Acadian Village — Attraction in Van Buren

We love coming here! Each building is unique and tells its own story. I admit my favorites are the schoolhouse, the Sirois house (pink one), and the Ouellette house. Walk into the schoolhouse and back in time you go...FDR was president, Dick and Jane books were available to read, and a world map to see countries from the past. Color with an original set of 8 Crayolas! The Sirois house is full of items from the late 30s-early 40s. Enter through the living room and view what people wore. Check out the magazines, note the rug from 1914. The kitchen was a perfect example of what a reasonably wealthy family had at the time: a new icebox, wood burning stove, and a sturdy table and chairs. Upstairs were the bedrooms. 3 generations lived there. Note the hand made quilts and the clothing in each room. Beautiful and worth seeing! Lastly the Ouellette house was more "open" than the Sirois house.10+ children were raised in that house! Less furniture but a simpler house. Upstairs you will find all the beds! Also in the village you will find a millinery, shoestore, barbershop, and a forge area. You can have a guide or explore on your own. Worth the trip if you love...

I've read about The Acadian Village and thought it might be some type of tourist trap and that I would be in and out in about 20 minutes. I decided to go along with a tour hosted by a young lady and I'm glad I did. The tour wound up taking an hour and a half and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly and I'd give her an A+, couldn't ask for anything more. The diversity in their artifacts is impressive, from early milling equipment to early medical and dental tools. The buildings range from an early dirt floor cabin to a school house and church to mention a few. If you happen to be anywhere near The Acadian Village, I would recommend visiting. If you go, do yourself a favor and get the guided tour, I'm so glad that I went guided...

Did a self-guided tour on an early Sunday afternoon on August 2024. A very nice village, and this was quite an informative place. This is a great way to learn about the history and way of life of a very unique and friendly people. The buildings are almost exact replicas of those that were previously scattered throughout the valley. The Acadians are quite dedicated to preserving their culture and their way of life, and this museum is testament to that. Would highly recommend this...