1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center

The Great Fire of April 1910 burned through Lake Charles. In 1911, the city built a new city hall — three stories, Romanesque Revival arches, pressed-tin ceilings, terrazzo floors. It held the mayor's office and the city's administrative machinery until 2004, when it became an arts center. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three floors of galleries now occupy what were once municipal offices. The Black Heritage Gallery and Gallery by the Lake anchor the programming, with rotating exhibitions in additional rooms. The original architectural details remain: terrazzo underfoot, pressed tin overhead, arches framing the passages between galleries. Lake Charles has been rebuilt more than once. The fire in 1910. Hurricane Rita in 2005. Hurricane Laura in 2020 — Category 4, with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour and a gust in the city of 137. Hurricane Delta followed weeks later. Afterward, the city was described as if "20 tornadoes came in and wiped the city." This 1911 building still stands. The building itself is the exhibit. Free admission. 1001 Ryan Street, downtown.