Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Welcome to the audio-described version of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve's official print brochure. Through text and audio descriptions of photos, illustrations, and maps, this version interprets the two-sided color brochure that Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve visitors receive.

This audio version lasts about 58 minutes, which we have divided into five sections, as a way to improve the listening experience.

Sections one through three cover the front of the brochure and include information about how the environmental and cultural landscapes of Southeastern Louisiana were shaped.

Sections four through five cover the back of the brochure which describes maps of the different units of the park, and highlights places to go and recreational opportunities to help you plan your visit.

 The top of the unigrid's front page features a black bar stretching from one edge of the page to the other. Within the black bar is white text labeling the park's name, the National Park Service and its parents agency, and an arrowhead symbol.

Below the black back is a banner spanning the length of the brochure with a collage of places and people throughout the park and in the region. Each image is divided by white boarders. Below and overlapping the bottom of those images are a line of different people participating in different activities, and a Brown Pelican, the state bird of Louisiana. 

The front side of the brochure dives into the diversity of the southeastern Louisiana region that can be discovered throughout all park units of Jean Lafitte. Text in this section will introduce visitors to a shortened history of how the region came to be, shaped by both natural and cultural forces. Seen below and beneath the introductory text is iconic Louisiana imagery, including a color photo of the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, which takes up a large portion of the first page. Other images include, traditional Mardi Gras mask, an accordion, an alligator, Mardi Gras beads, and boats traversing different waterways. 

The next section at the bottom of the front side features text and black and white historic photographs focusing on the different meanings of Creole and Cajun people, and an abbreviated history of their cultures. 

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is a unit of the National Park System, managed by the National Park Service, within the Department of the Interior. This park is six unique sites spread across Southeastern Louisiana.

The park's namesake is the legendary privateer Jean Lafitte, who, with his Baratarian pirates, operated and hid amongst the swamps of the park's Preserve south of New Orleans. Lafitte and his men also had a large role in the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans on the Chalmette Battlefield, a site within the park. While the idea of pirates may invoke images of treasures and material riches, the park showcases that true treasures are people, places and memories.

Each unit of the park is unique in its focus, but they all reflect a places where culture comes alive, and where the environment around you can change with the weather. 

The Acadian Cultural Center features a mix of permanent and special exhibits, an award-winning film, ranger talks, and programs share the history, customs, language, and contemporary culture of the Acadians who became Louisiana's Cajuns.

The Barataria Preserve is the largest park of Jean Lafitte. It immerses visitors in a truly wild wetland. Outdoor activities abound at the 26,000-acre Preserve, and includes a visitor center with dioramas, exhibits, and hands-on displays.

The Chalmette Battlefield served as the stage for one of the most important military engagements in United States' history: the Battle of New Orleans. In the space where Andrew Jackson commanded some 4,000 troops to the definitive victory in the War of 1812, come see where history comes alive. Explore the reconstructed American rampart, an 1830s house, 100-foot-high Chalmette Monument, and much more. 

The French Quarter Visitor Center is where visitors can find the answer to the question, what makes New Orleans such a vibrant, lively and unique place? Experience one of America's most distinctive cultural mixes and rich in food, music, architecture, and more. 

The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center shares the stories of Acadian exiles from Canada's Nova Scotia, who settled Louisiana's prairies developed a distinctive cultural mix of Cajun, Creole, and cowboy. The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center tells this story through ranger programs, exhibits, and films. The center features cooking and crafts demonstrations, local musicians, and dancing for all.

The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center educates about the lifeways of the Acadians who settled along Louisiana's bayous, and the Cajun culture based on living in a watery realm. Learn about this unique culture through film, music, exhibits and boat tours of Bayou Lafourche.

These park sites come together and share the story of a place where change is the only constant. From the waterways that shape the land in new patterns to the never-ending balancing act between old ways and new ideas.

All sites are free to visit.

To find out more about what resources might be available or to contact the park directly, visit the "Accessibility" and "More Information" sections at the end of this audio-described brochure.

DESCRIBING: A page-wide black bar at the top of the unigrid.

SYNOPSIS: The standard black bar found on all official National Park Service publications, that includes text identifying the park and the National Park Service arrowhead.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: A black bar, seen on all official National Park Service (NPS) brochures, stretches from the left to right edges on top of the page. On the far left side of the black bar, at the edge of the page, white text reads "Jean Lafitte". Near the center of the black bar, text reads "Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve." Under this text, "Louisiana" is listed as the state in which the park resides. Further to the right, more white text reads "National Park Service," printed underneath is "U.S. Department of the Interior". Just left, at the edge of the bar, is the image of the NPS Arrowhead, the official logo symbol of the NPS. The arrowhead is pointed downwards, and has a brown rugged texture as the background. Near the top of the arrowhead and to the right are the words, "National Park Service" in white. Beneath the text is the outline of a snow-capped mountain. To the right is a large dark green tree silhouette. Stretching from side to side behind the trunk of the large tree is a tree line in the same shade of dark green. A white lake is below the tree line, and at the bottom centered is a white bison. 

DESCRIBING: A collage of color photographs.

SYNOPSIS: A swampy environment that fades to white at the bottom, and reveals pictures of three different individuals spread out across the bottom of the frame.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The background image is a filled with tall bald cypress trees and a brushy green understory. Soft sunlight filters in through the tops of the trees, while most of the undergrowth remains in shade.

At the bottom, the image fades to white, and three different individuals are displayed across the bottom over a white background. All three men are looking forward, and are visible from the waist up.

The first individual on the far left is a dark-skinned male dressed in an elaborate costume and appears to be playing a tambourine. He is smiling slightly and has long black hair hanging down past his shoulders. The tambourine is raised and obstructing a part of his face. He is wearing a patterned and vibrant green costume. On top of his head is an emerald green hat with colorful circle designs all around the brim of the hat and the top.  His shirt is long sleeved, emerald green and has similar circular patterned designs going down the length of his arms. The tambourine he holds is half light brown, half silver, with silver metal discs inset in the circumference of the tambourine.

The central figure is an elderly white man with short gray hair who displays a focused expression as he appears to be playing an instrument. He is wearing a blue and white vertical stripped button-down shirt, and black pants. He is holding a small, thin wooden board instrument against his left collarbone like a fiddle. His right hand is raising a long draw bow across the wooden board to play music. 

The man on the far right is smiling with his lips while holding a circular tray in front of his body, waist high. The tray is piled high with boiled crawfish and a cob of corn. Boiled crawfish are a traditional dish in Louisiana culture. He is wearing a gray ball cap with a red symbol on the top and a gray t shirt. A white collar of an undershirt is just visible at the base of the man's neck underneath his gray shirt. 

