Tourism

Department of Economic Development and Tourism

The St. Charles Parish Tourist Information Center is now OPEN at the West Bank Bridge Park, located off the Luling / Hahnville exit from the Hale Boggs Bridge (Interstate 3-10). Stop into the little cottage under the bridge for information on local attractions during these times:

• Mondays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• First Tuesday of the month, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Second Tuesday of the month, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Third Tuesday of the month, noon to 3 p.m.
• Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Dotted by antebellum manors and churches. Laced by bayous, swamps and the mighty Mississippi River. St. Charles parish is Louisiana at its finest. Hear the whispers of the 18th century at Destrehan, LaBranche, and Ormond Plantations. Experience the pristine wilderness aboard a swampboat adventure or serene drive through a fishing village like Bayou Gauche.
"Pass a good time" and celebrate Louisiana's legendary way of life at the Alligator, Catfish, or Destrehan Plantation Spring and Fall Festivals.

Only a 25 minute-drive, west of the City of New Orleans, St. Charles Parish offers visitors and residents big city convenience, while maintaining its rural charm.

St. Charles Parish: A great place to visit, an even better place to live.

Information about the center: The building opened July 1996 at its current location. Beginning in the late 1800s and continuing into the 20th Century, Bethlehem Hall was a popular meeting place for the Bethlehem Benevolent Society, one of the parish’s many African-American fraternal organizations. Society members would regularly gather at the hall and celebrate social events such as meetings, church gatherings, suppers, wedding receptions, etc. scheduled for that particular day, including welcoming new members into the organization. In 1994 the parish acquired a tract of land adjacent to its 911 Emergency Center in Hahnville. A run-down, dilapidated building (Bethlehem Hall) that sat on the land was included in the deal. Over 100 years later and after receiving a major facelift, the building is being utilized for one of its original purposes – a welcome center.