LAKE CHARLES / SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
VISITORS
G U I D E
MUSEUMS PRESERVING THE MAGIC Southwest Louisiana is rich in history and imagination. Four museums in the Lake Charles area give visitors a chance to see the magic of the Mardi Gras Museum with the largest display of Mardi Gras costumes in the world; the hands-on Children’s Museum, complete with interactive displays to stimulate young minds; and the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, transporting visitors back to a bygone era, also check out the USS Orleck Naval Museum! In nearby Sulphur, the Henning Cultural Center, part of the Brimstone Museum Complex has rotating exhibits; and in DeQuincy, the Railroad Museum showcases the town’s heritage along with the Town Hall Museum.
MUSEUMS
Children’s Museum
LAKE CHARLES CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 327 Broad St., (337) 433-9420 Mon-Sat 10am-5pm www.swlakids.org Children and Adults - $8; Senior Citizens (55 and Older) - $6.25 Infants (23 months and under) - Free; Active Duty Military & Dependents with ID - $7.25. Call for group rates. Dozens of interactive exhibits featuring science, role-playing and art activities.
Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu
IMPERIAL CALCASIEU MUSEUM 204 W. Sallier St., (337) 439-3797 Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-3pm www.imperialcalcasieumuseum.org $5 adults, $2 children & seniors, $3 military with ID, school students with ID - free Extensive historic objects and artifacts collection and rotating exhibits in a fine art gallery. Designed to encourage visual arts, enhance arts appreciation and preserve the history and culture of the region. Home of the 375+ year-old Sallier Oak. MARDI GRAS MUSEUM OF IMPERIAL CALCASIEU Inside Central School - 2nd Floor, East Wing, 809 Kirby St., (337) 430-0043 Tues-Fri 1pm-5pm $5 adults, $3 children (under 12), group rates available Largest Mardi Gras costume display in the world, history of Mardi Gras and king cakes, costume design, parade float to climb aboard. The museum also includes animatronics to tell the history of Mardi Gras.
Brimstone Museum
USS ORLECK NAVAL MUSEUM 604 N. Enterprise Blvd., (337) 214-7447 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-3pm, Sat 10am-4pm • Tours Available: Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, Sat 10am-3pm $10 Adults, $8 Seniors (60+), $5 Active Duty Military with ID; $5 Children (6-12) Free for 5 years and under. Group rates available. www.orleck.org Historic Naval Museum featuring the USS Orleck DD886 WWII destroyer which served during the close of WWII through the Vietnam era.
SULPHUR BRIMSTONE MUSEUM COMPLEX 900 S. Huntington, (337) 527-0357 Mon-Fri 10am-noon & 1-5pm, Sat 10am-2 pm www.brimstonemuseum.org Learn about the history of Sulphur with the new exhibit at the Brimstone Museum. Rotating exhibits at the Henning Cultural Center.
DEQUINCY DEQUINCY RAILROAD MUSEUM 400 Lake Charles Ave., (337) 786-2823 Tues-Sat 10am-5pm www.dequincyrailroadmuseum.com Original townsite in 1895 at the intersection of two major railroads. 1913 steam locomotive, passenger car, a caboose and other railroad artifacts are on display. DEQUINCY TOWN HALL MUSEUM 218 E. Fourth St., (337) 786-6451 Mon-Thurs 9am-noon & 1-4pm Newport Industries museum and memorabilia. Wall of Honor paying tribute to locals who have served in the US military services.
www.visitlakecharles.org | lake charles / southwest louisiana visitors’ guide | april-june 2016
39