Become a Virtual Tourist Member Today!  Sign Up for Free | Sign In

Things to Do in Natchitoches

Search:
email to friend | help
Natchitoches
Click to get the inside scoop from
real travelers here at VirtualTourist.

Natchitoches Travel Guide

Sponsored Links for Natchitoches

Holiday Inn Express
Stay Smart in Natchitoches Free Internet & hot breakfast bar.

Ramada Natchitoches
Make reservations at the Ramada ® site for our best rates guaranteed.

Hotels.com Official Site
Hotels.com Low Rates Guaranteed! Call a Hotel Expert. 1-800-449-4167

A Perfect Family Vacation
Disney's Family.com- Get Itineries, Reviews, Travel Tips & Good Deals!

Natchitoches LA Hotels
The Official Louisiana Hotel Site. 110% Best Rates Guaranteed

Things to Do in Natchitoches

Reviews and photos of Natchitoches attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Natchitoches sightseeing.
Local Time 4:26 am Thursday, May 15, 2008
Natchitoches Map
• Natchitoches Hotels
All Natchitoches Hotels
Check-In Date:
Check-Out Date:
Guests
Hotels by OneTime.com
Natchitoches Things To DoTips 1 - 10 of 23  
Popular Things To Do | Miscellaneous Things To Do Tips | All Tips (23)
Sort By:  Most Recent | Best Rated
Old Parish Courthouse Museum
  • Tip Rating:
  • By vigi on May 14, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Natchitoches Things To Do
    by vigi
    Send Photo to a Friend
    The Louisiana State Museum’s Old Courthouse Museum in Natchitoches has pulled together a comprehensive look at the Louisiana Purchase that showcases not only the rich diversity of our state but of all the unique characteristics of the states within the territory,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, who oversees the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. Of special interest are a number of rare and important Native American artifacts which include Choctaw baskets and ball sticks from Oklahoma, beaded Lakota moccasins from South Dakota, horn spoon and quirt from Nebraska, a Crow cradle board from Montana, and a Meskawki tomahawk and charm bag from Iowa.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: 600 Second Street, Natchitoches
  • Phone: (318) 357-2270

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Oakland Plantation
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By vigi on May 14, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Natchitoches Things To Do
    by vigi
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Plantation culture in the Cane River region is reflected in the historic plantation landscapes, structures, and artifacts, as well as the traditional agricultural land use of the region. Initially, tobacco and indigo were important crops in the area; later, they gave way to a cotton economy that dominated much of the region’s history. Today, corn and soybeans are the area’s most common crops. Oaklawn Plantation was built between 1830 and 1840 by Achille Prudhomme, and was restored in the 1990s by Bobby Harling, playwright of “Steel Magnolias” fame. Check out my TRAVELOGUE for more pictures.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Downtown Historic Natchitoches
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By vigi on May 14, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Natchitoches Things To Do
    by vigi
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Explore this enchanting 33-square block downtown district featuring more than fifty historic homes and buildings, outstanding Louisiana dining, and great shopping. Check out my TRAVELOGUE for more pictures.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Natchitoches Old Town
  • Tip Rating:
  • By vigi on May 13, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Natchitoches Things To Do
    by vigi
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Natchitoches is the original French colony in Louisiana. The thirty-three block historic district in Natchitoches includes more than fifty centuries-old buildings and has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Tourist Information Office
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By vigi on May 13, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Natchitoches Things To Do
    by vigi
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Natchitoches Tourist Information Office located in the old town, a lovely house with cast iron grill work galleries overlooking Cane River Lake, reminiscent of the days of the Cotton Kingdom and Natchitoches' role as an early river port. Simply beautiful and romantic!!!

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Oakland Plantation
  • Tip Rating:
  • By atufft on January 11, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Oakland Plantation Main House - Natchitoches
    Oakland Plantation Main House
    by atufft, 4 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    The Oakland Plantation is part of the new National Park system of historical plantations in the Natchitoches area. The old house was still under restoration at the time we visited, but we still had a chance to peer inside. The Prudhomme family lives in the area, and a family member lived in the mansion until recently. The main house has been altered considerably since the old plantation days, but still has the authentic character. Presummably future restoration will remove the 1950's era kitchen and the extra walls installed to make more rooms. The outer buildings are more authentic. Several buildings are devoted to livestock and farming activities, and other buildings include the overseer's house, the slave hospital, and various slave homes. See website for more information.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: Along the Cane River Route south of Natchitoches
  • Directions: Get a a map at the hotel or tourist center in old Natchitoches, and then follow the winding country road south. It's a beautiful drive for bicycles, motorcyclists, and sport cars.
  • Website: http://www.nps.gov/cari/

