Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve - Explore Lafayette's Bayou Vermillion on a Ranger-Guided Cruise - 08/30/2006

Explore the rich cultural heritage and natural history of Bayou Vermilion in Lafayette with a National Park Service ranger on the good ship Cocodrie, a traditional Louisiana boat.  The Cocodrie casts off from Vermilionville Folklife Park on the Bayou Vermilion District, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thrusdays, Fridays, and Saturdays beginning September 2 and continuing through November 25.  Tours depart the dock at 10:30 a.m. and return at 12:00 noon.  Reservations are encouraged as the boat seats 16 and a minimum of 4 passengers is required.  Special arrangements are available for groups larger than 16. 

There are two tour packages available:

• Full tour package includes boat tour, self-guided tour of   Vermilionville and lunch at Vermilionville's restaurant:  $24 adults, $22 seniors 62 and older, $16 children ages 4 to 18, and free for children 3 and under.
• Guided boat tour only:  $10 adults, $8 seniors 62 and older, $6 children ages 4 to 18, and free for children 3 and under.

Call Vermilionville at 337-233-4077 for reservations and information. The guided boat tours are a partnership between the Acadian Cultural Center of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Vermilionville, and the Bayou Vermilion District.

The Acadian Cultural Center, located off Surrey Street at 501 Fisher Road in Lafayette, is open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is managed by the National Park Service as part of Jean Lafitte National Historical park and Preserve.  The film "The Cajun Way; Echoes of Acadia" is shown hourly beginning at 9:00 a.m., with the last showing at 4:00 p.m.  The center also features exhibits and programs on the history and cultures of south Louisiana.  Admission to the center and for most center programs is free.  Group tours are available by reservation.  Call the Acadian Cultural Center at 337-232-0789 ext. 11 or visit www.nps.gov/jela.

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