Imperial Calcasieu Museum

The museum at 204 West Sallier Street tells the story of the five-parish Imperial Calcasieu region from Atakapa settlements through the lumber boom, the oil era, and the hurricanes. The permanent collections include period rooms, a barbershop recreation, Native American artifacts, and fine art. But the grounds may be the more important exhibit: the Sallier Oak, a live oak estimated at 300+ years old, spreads its canopy across the front lawn — a tree that was growing here before any European set foot in Calcasieu Parish. The museum is the best single stop for understanding how this region's economy and culture evolved across three centuries.