//
City in Louisiana, United States
Photo: Kingfish27, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lake Charles is the second-largest city in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, with 87,000 residents in 2022. It is well known for gaming and the great outdoors, culinary delights and rhythm and blues. There are over 75 annual festivals from the splendor of Mardi Gras to the swashbuckling days of the Contraband Days Pirate Festival, there is something going on nearly every weekend.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
The museum houses an historical collection of artifacts from the five surrounding parishes, as well as a gallery featuring arts and cultural exhibits. Behind the museum stands the 375-year-old Sallier Oak. This is a great place for a picnic in the shade.
This 375-year-old live oak tree marked the corner of early resident Charles Sallier's property and is thought to be the 3rd oldest live oak in Louisiana. It stretches to create a canopy with some branches sagging all the way to the ground.
Built in 1962, this steep bridge has a vertical clearance of 135 feet. Drive slow enough to check out the decorative cast-iron pistols that embellish the railing over the entire length of the bridge. Traveling west-bound you will top the crest of the bridge to view a vast landscape of plants and oil refineries. This can be an oddly spectacular sight, especially at twilight.
On the north shore of Lake Charles is the only inland white sand beach on the Gulf Coast. It is also very close to Interstate 10, true. Nevertheless, there are volleyball nets, picnic tables, restrooms, and a full view of the Lake. The waters are not the cleanest (in fact, they did not pass the quality test in 2018) as there are refineries in the area, but it is OK if you're not looking for superclear water.
The CVB is an attractive building that looks out over the Lake and provides visitors with info, maps, calendars, and brochures covering the Southwest region of Louisiana. There is a deck to relax with some free coffee, a gift shop with unique Louisiana finds, and even an alligator pond! They will tell you about driving tours of the area and events that are going on.
Visit Veterans Memorial park, Bord Du Lac Park, and a fountain that is ok to play in. There are plaques detailing Lake Charles history, geese to feed, and plenty of places to sit and catch the lakeside breeze, including gazebos built onto docks over the Lake.The newly rebuilt Millenium Park is an excellent, very large playground for kids of all ages. Fenced in, whimsical, best playground in town. There are also horse carriage rides. All in all, this is a great area of town for anyone to stop and take a break from a long car ride. Right off I-10.
Play gyms, swings, a walking trail, picnic tables and oak trees. A community center with indoor activities like pool and video games.
Walking paths, canoe and boat launches, playground and sprayground, amphitheater, pavilions and free WiFi.
Swampy lakes, cypress trees, hiking trails, 200 species of birds, and camping. If you like the quintessential southern image of lots of Spanish moss everywhere, this is it. There is a playground and swings amid great scenery. Lots of picnic spots by the river. The trails are great for bicyclers.
This scenic drive takes you south from Lake Charles, along the Gulf of Mexico, and north again to Sulphur, LA which is just west of Lake Charles. There are plenty of coastal swamplands to see, very natural beaches, and wetlands wildlife. The wildlife refuge has a trail where alligators can be spotted, as well as many docks to go crabbing (which does not require a fishing license). An audio tour is available for download on the website. A detailed map of the route can be found either on the website, or at the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Racetrack casino with hotel, dining, gaming and entertainment.
Resort hotel, golf club, 8 restaurants, spa, pool with lazy river, live entertainment, coffee shop, gelato shop, and shopping.
Largest Mardi Gras costume display in the world, history of Mardi Gras and king cakes, costume design, parade float to climb aboard.
Restored building which hosts three floors of gallery space for traveling exhibitions. Permanent exhibition of the Great Fire of 1910 which destroyed the building before it was rebuilt in 1911.
Boudin is considered a staple snack of the Bayou State, seasoned meat and rice formed into a fingerfood, it's perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Pick up a copy of the Boudin Trail brochure at the Visitor's Bureau and travel around Calcasieu Parish trying all varieties of Boudin.
Slightly more upscale Cajun food in a relaxed atmosphere. Good luncheon specials. Shamelessly rich- they actually give you the butter that your fish was fried in so that you can dip in it! The crawfish fettuccine is a favorite.
It transports you to Mexico with their decor and staff. The food is full of flavor that everyone will enjoy.
A Lake Charles staple. Serving the lake area since 1968, Tony's is a favorite of many. Family owned and operated by the Dickson family of Lake Charles, it is a great place to bring the family. With an entire menu of delicious food from Italian pizza, Po-Boys, pasta, and salads, to Greek gyros, it will be impossible to make a bad decision.
Fine dining with French, southwest, Louisiana and Mediterranean influences.
American, Cajun, and French bistro with a historic downtown feel. Porch seating.
Hole in the wall delicious, mufflettas, poboys, gumbo and fried anything. Has a connected pub with 30 beers on tap.
Cajun/Creole, boiled seafood in a family friendly atmosphere.
Cajun (aka fried) seafood, featured in USA Today. You can eat this type of food anywhere in Lake Charles, but Steamboat Bill's appeals to tourists, with a fun atmosphere.
This bar has a hip atmosphere with its exposed brick used to display local artist's work. It has a long, shaded patio with live music on many nights. The drink prices are reasonable, and the food is great, too. Their spinach and artichoke dip is out of this world.
Big screen TV for sports, live Cajun music and dancing every Friday night.
Bar with live music, DJs and dancing.
Frozen drinks and beer, Karaoke Th-Sa, pool, shuffleboard.
Retail cigar store and elegant lounge with full bar.
Bar and grill with music, dancing etc.
Locally owned and operated coffee house with a hip, relaxing atmosphere with Louisiana's favorite "Community Coffee", as well as "Higher Grounds" a fair-trade coffee, roasted in the South. They also have breakfast sandwiches, and rich soups and salads for lunch.
Fragrances, jewelry, shoes, purses, fleur de lis items, and home decor.
Full service pharmacy and unique gifts.
Regional Simon shopping center. Dillards, JCPenny's, Kohls, TJ Maxx.
Great selection of boutique wines. Specializing in small production, hand crafted wines. Gourmet cheeses. Custom gift baskets. Wine tastings every Th 5PM-7PM.
Small farmer's market with fruits/vegetables, specialty jams, candles, artisan breads, etc.
By rail
The tri-weekly Sunset Limited train between New Orleans and Los Angeles, run by Amtrak, stops in Lake Charles. Lake Charles station is at 100 Ryan St, north of the city centre.
Driving is the best way to get around Lake Charles, although Historic Downtown is a pedestrian friendly area and it is easy to walk to most downtown attractions.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Lake Charles · Regional · LCH
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Lake Charles and United States.
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind the best time to visit Hawaii in 2026. Compare whale seasons, big-wave surf, dry shoulder months, hotel rates, and island microclimates.
9 min read
InspirationDiscover the best places to visit in April. Compare Dutch tulip fields, Thailand's Songkran water festival, Roman spring gardens, and cherry blossoms.
6 min read
Travel tipsA practical guide to travelling with medication and refrigerated drugs like insulin and GLP-1s. Learn airline rules, customs papers, and cooling tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.