The Most Charming College Town In Louisiana Is Home To Delicious Dining, Shopping, And More

If I asked you to name a college town in Louisiana, I bet you’d list off popular cities like Baton Rouge (Geaux Tigers!), New Orleans (Go Green Waves!), or Lafayette (Go Rajun Cajuns!). Natchitoches is known for a lot of things, and while it may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to Louisiana college towns, that just makes it that much more special when you can view Louisiana’s oldest city through the lens of a young adult beginning college life.

Natchitoches is a picture-perfect town to spend a day exploring.

It flies under the radar as a college town, but it absolutely is!

Natchitoches is home to Northwestern State University, a public university established in 1884.

When it first opened, it was called the “Louisiana State Normal School.” Allow me to throw down some other unique facts about Northwestern State University:

- It was the first school in Louisiana to offer degree programs for nursing and business education

- It was one of the first six colleges to join NASA’s Joint Venture Program, where students would with NASA scientists for the 1996 Space Shuttle Columbia mission

-There are roughly 9,500 students currently enrolled

Downtown Natchitoches is easily walkable and full of historic sites.

Natchitoches’ 33-block Historic District will keep you entertained for hours.

If you are a Steel Magnolias fan, don’t miss the opportunity to spend a night in the Steel Magnolia House.

Front Street is the town’s main drag. Make sure you stop in Kaffie-Frederick, the oldest general store in Louisiana.

It also is one of the largest! Established in 1863 and still going strong, you can pick up any essentials you need here, plus a few that you don’t.

Of course, you’ve got to swing by Lasyone’s and try one of the famous meat pies.

The menu includes several Louisiana favorites, but just be sure you add a meat pie to anything you get. This is where it all began!

This charming town really comes alive during Christmas.

This might be one of the few places in the country where you tell your kids not to come home for the holidays, and instead join them instead! The Natchitoches Christmas Festival is one of the biggest holiday festivals in the country. For six weeks, the downtown area transforms into a winter wonderland with over 300,000 lights plus an additional 100 set pieces peppered along the river bank.

This is one Louisiana town you'll want to visit in every season.

Even after the kids have graduated!

Visit the Natchitoches Tourism website for more information and start planning your adventure today.