Visit Lake Charles

10/30/2026

A little adventure, a lot of Louisiana charm! ✨

Lake Charles was featured in AARP Sisters’ latest travel article, highlighting our vibrant arts scene, rich Black history, local flavors and outdoor adventures!

We love seeing Louisiana’s Playground in the national spotlight! 🎉

📖 Read the feature: https://sisters.aarp.org/travel/3-lively-escapades-for-black-women-ready-for-a-little-adventure/

From Philadelphia to Lake Charles and Alexandria, discover culture, wellness, Black-owned businesses, memorable meals and fun escapes.

10/30/2026

Do you know your roux from your étouffée? Or your boudin from your andouille? 👀

From the Holy Trinity to maque choux, Cajun cooking has a language all its own! 🤤

Whether you're a Louisiana local or visiting for the first time, we're breaking down the Cajun cooking terms you need to know!

👇 How many do you know?

Discover the meaning behind popular Cajun and Creole cooking terms. From gumbo and roux to grillades and andouille, you'll sound like a true Louisiana culinary professional with these added to your vocabulary.

10/29/2026

Southwest Louisiana is about to get LIT for the holidays! 🎄✨

From the dazzling displays along Shell Beach Drive and Downtown Lake Charles to festive neighborhoods in Sulphur, Westlake, Carlyss, and DeQuincy, there's plenty of Christmas magic to discover! 🎅🌟

☕ Grab some hot cocoa, turn up the Christmas music, and plan your holiday lights tour!

👇 Find the best Christmas light displays across Southwest Louisiana:

Marvel at the dazzling displays of Christmas cheer in Louisiana's Playground. Enjoy breathtaking Christmas light displays in neighborhoods like Pecan Street in Sulphur and at attractions like the Lake Charles Event Center, DeQuincy Railroad Museum, and Pinderosa Park. Visit holiday events throughout...

10/28/2026

Gerald Gruenig came HUNGRY, and Lake Charles delivered!🍽️😋

From boudin and cracklins to loaded po'boys, soul food, and over-the-top sweet treats, Gerald ate his way through 14 local favorites across Southwest Louisiana! 🤤🔥

👇 See everywhere he stopped and start planning your own Lake Charles food tour!

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Follow Gerald Gruenig's food tour through Lake Charles, Louisiana, with 14 local stops for boudin, cracklins, po'boys, wings, soul food, snow cones, Latin flavors and more.

10/27/2026

It's almost the most wonderful time of the year in Southwest Louisiana!🎄✨

From twinkling Christmas lights and festive parades to holiday markets, carriage rides, and family-friendly fun, there's no shortage of ways to celebrate the season in Louisiana's Playground! 🎅🎁

Explore our must-do winter activities in Lake Charles and start planning your holiday adventures! ❄️

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Discover winter activities in Lake Charles, including holiday events, festive shopping, family attractions and seasonal entertainment.

10/26/2026

🎃 Halloween is THIS WEEKEND! 👻 What are your plans?

From haunted attractions to trick-or-treating and spooky festivities, there's plenty of fun happening across Southwest Louisiana! 🍬

👇 Find your Halloween plans here:
https://www.visitlakecharles.org/blog/post/halloween-in-southwest-louisiana/

Southwest Louisiana is known for its extravagant celebrations, so you can expect six weekends of fall joy and Halloween spirit from late September through October. Choose from haunted history and tours at local museums, trails, and cemeteries, as well as traditional trick-or-treating and a slew of H...

10/23/2026

From ghostly apparitions and mysterious footsteps to legendary pirates and tragic tales, Southwest Louisiana has no shortage of spine-chilling stories! 🕯️

Just in time for spooky season, we’re uncovering the haunted history and local legends behind six places in Calcasieu Parish.

🏛️ Calcasieu Parish Courthouse | Lake Charles
In 1942, Toni Jo Henry became the only woman executed in Louisiana’s electric chair. Legend has it that her spirit still roams the courthouse halls, accompanied by unexplained footsteps, phantom perfume, and mysterious sounds.

🎭 Rosa Hart Theatre | Lake Charles
Have you heard of the Woman in White? Local folklore tells of a heartbroken woman who lost her lover during World War I and tragically drowned in Lake Charles. Some claim her ghost still wanders the theatre and surrounding lakefront.

🪦 Big Woods Cemetery | Vinton
Beware of the Gatekeeper! Visitors have reported sightings of a shadowy figure guarding the cemetery entrance, along with mysterious vehicles and unexplained car trouble. Some believe the spirit is protecting the cemetery from unwanted visitors.

🌳 Imperial Calcasieu Museum | Lake Charles
Beneath the centuries-old Sallier Oak lies a legendary tale of love, jealousy, and the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte! According to folklore, Charles Sallier discovered his wife Catherine embracing Lafitte and fired his pistol, only for an amethyst brooch to stop the bullet and save her life.

🎬 ACTS Theatre | Lake Charles
Is the Lake Charles Candyman still making appearances? Local legend connects this century-old theatre to William Portie, a beloved candy seller who died in 1952. Paranormal investigators have explored the historic building in search of his lingering spirit.

🏠 John Reid House | Lake Charles
During the Great Fire of 1910, legend says a prisoner was temporarily held in the home’s attic before attempting a desperate escape through a third-story window. Some claim the sounds of breaking glass and his final screams still echo through the historic property.

10/22/2026

Lake Charles is getting some national love! 👏✨

We're excited to see Lake Charles, Louisiana, mentioned in ManTripping's "Warm-Weather Fall Guys Trips" article as a great destination for a fall getaway! 🍂

From casino resorts and golf at Contraband Bayou to outdoor adventures along the Creole Nature Trail and the Smoke & Barrel festival, there's plenty to experience in Southwest Louisiana! ⛳🥃

Check out the full article! 👇
https://www.mantripping.com/travel/warm-weather-fall-guys-trips.html

Warm-weather fall guys trips: Florida Keys tarpon, Loreto pangas, Puerto Rico surf, San Antonio and Palm Springs golf, plus more sunny escapes by region.

10/21/2026

Every grave has a story! 🪦 This Friday, October 23, discover the fascinating people who shaped Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana during the Living History Cemetery Tour!

From legendary pirate Jean Lafitte and pioneering heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey to Louisiana music icon Nellie Lutcher, educator John McNeese and early Lake Charles settlers, history comes alive through theatrical performances by local actors!

Hosted by the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, this unique historical walking tour takes you through four historic Lake Charles cemeteries:

📍 Sallier Cemetery – Featuring stories of Mary Sallier, Jean Lafitte, Dr. Michael DeBakey and more!
📍 Combre Memorial Park – Discover the legacies of Nellie Lutcher, Doretha Combre and stories connected to Hurricane Audrey.
📍 Bilbo Cemetery – Meet historical figures including John Jacob Ryan, George Ryan and Nancy Ann Bilbo Reeves.
📍 Orange Grove/Graceland Cemetery – Explore the stories of John McNeese, Toni Jo Henry, Matilda Gray and others.

📅 Friday, October 23 | 5–9 PM
🎟️ $15 Adults | $10 Students | FREE for ages 5 and under

Explore at your own pace with a self-guided tour, or hop aboard the VIP Party Bus for transportation between cemeteries and additional storytelling from local historian Adley Cormier!

Looking for unique things to do in Lake Charles this Halloween season? Experience an unforgettable evening of Louisiana history, local legends and live storytelling!

🎟️ Tickets & details: artscouncilswla.org/livinghistory