To the right of all images is a white bar, separating this set of photos from the next in the collage of images. 

CAPTION: A bald cypress swamp in Barataria Preserve

CREDIT: Copyright C.C. Lockwood / Copyright Jenny Bagert / Copyright Philip Gould / Copyright

DESCRIBING: A collage of color photographs.

SYNOPSIS: The background photograph shows a group of people riding horses and celebrating traditional Mardi Gras activities. The image fades to white at the bottom, where the image of a chef holding a dish is featured on the left side. On the bottom right, a musician is playing a clarinet which is pointed upwards.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Part of a series of banner collage photographs. From top to bottom, the background image shows a group of people riding saddled horses of different colors. The riders are in colorful costumes and are facing forward as they travel down a dusty road surrounded by tall trees. Most of the riders in the group wear costumes or purple, green and gold, the traditional colors of Mardi Gras. Some riders wear different colors like white, red, or navy blue. All riders have costume hats on. Most of the hats are cone-shaped with tips pointing to the sky. Some of the hats are flat top hats. 

The bottom of the image fades to white, where two individuals are pictures below. The figure on the right is a man of Asian descent facing forward, slightly angled to the right. He is dressed in a white chef jacket with six gray buttons. Three buttons on the left and three buttons on the right go from the top of his chest down. He is holding a dish in front of his lower torso. The center of the white plate is a pile of food topped with shredded cheeses and greens. A flavored sauce is wrapped around the food in a floral decorative pattern with drops of sauce around the plate. Food is a staple part of Southeastern Louisiana cultures.

To the right of the chef is the profile of a musician of African descent. The musician is facing left and playing a black clarinet that is pointed upwards to the left top of the page. Long black curly hair cascades down the musician's back. This person is wearing a sky blue shirt, a black and turquoise watch on the left wrist, and a silver band ring on the left ring finger. The clarinet is a popular jazz instrument.

CAPTION: Costumed riders during Cajun Mardi Gras

CREDIT: Copyright Philip Gould / Sydney Byrd

DESCRIBING: A small color photograph.

SYNOPSIS: Three separate individuals are superimposed over an image of a coastal marsh. From left to right, a Black man, a Caucasian teenager, and a young Caucasian boy are pictured in a row. 

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Three separate individuals are superimposed over an image of a coastal marsh. Over the marsh, a pale blue sky with scattered white clouds constitutes approximately one third of this background image. The other two-thirds of the background image is taken up by the coastal marsh itself, with waterways winding around islands of tall golden yellow marsh grass. Shallow water reflects the pale blue of the sky above, while deeper water darkens to a true ocean blue.

From left to right, the three separate individuals superimposed over this background in a row are a Black man, a Caucasian teenager, and a Caucasian boy. The Black man, with cropped black hair, wears a white suit and stands facing to the right. He squints with effort as he actively plays a golden saxophone with a metallic sheen, which is strapped over his shoulder with a black strap.

The Caucasian teenager, standing, faces forward and looks down, such that the viewer cannot make eye contact. His short brown hair appears slicked to his head, as if he has just emerged from the marsh behind him. He is shirtless and wears blue- and red-striped swim trunks and holds a large red crawfish in his hands while wearing black gloves. The crawfish’s reddish claws hang over the teenager’s hands.

Lastly, the Caucasian boy wears a wide brimmed light beige cowboy hat, a blue and white plaid short-sleeved shirt, and blue jeans fastened with a brown leather belt. He stands facing to the right and seems to gaze off into the distance. He plays a dark green accordion with a silver crawfish painted on its bellows. The accordion is strapped to him while his right hand rests on the keys.

CAPTION: Coastal marsh, where Gulf meets delta

CREDIT: D. Donne Bryant / Sydney Byrd

DESCRIBING: A collage of color photographs of people. 

SYNOPSIS: The photograph that makes up the background of the collage is of re- enactors firing muskets. Layered above this photograph are two portraits taken from other photographs and superimposed on top. The portrait on the left is that of a girl with short brown hair playing the fiddle. On the right is a portrait of an African American person dressed predominantly in red holding a bundle of sugar cane. 

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Park volunteers are dressed in replica uniforms of United States infantry during the War of 1812. They are performing a historic weapons demonstration standing behind a re- creation of a fortified earthwork that formed the American defensive line during the Battle of New Orleans. Three of these men are firing replica muzzle loading flintlock muskets: smoke and fire shoot from the long barrels and firing mechanisms. The other four men are not directly visible but for the barrels of their muskets. They cradle the butt end of the gun in their left hands, the barrel resting against their left shoulder, and barrels pointed sky wards.

The men are dressed in single breasted dark blue wool coats with metallic buttons, dark grey wool pants, and black hats. The hats vary in style. The man closest to the camera wears a stove pipe hat, and then down the line they wear bicorne hats and brimmed military shakos. A couple of them have a singular red feather tucked into their hat bands.

The earthwork in front of them is waist high and reinforced by wooden boards made of bald cypress, a tree native to Louisiana and known for its rot resistant properties. The men are flanked on either side by bronze cannons positioned on field carriages, which are painted sky blue. In the distance, stretching across the entire image, is the tree line that borders Chalmette Battlefield.

Superimposed upon this picture are two portraits. The first, on the left side, is a young white girl playing the fiddle. She moves with energy. Her straight, dark brown hair, cut into a bob, is thrown over part of her face and to her left as she plays. Her cheeks are flushed red from her movement. She looks directly at the camera and wears a cheery, light yellow button down shirt with short sleeves and a black skirt patterned with alternating diagonal wide stripes of black and motifs of red florals.

The second, on the right side is an African American person holding a bundle of sugar cane. They are wearing a red shirt with a yellow apron and a red handkerchief is tied around their head. They hold the tan and green bundle of sugar cane with both arms diagonally across their torso. 

CAPTION: Living history commemoration of the Battle of New Orleans at Chalmette Battlefield

CREDIT: Copyright Alex Demyan / Chandra McCormick

DESCRIBING: A small, square color photograph.

SYNOPSIS: Three figures superimposed on a photograph of the corner of a New Orleans building with cast iron tracery, which is an ornamental and intricate framework of metal that adorns both the top and bottom of a balcony. For the figures, on the left, there is an older man and woman standing together. In the middle, there is a man representing a Choctaw Native American. On the right, there is a pelican.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The building in the background appears at golden hour, with the shadows of the cast iron tracery casting onto the wall of the building. The cast iron tracery on the balcony contains geometric and nature inspired elements. There is a window with two shutters on the building.

