Historic Site· 1714–present· Historic District

Front Street — Natchitoches Historic Landmark District

National Historic Landmark

A 33-block National Historic Landmark District anchored by the original brick-paved Front Street along Cane River Lake. Creole townhouses, Queen Anne cottages, and Victorian storefronts line the riverbank — many converted into shops, B&Bs, and restaurants. This is where 300,000 Christmas lights go up every November for the festival that's been running since 1926. Walk the brick street, and you're walking on the same ground where Caddo traders, French soldiers, and Creole merchants did business for three centuries.

Quick facts

·Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 — one of the largest NHL districts in Louisiana.
·Front Street retains its original brick paving, one of the few intact brick commercial streets in the South.
·The district contains Creole, Queen Anne, Victorian, and Federal architectural styles spanning 200 years.
·Over one million visitors per year, most during the six-week Christmas Festival of Lights.
·Free to walk. Self-guided tour brochures available at the Visitors Bureau on Front Street.