Louisiana is a popular tourist attraction, offering a rich history, exotic cultures, and swampland. Curious and adventurous travelers have plenty to do while exploring all the state offers. Below, we offer eight exciting, strange, and dangerous places to visit that won’t disappoint.
1. Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum, Gibsland
The museum memorializes the tragic fate of America’s most famously criminal couple, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The attraction showcases artifacts, replicas, and memorabilia from the couple’s time as outlaws. This includes photographs and personal items, pieces of clothing, weapons, and a replica of their bullet-riddled and blood-stained car.
Who were Bonnie and Clyde?
The couple robbed banks, gas stations, and restaurants, orchestrated a prison break, and murdered three members of the police department. Newspapers sensationalized the couple’s crimes during the Great Depression. In 1934, Texas and Louisiana police ambushed them as they attempted to evade arrest. They were shot and killed in a shoot-out.
The Museum’s Origins
The museum is located in the former restaurant where Bonnie and Clyde were last seen eating and was founded by L.J. Hinton, whose father was involved in the ambush that killed the couple. In 2016, it changed ownership to Perry Carver, who has helped expand the collection.
2. The Museum of Death, New Orleans
A museum dedicated to all things death was opened in the French Quarter to educate and help visitors confront death. With its graphic exhibits, the Museum of Death is not for the faint of heart – and if you do faint, you’ll walk away with a free t-shirt that says, “I passed out at the Museum of Death…and lived to talk about it.”
A Deadly View
The museum showcases everything related to death, including paintings from serial killers, taxidermy, a suicide machine, famous crime memorabilia, and exhibits on topics such as terrorism, cannibalism, and mortuary practices. A whole tour of the museum takes roughly 45 minutes.
3. The Singing Oak, New Orleans
Created by artist Jim Hart, The Singing Oak is a tree located southeast of City Park. This unique attraction features a large oak tree decorated with wind chimes that serenade the park with soothing melodies as the branches sway in the wind. It has become known as a place of relaxation and beauty.
4. Chauvin Sculpture Garden, Chauvin
In a quaint park in the Bayou, lies a colorful lighthouse and 100 religious themed sculptures created by artist Kenny Hill. It took Hill 10 years to create the life-sized artwork, made of concrete and brick. Hill was a self-taught artist and disappeared from the area with no explanation once the installation was complete.
Exploring the Garden
The garden features sculptures hanging off of a 45-foot-tall lighthouse. Many of the figurines are made in Hill’s image and feature angels, eagles, sinners, and maidens. Hill used a fork and spoon to carve details into his sculptures. Now, visitors can take a leisurely walk through the garden, coming away with a unique experience.
5. Six Flags, New Orleans
The Six Flags Amusement Park was abandoned after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city in 2005. Due to the damage, it was too expensive to repair and has become quite the tourist attraction. With an apocalyptic atmosphere, the park is now totally rundown, overgrown, and riddled with graffiti. However, it is illegal to trespass on this site, so be careful if you choose to have a look-see.
6. Lake Peigneur, New Iberia
A beautiful and dangerous landmark, Lake Peigneur was once a popular resort until a salt mine accident in 1980. An oil drilling company accidentally hit the bottom of the lake, creating a massive sinkhole that swallowed 65 acres of surrounding land. The area is a stark reminder of nature’s instability and the consequences of industrial advancements.
7. Ghost Town of Frenier, Lake Pontchartrain
The town is located on the banks of Lake Ponchartrain on the edge of the Maurepas Swamp and is home to the legend of Julia Brown, a voodoo healer who is said to have cursed the town and, in doing so, caused a natural disaster. A hurricane destroyed the town in 1915, leading to its abandonment. Guided tours of the ghost town and its surroundings are offered, and visitors are warned to be mindful of the swamp’s alligators.
8. Manchac Swamp, New Orleans
Located between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, Manchac Swamp is supposedly cursed by voodoo healer Julia Brown. Known as one of the most haunted locations in Louisiana, the swamp has a 22.8-mile-long concrete bridge over it, one of the world’s longest bridges. The swamp can be visited by crossing the bridge or, for the more adventurous, exploring on a kayak tour.
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