Since 1984, the Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District has worked to beautify, conserve and manage sites along the Vermilion ensuring the preservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural resources for the citizens of Lafayette Parish. The Bayou Vermilion District’s mission focuses both on the environment and the unique culture of Lafayette. 

On the environmental side of our mission, the Bayou Vermilion District manages boat, canoe and kayak launches in addition to public parks along the river in an effort to promote recreation along the Vermilion. The Bayou Vermilion District also removes trash and large debris from the Vermilion in addition to working with local government to monitor the water quality and water height of the Vermilion. We also work with the school board to educate students in Lafayette Parish about our Watershed and their role in helping to maintain water quality in the Vermilion.

On the cultural side of our mission, the Bayou Vermilion District opened the Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park as a way to preserve and represent the Acadian, Creole and Native American cultures in the Attakapas region from the time period 1765-1890. Since its opening in 1990, the historic village has become one of Lafayette’s premiere tourist attractions welcoming more than 50,000 visitors each year from around the world. Vermilionville sits on a beautiful tree-covered 23-acre site on the banks of the Bayou Vermilion in the heart of Lafayette, providing a place for history, music, food, cultural exchange, historic architecture and much more.

The Bayou Vermilion District invites you to share in the beautiful, natural and cultural resources we have to share.