The older man and woman are standing together on the left as the man appears to be standing at the helm of a boat. He is wearing a blue and white plaid button down shirt and a black jacket that is unzipped. The woman is wearing a zipped black jacket and a black wide brimmed hat that covers most of her hair. 

The man in the middle is a living historical portrayal of a Choctaw Native American, wearing a red coat with black trimming and gold accents, with a knife hanging from his chest and a brown messenger bag. 

On the right, there is a pelican which is a large bird with a long and thin bill, a yellow crest, a white neck, and grey and black plumage covering its body. The pelican’s beak is pressed down to its neck.

CAPTION: Cast iron tracery gives the French Quarter a 19th century air.

CREDIT: Copyright Sydney Byrd / Philip Gould / Alex Demyan

DESCRIBING: A color photo of Saint Louis Cathedral with iconic New Orleans items superimposed on it-.

SYNOPSIS: Saint Louis Cathedral behind Jackson Square from the view of Decatur Street. There is a Mardi Gras mask, accordion, bead necklaces, and an alligator superimposed over the image.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Saint Louis Cathedral behind Jackson Square is viewed from Decatur Street in the French Quarter. The sky above is gray, indicating either twilight, or dusk. The cathedral is surrounded by other buildings; the Cabildo on its right side, and the Presbytère on its left. Both these buildings almost mirror each other, with black roofs, white framed windows, and tan colored stucco. Only portions of the tops of these buildings are visible; the rest is obstructed by trees in the foreground.

The front face of the cathedral is large and covered by white stucco. There are three black architectural turrets pointing to the sky; one on the right, one in the center and one on the left. Metal crosses adorn the tip of each turret. There are 19 arch style windows spanning the face of the building, covered by dark wooden shutters. A large clock displaying a time of five, forty five is in the center near the top of the face of the cathedral.

In the foreground of the building is a public space, Jackson Square. A large equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson is in the center of the square. The statue depicts Jackson riding a horse and holding a hat in the air. The horse is standing on its hind legs and has reins held by Jackson’s left hand. It is made of bronze on top of a gray stone base. It was erected in 1856 in honor of Andrew Jackson’s leadership in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.

The statue is surrounded by pavement laid in a circle around the central statue. There are 15 illuminated street lights and various plants including tall and short trees, shrubbery, and flowers scattered throughout the square. A large silver flag pole rises up into the sky bearing an American flag. The entire square is surrounded by a rod iron fence and closed gated. The fence has patterns at the bottom, and a fleur-de-lis at the top of each rod. Fluer-de-lis is a French symbol that resembles a lily with three petals. Just beyond the gates and in the center of the pavement is a large raised black flower pot filled with small pink flowers.

Multiple iconic New Orleans items are superimposed on the image above the cathedral in the sky. To the left above the cathedral is a gold sequined Mardi Gras mask adorned with tall black feathers. Only a portion of the mask is visible. Directly above the cathedral and stretching the length of the sky and weaving around are three Mardi Gras bead necklaces. From top to bottom, the necklaces are green, gold and purple. To the right of the cathedral is a small brown accordion, and to the right of that is a small image of a gray and tan alligator lying on its stomach. Just above the cathedral is a gray, transparent fleur-de-lis.

CAPTION: Saint Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square.

CREDIT: Sydney Byrd

RELATED TEXT: Louisiana’s Mississippi River Delta conjures images of a spirited culture and places of haunting beauty. It is a world shaped by a dynamic, centuries-old relationship between humans and a still-evolving land. Here a succession of peoples has both altered and adapted to the environment as they interacted with other cultures—changing and being changed. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve tells the story of this land and its culture that together show one of the most interesting faces of the American experience. Cajun Mardi Gras—Costumed horseback riders begging farmers for a chicken destined for the communal gumbo; egrets floating over the marshes of the Barataria estuary, its expanse broken by scattered fishing camps on stilts; the rampart at Chalmette Battlefield, where it is easy to imagine 5,000 British soldiers charging into a withering barrage of shot and shell; New Orleans, where a stroll feeds the senses—the keen aromas of gumbo or hot beignets drifting from French Quarter cafes, staccato tap dancing in the street, the endless trove of goods at the French Market, the glittering Mississippi seen from atop the levee. And the music—one is borne through the day on music, from jazz clubs on Bourbon Street to a Cajun two-step at the Liberty Theatre in Eunice; from accordion-driven zydeco to street-corner blues. How did such an endlessly fascinating place come to be?

First there was the land, the creation of the Mississippi River. At the end of its journey, the river deposits sediment scoured from 40 percent of the continental United States. The delta is a restless interplay of land and water: treeless marshes, distributary channels, slow-moving bayous, forested natural levees, freshwater swamps, and barrier islands. A small swath of the delta within the Barataria Preserve encompasses some of these natural features and a history of human activity. American Indians settled this land as it formed some 2,500 years ago. Beginning in the 1720s European settlers and enslaved Africans took their place among the Indians, inscribing on the face of the delta—alongside ritual earthen mounds and ancient shell middens—plantation fields, artificial levees, logging canals, trappers’ ditches, and oil pipelines.

Just as soil washed from a huge watershed shapes the delta, people from all over the world shaped the remarkable delta culture. After founding the Louisiana colony in 1699, France laid down the basic cultural rhythms. Religion, language, law, architecture, music, food—all echo their French origins. Other groups contributed different rhythms, different overtones: Chitimacha, Houma, and other tribes; Canadian French; German settlers. Enslaved people from West Africa contributed their labor, agricultural practices, and culture. During the Spanish rule of Louisiana from 1763 to 1800, Spanish-speaking Isleños (Canary Islanders) and French-speaking free people of color from the Caribbean began arriving in the delta. French Acadians, driven from Nova Scotia by the British, settled the bayous and prairies.

Facing an influx of Americans and immigrants after the Louisiana Purchase, French-speaking, mostly Catholic, residents called themselves “Creoles” to distinguish native from newcomer. At the Battle of New Orleans, diverse groups found common cause under Gen. Andrew Jackson, driving back the British in the last battle of the War of 1812. The victory secured the Louisiana Territory for westward expansion, bolstered national pride, and gained the United States respect abroad.

Before the Battle of New Orleans, Jean Lafitte commanded a large confederation of smugglers and privateers based in Barataria Bay. Though long hounded by American authorities for smuggling slaves and goods, he joined forces with Jackson in the battle, providing men, artillery, and information. Pardoned for his service, he slipped from the pages of history and lingers only in delta legend.

