Vermilionville Historic Village — Attraction in Lafayette

This location would receive 5 Stars if it wasn’t for the crummy customer service we received :( This is our second stay at a HH site. (Harvest Host is a RV membership were RVers pay a annual fee to get free access to park over night at museums, golf courses, wineries,etc. it is a awesome concept) The museum was open on the day we arrived and had an hour until closing. Myself and my sister are younger and have been dry camping for a few days so I am sure we didn’t look like the upper class but we were definitely treated like low class drifters. Even in our Class C motor home. We introduced ourselves to the ladies at the front desk, explained how we found them, and asked permission to stay over night. (Which you should do when parking your home on someone’s property) The younger lady seemed unbothered by us and said to just park wherever and gave no instructions...could we run our generator? Is there a check out time? What should we watch out for? Do the gates close? Are we really even welcome here? The older lady then announced the ‘gates don’t re open till 8:00 AM so...’ okay. We then walked around the gift shop because I wanted to find some trinket to buy to be polite and say ‘thank you’ for letting us stay for free and then we heard live music in the courtyard and saw a bunch of people walking around. So my sister and I proceeded to walk that way. The older lady shouted, ‘can we help you with something?’ (With all these other people watching, shopping, and doing the same thing.) She then told us they were getting ready to close and we had to buy a ticket to even walk around. When other customers were walking straight past them to go outside. It made me uncomfortable and unwelcome. We exited the museum and went back to the RV Debating if they really were a HH location and if we should try to find another place to stay. Eventually we decided to stay, the parking lot emptied out, workers left and locked the gates without looking our way. POSITIVES: right off I10, quiet once everyone leaves, beautiful, peaceful by the water, alligator neighbors were nice, our dogs loved the space to run around in, close to restaurants and shops, safe, clean, and well lit! I would have loved to connect with the museum and individuals and buy something to support their business and generosity for letting RVs park here over night. Just wish we would have felt welcome by the ladies...

We enjoy going to places like this where we can stroll around seeing and reading the history of an area. But what made this visit special was the man in the schoolhouse sharing his accordian music and his families history and the man at the church with a detailed description of the evolution of the terms 'cajun' and 'creole'. The grounds were a wonderful mix of well-kept wildness, homestead gardens, cultivated flower beds, and bayou. The paths all under huge shade trees.

The Vermilionville Living History Museum and Park has many original homes and buildings built near present-day Lafayette, Louisiana; there are a few reproduction buildings as well. We went on a cool day, after some heavy rain had fallen in the area. It was not crowded at all, in fact at times it seemed we were the only ones there. Many buildings were open but a few were closed. The only interpreters were two brothers at the Blacksmith shop. They told much about the history of the area, and the importance of metal working to the early settlers. We learned about the difference between Cajun and Creole, although during our stay in Louisiana we heard a different definition from just about everyone who talked about it! The buildings frequently had informational panels with text and photos describing life in Vermilionville, building materials, kitchen equipment, working tools, toys and games. Cutaways showed the wall constructed of mud, moss, and cypress wood. Gardens outside of the homes contained flowers, vegetables, and herbs for flavoring and for medicinal purposes. We ate at the restaurant on-site and the meal was delicious - this was no sandwich and chips...

We had a fantastic time in Vermilionville. This truly is a special and very educational place. The land has several old Cajun and creole buildings restored on it with people dressed from the “olden days” speaking Cajun French and carrying out other activities like blacksmithing and sewing. The most surprising thing was how inclusive and factual this place is. Not only does Vermilionville acknowledge the help and cultural exchange between Native Americans and Cajuns, but it shares the story of each major Louisiana tribe (the good and the bad) and makes a point to share what each tribe is like currently. Chief Crying Eagle of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation (Lake Charles) has helped make the display as historically accurate as possible. A mound has been constructed with the leadership of many Louisiana tribes, and is used for celebrations on the grounds. This place also does not breeze over the topic of slavery and the people who were enslaved. They made a point to celebrate black culture within the Cajun community and in Louisiana. Not going to lie, it was hard to read some of it. Especially the old Lafayette ads for dogs used to “hunt” runaways and the inventory logs where an elderly woman was sold for $1. But it was important to know. The display even talked about Freetown which is now a neighborhood in Lafayette, originally established by freedmen as a place of sanctuary. Cajun culture is so much more than just the Acadians that were run out of Nova Scotia. It’s diverse and complex.. that’s what makes it so unique. I strongly recommend...