Le Vieux Village Historical Park and Museum

Le Vieux Village, in the city of Opelousas, offers visitors a glimpse into rural life around the time St. Landry Parish was formed. The village includes one of the oldest Creole homes west of the Mississippi River, and a country store and doctor’s office from the early 19th Century.

The centerpiece of the village is the Venus House, which was originally located in rural northwest St. Landry Parish in the Grand Prairie community. It is built of bousillage, a mud, Spanish moss, straw and animal hair mixture, and constructed using mortise and tenon beams.

The village also includes a tourist information center containing a display of historic photos, knives, guns and other memorabilia tied to Jim Bowie, who once lived in Opelousas. Another village offering is the Orphan Train Museum which is housed inside a restored train depot. The museum tells the story of Orphan Train Riders who came to Louisiana from New York between 1873 and 1929.