DESCRIBING: A color photograph of a Mardi Gras mask–.

SYNOPSIS:  A golden and jeweled Mardi Gras style half mask. The top of the mask is crowned by layers of short, medium and long gold and brown feathers. Two different pairs of transparent bead necklaces are visible above the top of the mask–.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: A Mardi Gras mask facing forward; part of left side of the mask is cut off by the page edge. Traditionally worn for Carnival Season, it is designed to cover the upper half of the face.

Above the mask, two pairs of transparent Mardi Gras bead necklaces are visible. The beads are round in appearance, like pearls, and are strung together by string. The top pair is green and wraps under the gold pair of beads below it. 

From the top down, rooster tail feathers are pointing up, but some also curve downwards. They are long, glossy, and iridescent, in shades of yellow, gold and brown. Below is a short layer of rich yellow–golden spotted guinea hen feathers. 

The face of the mask is made of a rigid, textured material that is sculpted to follow the contours of the wearer’s face and nose, with almond shaped cutouts for the wearer’s eyes. The face of the mask is metallic gold and showcases an intricate raised pattern that resembles ornate filigree. Opaque silver rhinestone gems surround the eyes, with a larger gem prominently centered on the outer trim just below the feathers.

A long black grosgrain ribbon is attached where the mask would touch the wearer’s temples. The ribbon cascades from the visible side of the mask. These ribbons are used to secure the mask to the wearer’s face–.

CAPTION: Mardi Gras celebrants have masked in New Orleans since the seventeen hundreds. Formal parades and the practice of paraders throwing beads and trinkets began in the eighteen seventies.

CREDIT: NPS / Angela Faulkner

DESCRIBING: A color photograph of an accordion. 

SYNOPSIS: A red rectangular wooden accordion is superimposed over an image of the Saint Louis Cathedral and a gold bead necklace.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The accordion is angled slightly to the left and casts a shadow to the bottom left. At the top are four circular knobs that look like pushpins. Below the knobs, on the front, the word "Cajun" is engraved in gold and surrounded by swirly gold designs. In the center, below the word Cajun, ten gold and red horizontal rectangular keys are arranged in a row and reach the bottom of the instrument.  Each key has a silver button attached to the left side. The right side of the instrument is a black bellow trimmed with white on the top and bottom. A brown leather strap sticks out on the left side of the box. Near the bottom on the righthand side, there are golden engravements of flowers that look almost like fireworks.

CAPTION: Accordion and alligator: icons of the delta world—the accordion because its driving rhythm under-pins Cajun and zydeco music; the alligator as top predator in the bayou ecosystem.

CREDIT: Les Riess

DESCRIBING: A color photograph of an alligator.

SYNOPSIS: A large, black and tan alligator lies on its stomach with its legs spread out and spines along its back.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: A large, dark gray alligator with flecks of mud on its back and tail has its closed mouth pointing down towards the bottom of the page. Its long tail curves towards the top right of the page and the tip of the tail is cut off by the page edge. The alligator's entire body is covered in rough skin and has bumpy protrusions. Three of the alligator's four legs are extending outward away from its body, while one is tucked underneath its underbelly. The legs are scaley and wrinkled in appearance. And the end of its front two legs, there are eight sharp claws, four on each foot. Its face is long and wide, with two oval nostrils perched atop the end of its snout. One black beady eye is visible while the other is obstructed by its shadow.

CAPTION: Accordion and alligator: icons of the delta world—the accordion because its driving rhythm under-pins Cajun and zydeco music; the alligator as top predator in the bayou ecosystem.

CREDIT: Copyright Sydney Byrd

DESCRIBING: A horizontal rectangular color photograph.

SYNOPSIS: The photograph captures a sunset over a barge floating on the Mississippi River with a shoreline behind it.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The sky is blended with shades of pink, purple and orange while streaks of purple clouds are interspersed throughout. The sun is in the center of the photograph and appears as a bright orange half circle with the top half of the sun obscured by a layer of clouds. The sun sits just above the silhouette of a distant tree covered shoreline. The water is relatively calm with small ripples that reflect the colors of the sky. Moving slowly from right to left, the barge forms a small wake behind it. It is dark and silhouetted, with few details visible. The barge consists of a low, flat cargo deck and a taller structure, possibly a control cabin, at the front of the vessel. A mast and a few antennas extend up from the front structure. This robust vessel is intended for transporting heavy cargo along the river.

CAPTION: Conduit for goods, people, and culture, the Mississippi River made New Orleans a great port and the delta one of the most diverse regions in the country. Though tamed by levees and spillways, the river retains its power to unleash floods or build new land.

CREDIT: Copyright C. C. Lockwood

DESCRIBING: A colored horizontal photograph.

SYNOPSIS: This image captures a lush, green forest landscape of The Winding Bayous during daytime. Three people paddle through a calm, narrow waterway in a canoe. Bald cypress draped with Spanish moss stand throughout the scene, and delicate purple flowers bloom along the water’s edge.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The foreground of the picture is filled with tall green grasses and wildflowers, predominantly purple irises with delicate, curved petals. These flowers sway gently, their color standing out against the sea of green.

Moving further into the scene, the middle ground is occupied by a winding waterway, reflecting the surrounding greenery. Three individuals, seen from the left-back side, are paddling through in a white canoe. The person sitting at the front of the canoe wears a blue long-sleeved shirt and a bucket hat. They appear relaxed, gazing at the surroundings. The person sitting at the stern of the canoe wears a white shirt and a sun hat. They are gripping a wooden paddle as they guide the boat. A child wearing a bright yellow and orange life vest and a bucket hat is in the middle of the boat.

The background of the picture is dominated by towering cypress trees with their greyish trunks rising from the water. Spanish moss drapes from the branches. The dense, tangled canopy of the trees creates a hidden space within the forest.

Above, soft sunlight reflects on the water and plants, adding to the tranquility of the setting.

CAPTION: The bayous of the Barataria Preserve wind slowly through giant blue iris and bald cypress draped with Spanish moss. The word “bayou,” borrowed by the French from the Choctaw Indians, is usually applied to the slow-moving rivers and creeks of the flat delta country.

