Louisiana Marine Fisheries Museum

In the little fishing village of Jean Lafitte down along Barataria Bay, the Jean Lafitte Marine Fisheries Museum is dedicated to telling the story of life as it has been lived on this little strip of land tucked between swamp and open water for more than two centuries. The area first gained fame as the hideout and chief base of the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1800s. But, once the gallant corsair disappeared from the pages of history, inhabitants in the Barataria region settled into the more steady business offishing and trapping. Indeed, the area generally has attracted a resilient and independent-minded set of people who know how to exploit the rich natural resources of the bay and swamp.The lives of these people, and the industries that employed them, form the main story of the museum itself. Exhibits detail every facet of the shrimping, fishing, canning and trapping industries in the area. In addition to these displays, a new musuem has recently opened in the town's municipal complex which brings to life Lafitte's story and explores the rich culture of this area.