Natchitoches Tourist Attractions
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Natchitoches (pop. 18,000) was founded in 1714 making it the oldest French settlement in Louisiana. The thirty-three block historic district in Natchitoches includes more than fifty centuries-old buildings. Natchitoches' was an important river port from 1714 to 1825.
Fort St Jean Baptiste State Historic Site
Natchitoches was founded by a French Canadian, Louis Antoine Juchereau de St Denis, in 1714. He built two huts in the village and left a small detachment to guard the stores and trade with the inhabitants. This became the first permanent European settlement in the territory later known as the Louisiana Purchase.
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
The present Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Natchitoches was started in the 1850's and was completed in the 1890's. All the fittings and furnishings in the church were imported from France, except for the pews and the stained-glass windows.
Bayou Pierre Alligator Park
The Bayou Pierre Alligator Park in Natchitoches shows visitors hundreds of alligators, from young 4-footers to the 1,000-pounders, all immersed in their natural environment.
Beau Fort Plantation Home
The Beau Fort Plantation Home in Natchitoches is a 1790 Creole Style home that features French Creole furnishings, family portraits, Victorian fan vases and Limoges china.
Cane River National Heritage Area
The Cane River National Heritage Area includes five National Historic sites as well as many other homes, plantations and churches. All of these help to describe the rich history and the people of this area.
Cane River Creole National Historical Park
The Cane River Creole National Historical Park includes 42 acres of Oakland Plantation and 18 acres of Magnolia Plantation outbuildings.
Magnolia Plantation Home, Derry
The Magnolia Plantation Home has been in the same family since a French land grant in 1735. The house was rebuilt in 1896 and is furnished in Southern Empire period.
Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery
The Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery is a warm-water station that spawns, hatches, and rears young fish for stocking intercoastal and inland waters.
Trinity Parish Church
Trinity Parish Church was the first non-catholic church in Natchitoches. The tower bell is said to be one-third silver.