CREDIT: Copyright Alex Demyan

TEXT: Creoles and Cajuns—names romanticized, stereotyped, and misunderstood. Visitors are deluged with the words, all too often used to sell something rather than convey meaning about a people and their culture. Who are Creoles and Cajuns, and what do the names mean? Today various groups in Louisiana describe themselves as Creole—often claiming exclusive rights to the term. All have legitimate ties to that heritage. The distinction dates to the early eighteen hundreds, when Louisiana ceased to be a European colony and became a possession of the United States. Creole originally meant “born in the New World.” Whether people were of French, Spanish, African, Or German heritage, it meant “us” — French-speaking and native born. “They” were Americans or European immigrants arriving in droves at the port of New Orleans, speaking not French but English or their native tongues. They were outsiders bent on changing the Creole way of life. Times change, meanings blur, and people’s sense of themselves evolves. But “Creole” retains its old meaning as an adjective describing the food, music, and customs of those areas of Louisiana settled during French colonial times. In a sense, despite the overwhelming Americanization of Louisiana, the original Creoles won. Visitors come to experience Creole, to experience what sets this place apart: Mardi Gras and red beans, jazz and joie de vivre. Whoever came here, — English, African, Irish, Italian, Chinese, Filipino, Croatian, Honduran, or Vietnamese, — contributed to Creole culture and in turn were shaped by it. From their arrival in the late seventeen hundreds the Acadians, or “Cajuns,” were a people apart. Mostly small farmers and craftspeople, they settled in the bayou country, where their isolation was compounded by their distinctive dialect and their fierce loyalty to family and place. Urbane New Orleanians saw them as quaint and rustic, subjects of humor. Driven by hard times to seek other livelihoods, Cajuns pioneered new ways to live off the bounty of the delta landscape. In this they were joined by other groups who helped shape the culture we now know as Cajun. No longer isolated, their culture is admired worldwide—even in New Orleans.

DESCRIBING: A small, black-and-white photograph.

SYNOPSIS: A woman stands inside a sheltered area and holds a pan by its handle with both hands. 

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: In the foreground of the photograph, an older woman in profile stands inside of a structure, wearing a short-sleeved, vertically striped dress. Her hair is pulled back revealing her weathered skin with wrinkles on her face and neck. She holds a deep, black pan by its long handle with both hands and the pan tipped on its side, such that the viewer could see inside the pan if it were not devoid of all light. A lid with holes strategically punched in it appears to be attached to the pan and hangs open. She holds it over a wide and shallow shiny metallic bowl, which sits atop a wooden counter. Within the bowl sits a pile of roasted coffee beans.

In the background, a two story white house, with windows visible on the second story and a gable roof, stands next to tall, leafy trees.

CAPTION: Pan-roasting coffee beans, 1946

CREDIT: Arnold Eagle, University of Louisville Photographic Archives

DESCRIBING: A landscape oriented black and white photograph.

SYNOPSIS: The subject of the photograph is a man on a rectangular flatboat in the bayous of Louisiana. 

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: A man stands on the front of a small flatboat in the Louisiana bayou. Long, thin trees grow out of the water that surrounds him. He is dressed in a long sleeved button down shirt with pockets at the chest, high waisted pants and belt, and dark shoes. He wears a cap. In his right hand he holds a long pole that he uses to move his boat through the murky water. His flatboat is small, several feet longer than it is wide. The vast majority of the boat is taken up by a large triangular wooden structure that is highest at the stern of the boat, and then descends on either side. The structure is used for stacking Spanish moss as it is gathered from the bayou, and in this picture it is mostly full. The grey curly tendrils of Spanish moss hang off the side of the boat, trailing into the water.

CAPTION: Picking Spanish moss, nineteen forties.

CREDIT: Copyright Elemore Morgan, Sr.

DESCRIBING:  A small, black-and-white photograph.

SYNOPSIS: A group of people, two children, four adults, and one elder, gather on the front steps of a music club. They appear to be of African descent.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION:  To the left of the man in the center playing accordion, another man holds a baby, a young child stands beside them, and another man stands beside them with his hands at his hips. These men are wearing light collared shirts and black slacks, and the man holding the baby wears tall rubber boots. To the right of the man with the accordion, an older man, wearing a vest and black slacks, sits nearby and chats with another man sitting beside them who is wearing a cowboy hat and overalls. 

Behind the group of people, hanging on the wall of the music club, there is a poster reading “Buck Wheat” with a thumbs up symbol and heart on it. The music club is a brick building, and the poster hangs in between a window and an open doorway. Inside the doorway, a single light bulb on the ceiling is illuminated.

CAPTION: New father plays for his son on the steps of his music club, 1974.

CREDIT: Copyright Nicholas R. Spitzer

Side two of the brochure is made up of two sections. The first section on the top of the brochure is titled "Shaping a New Land", which explains how the Mississippi River created the land that makes up the Lower Mississippi River Delta over thousands of years. Below this block of text is a satellite map showing the southern portion of the state of Louisiana and the western edge of the state of Mississippi. The map shows the locations of the six sites of the park throughout the state, emphasizing major highways and waterways. 

The second section of the map is titled "The Six Sites of Jean Lafitte". Inlaid maps show the environs of each park site and give directions, recreational activities, and contact information for each site. Small illustrations and photographs at the bottom edge of the brochure depict Cajun culture and the iconic New Orleans sandwich the po'boy. 

DESCRIBING: A horizontal rectangular color illustration.

SYNOPSIS: This image is a cross-sectional illustration of a landscape that highlights the relationship between rivers, levees, and surrounding swamp areas.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: A blue, narrow water channel labeled “River” runs through the center of the photo. On both sides of the river, there are raised, dark brown mounds labeled “Natural Levees”. Two thin black lines connect the label to the mounds. Beyond the levee on the right side of the image, the land becomes lower and flatter. It is labeled as “Swamp”. The swamp is represented by a mix of short amber vegetation and taller green shrubs. The other side of the river also has green shrubs on and around the levee. The sky above the river, levees, and vegetation is light gray.

CAPTION: Natural levees along river and bayou provided higher land for farms and towns. Once forest was cleared, human settlement followed the narrow courses of the levees, leading to a pattern of linear settlement where waterways were the main corridors of transportation.

Related Text: The Mississippi River delta is some of the youngest land in North America. The deltaic sediments that underlie the New Orleans region are less than 4,000 years old. Natural processes — deposition of new sediment, erosion, subsidence (settling of, sediment), — maintained a healthy equilibrium between land and water at delta’s edge. Human engineering has upset the balance, blocking sedimentation and increasing coastal erosion. Rising sea levels due to climate change are accelerating the loss — a football field’s worth of land every 45 minutes.
 
