Right next door to New Orleans is Jefferson Parish, with a wild side all our own

Explore Rivertown, a 16-block historic district recognized in 2014 as a Main Street USA district. The area features Heritage Park’s display of turn-of-the-century replicas, such as the old hardware store and gas station. The Kenner Planetarium and MegaDome Cinema is “out of this world” with a 50-foot domed screen featuring galactic shows and laser-light displays set to music. The Space Complex features a full-sized prototype of NASA’s International Space Station! Exhibit includes space travel and technology mapping a historical timeline through the 20th century.

One of the nation’s largest historic districts, Gretna is home to the David Crockett Louisiana State Fire Museum, Gretna Green Blacksmith Shop, Southern Pacific Freight Depot and Illinois Central Caboose, and the German American Cultural Museum.

Wildlife and the outdoors are a big part of Jefferson’s history and remain a part of our culture today. The Barataria Basin is steeped in history and offers a plethora of wildlife. Aboard a swamp tour see alligators, turtles, egrets, and Louisiana’s bayou rat, the nutria as native Cajuns navigate through Louisiana’s wetlands. Learn the importance of this fragile ecosystem and tour the Lafitte Barataria Museum, which tells the story of this 200-year-old fishing community and its most famous resident Pirate Jean Lafitte.