The current structure, completed in 1909, is the fourth church building erected on the site since 1799. The history of the church goes back even farther: it was first established north of Opelousas in the mid-1700s. The first marriage of Jim Bowie is recorded in the church.
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Jim Bowie, the legendary adventurer and hero of the Battle of the Alamo, lived in Opelousas after moving there from Kentucky. The Opelousas Tourist Center, which houses the display, is located at the city’s eastern entrance on Highway 190. It contains old manuscripts, pictures, guns, and other relics. In addition to stopping by the museum, visitors can go by the Jim Bowie Oak on Landry Street. The tree is believed to be more than 300 years old.
The same site is also the location of Le Vieux Village. The village includes an 1890 doctor’s office, a mid-1800 home, the Union Pacific Freight Depot, Venus House, which dates from before 1800, and the Whiteville Schoolhouse, built in 1911. The most recent addition to the village is a 1948 African American Methodist Church from Palmetto.
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Every spring, a series of free live concerts is organized on Friday evenings in downtown Opelousas on the corner of Court and Landry streets.
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The Wier House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is now the Opelousas Museum of Art. The building is located at the corner of Union and Bellevue streets. Nan Wier is the director of the museum, which features rotating exhibits. Hours are 1-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The museum is also open by appointment by calling 337-942-4991. Admission is $3 (free to members).
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315 N. Main St., the museum is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Civil War Room highlights the city’s role as capital of Confederate Louisiana and subsequently as a federal post and military depot. The Geraldine Smith Welch Doll Collection contains more than 400 dolls. The main exhibit room covers history (and prehistory), culture, business, and other aspects of life in Opelousas. 
The museum also is a repository for materials related to the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival. For details, write the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center,. 315 N. Main, Opelousas, LA 70570-6201, or (337) 948-2589, fax: 337-948-2592.
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General Information. For information on exploring Opelousas, contact the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. P. O. Box 1415, Opelousas, LA 70571, 1-877-948-8004; fax (337) 948-1579; or the Opelousas Tourist Information Center, 829 East Landry St., Opelousas, LA 70570, (337) 948-6263. The tourist commission now has a web site on tourist attractions and related information for St. Landry Parish. The list below is just a sampling of the many attractions in Opelousas and area towns.
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On May 27, 2000, Opelousas was proclaimed the Zydeco Capital of the World. The title reflects not only the city’s role in the origins and development of zydeco but also the central significance of all of St. Landry Parish in the history and continuing evolution of zydeco. Clifton Chenier, the undisputed king of zydeco, was born in 1925 near Opelousas, the son of sharecroppers. Other zydeco greats like Rockin’ Sidney Simien (“Don’t Mess with My Toot Toot”) and Terrance Simien also have roots in St. Landry Parish, which is the home of the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival in Plaisance and the location of famous zydeco clubs like Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki in Opelousas and Richard’s in Lawtell. To celebrate the proclamation, Zydeco Force and Li’l Pookie and the Zydeco Heartbreakers performed on the steps of the St. Landry Parish Court House.
Click here for more pictures of Zydeco Force performing in front of the court house.
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A nationally known Opelousa, LA brand Tony Chachere’s has a wide range orf delicious products.
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