Before artificial levees and jetties, the Mississippi and its distributary branches built land in two ways. Spring floods overflowed river banks. The heaviest particles of the waterborne sediment settled on the bank; the rest spread out gradually. This process created natural levees (left) along the flanks of the waterways. The land, highest near the river, sloped gradually down the back of the levee to freshwater swamps and finally marshes. The soils got wetter as the levee sloped downward. Oaks and other hardwoods dominated the highest ground; maple, ash, and palmetto the backslope; bald cypress and water tupelo the swamp; with grasses, sedges, and rushes in the marsh.
 
The second process of delta-building occurs at the mouth of the river, where great plumes of sediment are deposited in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico as the current slows. Deposits build up into mud flats, eventually colonized by wetland vegetation. The river tends to wander and change course over this flat area, always seeking the shortest route to the sea. It often forks into two or more distributary channels with in one delta. The new distributary forks sometimes capture the main flow from the old channel. In this way, new deltas are built. As old deltas wash away, their sediments are reworked by gulf waves and storms into barrier islands and beaches. Over the last 3,500 years, the Mississippi has created five major deltas, the newest only 500 years old.

DESCRIBING: A colored image reporting a map of Mississippi major deltas.

SYNOPSIS: A colored map illustrating the evolution of the Mississippi River Delta, highlighting the territory of Louisiana, the Mississippi River, and New Orleans.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The Mississippi River is the central feature of this map. It is shown running from the top, where it enters Louisiana, down to its delta or mouth where it terminates into the Gulf of Mexico. The surrounding landmass of Louisiana is shown in a neutral beige color, emphasizing Mississippi water bodies. The different stages of the river are depicted in shades of blue, with branches representing delta formations at various points in history. The background of the map is colored in dark grey, which becomes lighter at the bottom of the image. Fine blue lines indicating other water ways run vertically. The city of New Orleans is labeled slightly to the right of the river's modern mouth.

The right side of the map includes a legend with five time ranges, from 3,500 years ago to the present. The lightest blue, marked as "1," represents the oldest delta, formed between 3,500 and 2,500 years ago. It is the farthest western track on the map. A slightly darker shade, labeled "2," corresponds to 2,600 to 1,500 years ago. The delta of this track is the farthest east. The medium blue, "3," represents the delta from 1,500 to 700 years ago. It is directly to the east and largely overlaps the delta of track 1. A deeper blue, "4," marks the delta formed 1,200 to 500 years ago. This delta closely mirrors present day and is to the west of track 3, slightly overlapping the mouth of track 2. The darkest blue, "5," represents the most recent delta, from 500 years ago to the present, indicating the modern course of the river. It extends farther into the Gulf of Mexico past the mouth of track 4. the numbers of the legend can also be found on the map, to easily locate the corresponding delta.

CAPTION: Over the last 3,500 years, the Mississippi has created five major deltas (below), the newest only 500 years old.

DESCRIBING: A large colored satellite image of southeastern Louisiana. 

SYNOPSIS: A large satellite image showcasing the locations of the six sites of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Each site is spread across the large land mass of southeastern Louisiana. Major thoroughfares, cities, named bodies of water are labeled as points of interest, and directional tools. A small portion of southwestern Mississippi is also displayed, as well as another national park, Gulf Islands National Seashore.  

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Satellite imagery shows the far reaching sites of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, and its various locations throughout the region. The map takes up most of the page on the back side of the brochure. The top of the image is black that fades to reveal the map below. The bottom reveals a body of water, labeled "The Gulf of Mexico," below the bottom of Louisiana's coast. 

The map has a legend at the bottom left corner listing the following information: 

A small black circle with a black arrow pointing straight up in the middle indicates the top of the map is north.

Next to the arrow, a black scale indicates distances, ranging from zero kilometers to 25 kilometers, or zero miles to 25 miles. The map covers an approximate area of 225 miles wide, and 125 miles tall. 

Tan brown spaces are "cities and towns". Pale green areas are, "Agriculture (formerly prairie and forest)". Places that are slightly darker green are "Forest". Dark green indicates "Swamp forest". Areas that are gray are "marsh". 

Driving times and distances between each site from the French Quarter are listed below the legend. Text reads: "Driving times between the French Quarter and other park sites: Chalmette: 30 minutes (7 miles). Barataria: 45 minutes, (17 miles). Thibodaux: 1 and a half hours (70 miles). Lafayette: two and a half hours (142 miles). Eunice: 3 and a half hours (192 miles)."

Not listed in the legend, but used throughout the map are red lines to designate roadways.

In the center of the map, the City of New Orleans is slightly to the northwest and beneath the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. The French Quarter is located in the southeastern side of the city. There is a green text box that says "French Quarter Visitor Center" with an arrow pointing to a small black square in the city. It is placed on the east bank of the Mississippi River that borders New Orleans.

To the east of the French Quarter Visitor Center, a green box labeled "Chalmette Battlefield" is pointing to a black square on the east bank of the river. A red line labeled Highway 46 travels between the two sites.

The French Quarter Visitor Center and the Chalmette Battlefield are the only park sites of Jean Lafitte that are east of the Mississippi River. 

Barataria Preserve is labeled by a green box and arrow south of New Orleans. It is the second closest site to the French Quarter Visitor Center, and it is the largest site within the Jean Lafitte Parks. It is north of the town of Lafitte, which is close to the center of the map, and east of the shores of Lake Salvador. 

A green text box and black square mark the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center. The Center is southwest of New Orleans, and further south and west than some of the Barataria Preserve. It is located in the town of Thibodaux, which has Highways 1, 308 and 20 running through it. It is along Bayou Lafourche's waterway, which runs southeast through a small portion of the state.

Towards the northwestern edge of the map, the Acadian Cultural Center is labeled with a black square and a green box. It is located in the southeast end of the city of Lafayette. Nearby Highway 90 runs north through the city, and intersects above the city with Interstate 10, which runs west to east. Beginning north of the city of Lafayette, Interstate 49 crosses Interstate 10 and goes north beyond the town of Opelousas. 

A green text box and black square label the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in the northwestern corner of the map. It is the farthest site from the French Quarter Visitor Center. It is in the small town of Eunice, due northwest of Lafayette. From Interstate 10, Highway 13 can be traveled northbound to get to Eunice. Highway 190 can be traversed west from the town of Opelousas. 

Another point of interest on the map is Baton Rouge, the state capitol, which is located northwest of the center of the map. It is a confluence of major roads along the Mississippi River. The city is located along west-to-east Interstates 10  and 12, and north to south Interstate 110. 

At the southernmost point of Louisiana, where the Mississippi River meets the waters of the Gulf, the land spreads out into a shape similar in appearance to a bird's webbed foot. The text off to the right of this part of the land reads "A growing "bird foot" delta at Mississippi's end reaches into the Gulf." 

