Updated in September 2026, this Acadian Village guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, parking, accessibility and what to see.
Acadian Village is a 10-acre living history village in Lafayette, Louisiana, owned and operated by LARC, a nonprofit supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Self-guided admission currently costs $11 for adults and $9 for students (ages 5–17), with all proceeds benefiting LARC’s community programs. This guide was updated in September 2026 and reflects those current prices, along with the village’s Monday-to-Saturday hours. Seven of the eleven buildings on site are authentic 19th-century homes, donated by the families whose ancestors once occupied them and moved piece by piece to the village.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Mon–Sat 10am–4pm; closed Sundays |
| Ticket prices | Adult $11; Senior (60+) $10; Student (5–17) $9; Military $5; under 4 free |
| Address | 200 Greenleaf Drive, Lafayette, LA 70506 |
| Nearest transport/parking | On-site parking |
| Typical time needed | 1 to 1.5 hours |
Acadian Village opening hours
Acadian Village is open Monday through Saturday, from 10am to 4pm.
- Closed on Sundays and major holidays; calling ahead to confirm is recommended before your visit.
- During December, Noël Acadien au Village adds special ticketed nighttime hours (5:30pm–9pm) on top of the normal daytime hours, which continue to use regular admission.
Because the schedule doesn’t shift seasonally outside of December, the same Monday-to-Saturday hours apply for most of the year.
Acadian Village ticket prices
Self-guided admission costs $11 for adults.
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | $11.00 |
| Senior (60+) | $10.00 |
| Student (5–17) | $9.00 |
| U.S. Military (valid ID) | $5.00 |
| Children (4 & under) | Free |
Guided group tours cost $15 per adult. Groups of 30 or more pay no extra guide fee; smaller groups pay a $35 guide fee. Guided tours must be booked in advance and are offered in English and French.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in September 2026. You can check current details on the official Acadian Village site.
Acadian Village is not part of a commercial city pass scheme such as Go City or CityPASS; no such multi-attraction pass currently operates in the Lafayette area.
How to get to Acadian Village
Acadian Village stands at 200 Greenleaf Drive, on LARC’s 32-acre campus in Lafayette.
The site is a short drive from downtown Lafayette and easily reached from I-10.
Parking at Acadian Village
On-site parking is available at the village entrance.
How long to spend at Acadian Village
Most visitors spend 1 to 1.5 hours at Acadian Village exploring the 11 buildings on a self-guided tour.
Add extra time if you book a guided tour, which runs in both English and French and gives more context on each building’s history. Visitors combining a trip with nearby Vermilionville should plan for at least half a day to see both sites comfortably.
Accessibility at Acadian Village
Contact the village in advance to arrange for specific accessibility needs, since pathways cross grass and can be uneven or muddy after rain.
- Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate shoes, especially in wet conditions.
- Only registered service animals are allowed on the property; other pets are not permitted.
- The village layout is mostly open pathways between buildings, though some historic homes have raised, uneven entries typical of 19th-century construction.
What to see at Acadian Village
Created in the early 1970s by Dr. Norman Heard, Bob Lowe and Glen Conrad, Acadian Village transformed 10 acres of farmland into a shaded 1800s Cajun village with a bayou running through it.
The Bernard House, the oldest structure in the village, was built around 1800 in St. Martinville, with a c.1840 addition. Inside, murals by Louisiana artist Robert Dafford depict the Acadian exile from Nova Scotia and their resettlement along Louisiana’s bayous.
The Doctor’s Museum, built in 1890, was once the office of Dr. Hypolite Salles, Lafayette’s first resident dentist, and now displays period medical and dental instruments and furnishings.
At the Billeaud House, moved from a sugar plantation in Broussard, visitors can see a 150-year-old original loom used for spinning and weaving demonstrations.
The LeBlanc House is the birthplace of Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc, the Cajun politician who created the popular Hadacol tonic, and displays memorabilia from his life.
A replica blacksmith shop and the New Hope Chapel, a reproduction of an 1850s Acadian chapel with a 150-year-old pew and hand-carved Stations of the Cross, round out the village.
Every December, Noël Acadien au Village transforms the site into one of the region’s best-known Christmas lighting displays.
Throughout the homes, furnishings reflect the ingenuity of early Acadian builders, who made almost everything locally due to the difficulty of transporting materials. Look for cypress furniture, four-poster beds with mosquito-bar canopies, and religious shrines on mantelpieces, all typical of a 19th-century Acadian household.
Practical visitor tips
| Focus | Tip |
|---|---|
| Entry process | Call ahead to confirm the village is open before visiting, especially around holidays. |
| Layout | Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate shoes, since paths can be uneven or muddy after rain. |
| Timing | Book a guided tour in advance if you want a French-language or guided experience. |
| Crowds | Visit in December for Noël Acadien au Village, though nighttime hours need a separate ticket. |
| On-site logistics | Bring cash or a card, since credit card payments carry a processing fee. |
Frequently asked questions about Acadian Village
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Acadian Village open on Sundays? | No, it’s closed on Sundays. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance? | No for self-guided visits, but guided tours must be scheduled ahead. |
| Are pets allowed at Acadian Village? | No, only registered service animals are permitted. |
| Is there a military discount at Acadian Village? | Yes, U.S. military with valid ID pay $5 admission. |
| What is Noël Acadien au Village? | It’s the village’s annual December Christmas lighting event, held during separately ticketed evening hours alongside normal daytime opening. |
Things to do near Acadian Village
- Vermilionville – another Cajun and Creole living history museum, roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ drive.
- Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist – a historic downtown cathedral, roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ drive.
- Acadiana Center for the Arts – a downtown venue for visual and performing arts, roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ drive.
- Lafayette Science Museum – a downtown science centre and planetarium, roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ drive.
- Children’s Museum of Acadiana – a hands-on museum for younger visitors, roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ drive.
Alternative attractions
- Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, St. Martinville, LA – Louisiana’s oldest state park, centred on an 1815 Creole plantation home, roughly 30 minutes’ drive.
- LSU Rural Life Museum, Baton Rouge, LA – a collection of historic Louisiana buildings and folklife exhibits, roughly 1 to 1.25 hours’ drive.
- Oak Alley Plantation, Vacherie, LA – a 19th-century plantation famous for its oak-lined driveway, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours’ drive.
- Laura Plantation, Vacherie, LA – a Creole plantation with a focus on the enslaved and free people who lived there, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours’ drive.
- Whitney Plantation, Wallace, LA – a museum centred on the lives of enslaved people in Louisiana, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours’ drive.
More Louisiana travel
Other Louisiana travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- What to know before visiting St Joseph Plantation, Felicity Plantation and Laura Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana.
- Practical guides to visiting the historic house museums of New Orleans: The BK House, Gallier House and Hermann-Grima House.
- Plan your visit to the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans.
- Practical guide to visiting Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.
- 9 New Orleans tours worth booking – and which to skip.
