See what life was like for settlers in Wisconsin in the 1800s or discover the origins and history of Louisiana’s Cajun settlers. These historical sites share the stories of Mississippi River Country’s settlers and their impact on life and culture that lasts through today.
Old World Wisconsin
Located about halfway between Wisconsin’s capital city of Madison and its largest city, Milwaukee, Old World Wisconsin is an open-air history museum that shows how settlers of different ethnic groups lived and worked in 19th-century Wisconsin. The 480-acre (194 hectare) site is the largest outdoor rural life museum in the United States and contains more than 60 historic structures (several of which were relocated to the site), including barns, farmsteads and a full 1880s crossroads village. Old World Wisconsin is divided into themed areas that represent how different groups settled in the state, from African-Americans to Germans to Finns.
Acadian Cultural Center, Louisiana
One of six sites in the National Park Service’s Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve–scattered throughout southern Louisiana–the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette educates visitors about the origins, history and contemporary culture of the Acadians (also known as Cajuns). The cultural center—and the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve as a whole—uses music, storytelling, food, dance and more to explore the lives of this unique cultural group. Tours are available in French, Spanish and English, and the park store sells local crafts, music and books (including cookbooks). Ranger-guided boat tours of the nearby Bayou Vermilion are offered in spring and fall.
Other heritage sites and experiences in Mississippi River Country:
- Amish Country of Illinois
- The Cajun Village, Louisiana
- Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park, Louisiana
- Cajun Corridor Byway, Louisiana