Coastal towns of Mississippi are shown on the far eastern side of the map. South of the coast, there is text labeling the location of some barrier islands as Gulf Islands National Seashore.

DESCRIBING: A small color street grid.

SYNOPSIS: This map shows the location of the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in the town of Eunice.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The top of the map is north as indicated by a small black arrow in the bottom left corner. The map represents an area approximately three fourths of a mile wide and one mile tall. There are six streets, three running north to south and three running west to east, forming a grid street plan. 

The map is a pale adobe color with white lines indicating the streets. From left to right, the north to south streets are 3rd Street, 2nd Street, and Route 13. From top to bottom, the west to east streets are Route 190, Walnut Avenue, and Park Avenue. A small dark green square is located on the northeast corner of the intersection of 3rd Street and Park Avenue and is labeled as The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center. A larger, lighter green square indicates that the footprint of the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center is larger than one fourth of the entire block. This is the only block that has an unnamed street cutting through the center of it.

To the right of the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center and on the same block, a small black square indicates the location of the Liberty Theater.

CAPTION: Prairie Acadian Cultural Center utilizes exhibits, Cajun music and dancing, cooking demonstrations, and live radio programs at the Liberty Theater to interpret the culture of the Acadians who settled the southwest Louisiana prairies.
2 5 0 West Park Avenue
Eunice, Louisiana 7 0 5 3 5
Phone Number 3 3 7 – 4 5 7 – 8 4 9 9
Website www.nps.gov/jela/Prairieacadianculturalcenter.htm

DESCRIBING: A vertical color map.

SYNOPSIS: This map shows the location of Acadian Cultural center relative to nearby towns, highways and rivers. The name of the town, Lafayette, is above the map in black letters.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The map is oriented such that north is at the top, and the scale indicates that the map is about three and a half miles wide and four and half miles tall. The map is a pale adobe color with white lines indicating the streets and light blue indicating the river. It shows a network of roads nearby the Acadian Cultural Center. The Cultural Center is in the southeast quadrant of the map on Surrey Street and Fisher Road. The historic village of Vermilionville, indicated by a black square, neighbors the Cultural Center to the west. Cutting across the top left edge of the map there is Interstate highway 10, and the roads University Avenue, Evangeline Throughway, and Louisiana Avenue run north south, branching off of the highway at somewhat equal intervals. University Avenue is on the west, and Evangeline Throughway is in the middle. Both of these roads intersect with State Route 90, State Route 167, and Pinhook Road before turning slightly east to reach the Acadian Cultural Center. The Vermilion River is at the bottom right side of the map, and the portion that is shown is an arc around Vermilionville, the Acadian Cultural Center, and a small plane icon representing Lafayette Regional Airport.

CAPTION: Acadian Cultural Center presents exhibits, films, programs, and boat tours of Bayou Vermilion to share the history, customs, language, and contemporary culture of the Acadians who settled Louisiana.
5 0 1 Fisher Road
Lafayette, Louisiana 7 0 5 0 8
Phone Number 3 3 7 – 2 3 2 – 0 7 8 9
Website www.nps.gov/jela/Acadianculturalcenter.htm

DESCRIBING: A square color map.

SYNOPSIS: This map depicts a section of Thibodaux, Louisiana, focusing on The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center, the surrounding streets, and the Bayou Lafourche waterway. 

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: A compass in the top left corner indicates the map is oriented with north at the top and the scale indicates the map is approximately one and a half miles wide and one and half miles tall. The map is a pale adobe color with white lines indicating the streets and light blue indicating Bayou Lafourche, which stretches diagonally from west to northeast.

The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center is in the upper southwest quadrant, along the south bank of Bayou Lafourche. It is labeled with dark green text and a small square over a larger light green area. It is bordered by Saint Mary Street, also labeled as Louisiana Route 1, to the south and Jackson Street to the east. Jackson Street runs north south and is slightly west of the center of the map. Canal Boulevard, which is also labeled as Louisiana Route 20, runs diagonally from the south to the northeast. Louisiana Route 308 follows the north bank of Bayou Lafourche. In the southeast quadrant, there is of a series of east west streets, numbered sequentially from 1st Street at the top to 6th Street at the bottom. 1st Street is also labeled as Louisiana Route 1. These numbered streets are primarily parallel to one another and are intersected by two unlabeled north south streets, creating a grid like layout. An additional unlabeled north south street is present in the southwest corner, intersecting with Saint Mary Street.

CAPTION: Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center interprets the bayou Acadian culture with music, exhibits, art, boat tours of Bayou Lafourche, craft demonstrations, and other activities.
3 1 4 Saint Mary Street
Thibodaux, Louisiana 7 0 3 0 1
Phone Number 9 8 5 – 4 4 8 – 1 3 7 5

Website www.nps.gov/jela/Wetlands

DESCRIBING: A modern map showing the boundary of the French Quarter in New Orleans.

SYNOPSIS: This picture shows a street map of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. It provides a detailed layout of the area, marking important landmarks, visitor centers, and streets.

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: This street map of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana— provides a snapshot of the city’s oldest neighborhood. The map has a light beige background, with white lines representing streets and black labels for street names and landmarks. Green areas indicate parks and visitor centers, while the Mississippi River is shown in a light blue hue at the bottom of the map. A compass rose in the top left corner indicates that north is at the top right corner of the map.

The French Quarter is bordered by North Rampart Street to the north, Canal Street to the west, Esplanade Avenue to the east, and the Mississippi River to the south. The French Quarter follows a grid pattern. Running from left to right on the map we have Basin Street (at the northern edge), North Rampart Street, Burgundy Street, Dauphine Street, Bourbon Street, Royal Street, Chartres Street, Decatur Street (running along the southern edge, near the river), North Peters Street (parallel to Decatur Street). Running from north to south: Canal Street (western edge, left side of the map), Iberville Street, Bienville Street, Conti Street, Saint Louis Street, Toulouse Street, Saint Peter Street, Orleans Street, Saint Ann Street, Dumaine Street, Ursulines Avenue, Governor Nicholls Street, Esplanade Avenue (eastern edge, right side of the map).

