small-Town Louisiana Might Just Feel Like Home

As these places suggest, Louisiana's smaller towns have a tradition of making tourists, travelers, and longer-term guests feel at home. Jennings welcomes families to attractions like the Gator Chateau, where kids can say they handled baby alligators with care. Mandeville and Tallulah offer unique outdoor draws like Tammany Trace and the Tensas National Wildlife Refuge, guaranteeing an experience of Louisiana's singular natural environment. For those who travel for food, a bite of Natchitoches meat pie, Thibodaux Cajun, or Eunice pork products are sure to whet the appetite. Whatever a traveler's interest or idea of a good time, Louisiana's small towns hold out many reasons to make a trip to the state sometime soon.