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Fort St. Jean Baptiste Historic Site
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By atufft on February 2, 2007
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Inside Fort St. Jean Baptiste - Natchitoches
    Inside Fort St. Jean Baptiste
    by atufft, 4 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    This is a reconstructed stockade style fort, built in the methods believed to have been used in the original, but the Northwestern State University college students that roleplay the original barefooted soldiers do a good job of informing visitors about life at the original French settlement. The French fort was established in 1714 to check the expansion of the Spanish territorial claims from the west, but as a matter of practice, in this then remote region of the world, the two empires traded here more than they fought. The solitary and tiiny four pound canon on display on the northwest corner would have provided little defense even in those times. The Indians were mostly only a potential threat to the thirty soldiers that stationed the stockade as they gave their name to the city of Natchitoches. Missionary activity was a prime concern for the French, but willing priests were hard to find, and in any case conversion was much less effective than were Spanish efforts farther west in Texas and elsewhere. Life was very hard for the soldiers, and only the commander's quarters looked comfortable enough to camp for the night. There's a small musem and plenty of park like wetland areas around the restored fort.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: 130 Moreau Street
  • Phone: 1-888-677-7853
  • Directions: Quite near the old historic downtown district on the Cane River.
  • Website: http://www.explorenatchitoches.com/stateparks.php?
  • Other Contact: 318-357-3101

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Melrose Plantation
  • Tip Rating:
  • By atufft on January 11, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Melrose Plantation Main House - Natchitoches
    Melrose Plantation Main House
    by atufft, 4 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Along the Cane River scenic route are several plantations, a few of which are open for public tour. Melrose is one of the better ones in asmuch as it has a variety of original architecture found in the area. A large pecan orchard is next to the plantation grounds. More complete description of the plantation is available at the website link below. There is an entrance charge for this plantation. A couple of old African-American share cropper workers I had found along the way claimed to have moved away Melrose when it was turned into a preserve.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: Cane River Tour
  • Directions: Get a Cane River scenic route map at the tourist office in old town Natchitoches or at your motel, or examine the website below. Its several miles south of town along a winding road, but it's easy to find.
  • Website: http://www.preservenatchitoches.org/

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Magnolia Plantation
  • Tip Rating:
  • By atufft on January 11, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Sharecropper houses at Magnolia Plantation - Natchitoches
    Sharecropper houses at
    Magnolia Plantation
    by atufft, 4 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Named for the huge Magnolias on the main house property, the large main house is still the residence of an elderly descendent of the original family. Tours a done on a personal basis, but the rest of the property has been given over to the National Park, and the out buildings are of some interest. I like the landscape setting of the red brick buildings. At this plantation, the overseer and slave hospital were in the same building. The brick buildings are quite substantial for the slave workers relative to the other plantations. See website for additional historical details. The hotel or tourist office map also provide more details for taking this tour.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: Cane River Tour route
  • Phone: (318) 356-5555
  • Directions: Last of the Cane River plantations along the route, which starts at Natchitoches
  • Website: http://www.caneriverheritage.org/main_file.php/crnhp.php/63/

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Steel Magnolia movie set
  • Tip Rating:
  • By atufft on January 11, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Natchitoches Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Steel Magnolia B&B - Natchitoches
    Steel Magnolia B&B
    by atufft
    Send Photo to a Friend
    The movie set for Steel Magnolias was a historic home that is now a bed & breakfast on Jefferson Street. Besides the chance to see the home as a guest of the inn, it's also possible to visit the house.

    Leave a Comment

  • Address: 320 Jefferson Street, Natchitoches, LA 71457
  • Phone: Toll Free 888-346-4095
  • Directions: Just north of the historic district, but before entrance to the restoration fort.
  • Website: http://www.steelmagnoliahouse.com/
  • Other Contact: 318-238-2585

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    1 | 2 | 3
    More Natchitoches Tips
    Overview
         		General Tips
    Tips: 22 - Photos: 21
    Restaurants
    Tips: 11 - Photos: 7    		Hotels and Accommodations
    Tips: 5 - Photos: 4
    Things To Do
    Tips: 23 - Photos: 23    		Nightlife
    Tips: 3 - Photos: 3
    Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 8 - Photos: 8    		Tourist Traps
    » Add a tip now
    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 1 - Photos: 1    		Transportation
    Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
    Local Customs
    Tips: 2 - Photos: 2    		Packing Lists
    » Add a tip now
    Shopping
    Tips: 1 - Photos: 1    		Sports Travel
    » Add a tip now

    More Sponsored Links for Natchitoches

    Popular Hotels and Accommodations in Natchitoches

    » More Hotels and Accommodations in Natchitoches




    Find:        Matching:  Advanced