At the heart of the district stands the Saint Louis Cathedral, flanked by two buildings, the Cabildo on the left and the Presbytère on the right. In front of the Cathedral is Jackson Square, which is bordered by Decatur Street to the south, Saint Peter Street to the west, and Saint Ann Street to the east. Old Ursuline Convent is located near the eastern side of the map, at the intersection of Ursulines Avenue and Chartres Street. Along Decatur Street, near the bottom right section of the map, is French Market. The New Orleans Jazz Museum is positioned further east along Decatur Street, near the Mississippi River. The French Quarter Visitor Center of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is located on the west side of Decatur Street. Several "P" symbols indicate parking areas nearby. 

A large green area located northwest of the French Quarter, above North Rampart Street designates the location of Louis Armstrong Park.

CAPTION: After founding New Orleans on a bend of the Mississippi River in 1718, French colonists laid it out in a neat grid. The distinctive look of the 66-block Vieux Carré (old square) is due to its architectural styles, developed in New Orleans in the seventeen hundreds and eighteen hundreds. The Saint Louis Cathedral, the heart of the district, is flanked by grand Spanish colonial public buildings.
 
In 1856 the city erected the statue of Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans and namesake of the public square. The Vieux Carré retains much of its character today because it is among the nation’s oldest protected historic districts.
 
Visitor center exhibits, walking tours, films, music performances, folklife and cooking demonstrations, and ranger talks highlight the history and culture of New Orleans and the Mississippi River delta.
4 1 9 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 7 0 1 3 0
Phone number: 5 0 4. 5 8 9. 2 6 3 6
Website: www.nps.gov/jela/Frenchquarter.htm

Directions to Barataria Preserve from French Quarter
Take Magazine St. To Calliope St. Turn right onto ramp for “Mississippi River Bridge” (Business Hwy. 90). Take exit 4B. Turn left at second light onto Barataria Blvd. Stay on it for nine miles until you reach the preserve.

DESCRIBING: A small vertical rectangle color map.

SYNOPSIS: The map shows a mass of land encompassing the Greater New Orleans Area. The map's primary focus is showing the locations of the Chalmette Battlefield, and the Barataria Preserve. Also visible are some local roadways, bodies of water and the path of the Mississippi River in the area.  

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The map's legend in the bottom righthand corner shows how to measure distances by zero to five miles, or zero to five kilometers. The scale indicates the map area is approximately 20 miles wide and 25 miles tall. A small compass, also at the bottom of the map, shows the top of the map is north. The land on the map is shown in shade of light brown. Park land boundaries are specified by light green. Bodies of water are represented by light blue. 

In the center of the map, the city of New Orleans is shown against a strong bend of the Mississippi River. The French Quarter Visitor Center is marked and is a good starting point for direction use when traveling to the Chalmette Battlefield, or to the Barataria Preserve. 

The Chalmette Battlefield is located approximately six miles downriver from the French Quarter on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the lower part of the northeast quadrant of the map. From the French Quarter, Elysian Fields is a labeled street that runs northwest until the intersection with Saint Claude Avenue. Saint Claude Avenue runs west and eventually turns into Highway 46. The Chalmette Battlefield is located several miles down on Highway 46.

The Barataria Preserve is located on the eastern shores of Lake Cataouatche and Lake Salvador. Together the lakes and the preserve cover the southwest quadrant of the map. From the French Quarter Visitor Center, follow Canal Street westwards until it intersects with Interstate 10. Follow Interstate 10 to the west southwest past its transition into Business Route 90. Business Route 90 twists and turns back around southwest. In the center of the map, Business Route 90, will meet Barataria Boulevard, also called Highway 45. Following Highway 45 will bring visitors to the Barataria Preserve Visitor Center. 

Also featured on the map is Bayou Segnette State Park, which has a small black square symbol with a hollow white triangle in the middle. This symbol represents a campground.

CAPTION: Barataria Preserve is made up of 26,000 acres of marsh, swamp, and hardwood forest. The preserve offers a visitor center, environmental education center, ranger programs, walking trails, waterways, and picnic areas.
6 5 8 8 Barataria Boulevard
Marrero, Louisiana 7 0 0 7 2
Phone Number: 5 0 4 – 6 8 9 – 3 6 9 0
Website: www.nps.gov/jela/Baratariapreserve.htm
 
Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery offers living history programs, ranger talks, and visitor center exhibits and films. The battlefield is the site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. The Civil War-era national cemetery holds more than 15,000 graves of American troops from the War of 1812 to the Vietnam War.
8606 West Saint Bernard Highway
Chalmette, Louisiana 7 0 0 4 3
Phone Number: 5 0 4 – 2 8 1 – 0 5 1 0
Website: www.nps.gov/jela/Chalmettebattlefield.htm

DESCRIBING: A small color photograph.

SYNOPSIS: The image shows a Po’ Boy sandwich cut in half with the two halves served side by side on an oval plate. 

IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: This Po’ Boy is made with a crusty, French bread, cut so that it can be split open and filled with crispy fried shrimp. The shrimp are small, curled, and coated in a light, crunchy breading. This sandwich is served dressed, meaning it has fresh lettuce, tomato slices, and mayonnaise. A slice of tomato is peeking out from under the top slice of bread. The shrimp and the lettuce spill out from the sandwich across the plate. There is a lemon wedge on the plate as well. The white oval plate has a black stripe around the outer rim and a thinner black stripe around the inner rim. 

These sandwiches began during a streetcar worker’s strike when a restaurant wanted to support the strikers, or the poor boys, by offering them free sandwiches. Over time, the name stuck, evolving into po’ boy, and the sandwich became a beloved symbol of New Orleans hospitality and resourcefulness.

CAPTION: The famous Po' Boy

CREDIT: Sydney Byrd

TEXT: Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Main headquarters: 4 1 9 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 7 0 1 3 0

Visit www.nps.gov/jela, or call 5 0 4 - 5 8 9 - 3 8 8 2

Contact park headquarters or individual park sites for information on days and hours, programs, drive time between sites, and volunteering. There are no camping facilities, food, or lodging within any sites of the park, though amenities can be found in nearby communities. Public transportation is very limited; contact the park, or see the park website. See the park website for information on firearm regulations and other special uses. 

TEXT: We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information go to a visitor center, ask a ranger, call, or check the park website.

Park films shown throughout Jean Lafitte have English closed captioning. The Acadian Cultural Center has French closed captioning available upon request. 

The National Park Service provides American Sign Language interpretation upon advanced request. 

The park's official brochure is available in Braille at the Barataria Preserve, Chalmette Battlefield, French Quarter Visitor Center and Acadian Cultural Center. 

All sites have accessible entrances to the visitor centers as well as accessible restroom facilities. 

Phone number: 5 0 4 - 5 8 9 - 3 8 8 2

Website: https://www.nps.gov/jela/index.htm