Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site, or Fort des Natchitoches, in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, is a replica of an early French fort based upon the original blueprints of 1716 by Sieur Charles Claude Dutisné and company. The settlement which became the town of Natchitoches was founded in 1714 by French Canadian Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis as the first permanent European settlement in the lands later encompassed by the Louisiana Purchase. In 1722, Juchereau de St. Denis in 1722 became commandant of Fort St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches. The fort was devised as a trading and military outpost to counter any Spanish incursions into French territory. Soon it became a center of economic significance, particularly with neighboring Caddo tribes.After 1764, Fort St. Jean was abandoned, with the transfer of Louisiana (New France) to Spain. It was rebuilt, but its actual location is unknown.Today Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site is a point of interest within the Cane River National Heritage Area. It is also host to living history re-enactments of what Life in the fort was like in the 1750sAdd Fort St. Jean Baptiste to your Natchitoches travel itinerary, and discover new vacation ideas by using our Natchitoches trip planner.
Source
Create an itinerary including Fort St. Jean Baptiste
Unable to display map at this time. Please try again later.
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors
Fort St. Jean Baptiste reviews
-
This fort was an excellent exhibit! We were thankful that they were open. We had never been to a french fort before and it was very different than the Spanish forts we have toured. The folks there... more »
-
This place was a great stop for our weekend get away! Listen Up: PAY UP for the guided tour. It is so worth it. Here is a pic of our guide and he had so much knowledge of the period history. He could.... more »
-
Fort St. Jean Baptiste was a very cool visit. The tour guides were great and we got to see all around the fort. The indoor museum was really cool too. Bug spray may be needed, but it should be mostly fine.
-
It’s historic and will take you into a new decade. Plenty of room for large families to enjoy and it’s not far from the hotel on second street that is brand new!
Plan your trip to Natchitoches
Get a personalized trip
A complete day by day itinerary
based on your preferencesCustomize it
Refine your trip. We'll find the
best routes and schedulesManage it
Everything in one place.
Everyone on the same page.
Popular things to do in Natchitoches
Side trips from Natchitoches
Hidden gems in Natchitoches
Museums in Natchitoches
Nearby attractions in Natchitoches
Kid-friendly things to do in Natchitoches
Trips to Fort St. Jean Baptiste by other users
3 days in Natchitoches
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile Store
·
Cane River National Heritage Trail
·
Melrose Plantation
60 days in Louisiana
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Baton Rouge
·
Lafayette
·
Lake Charles
39 days in Las Vegas & Shreveport
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Las Vegas
·
Shreveport
4 days in Natchitoches
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Fort Polk Museum
·
Coushatta Casino Resort
·
Natchitoches Pecans
1 day in Natchitoches
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Fort St. Jean Baptiste
·
Historic District Shopping
·
Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile Store
2 days in Natchitoches
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
American Cemetery
·
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum
·
Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile Store