I don’t drive to Chalmette often but finding the battlefield was an easy shot, my GPS led me straight to the gate with no problems. We first pulled into the Chalmette National Cemetery, which was so much bigger than I expected it to be. I thought it would be a small graveyard with a few headstones but the headstones went on for miles. I looked it up after I got home and it’s 15,300 headstones. That means 15,300 soldiers who died for our country in this one cemetery. Now that’s mind blowing. After driving through the cemetery the next road over was the Chalmette Battlefield. My 11 year old, Tracie, who begged me to let her stay home so she could swim, runs out of the car to explore the cannons that are laid out before this massive field where the battle took place, asking a thousand questions I honestly couldn't answer. Even my 15 year old, Tabetha, left her phone in the car and took in the sight, which was beautiful. The wind was blowing hard so the American flag, flying strong next to the Battlefield Monument, was breathtaking. Inside the museum were all the answers to Tracie’s questions. They had photos, displays, documents, and even a short film on the Battle of New Orleans -- we learned a lot. After viewing the museum we walked over to the Beauregard House, which was built on the battleground after the war. They leave the doors open so you are able to go inside and look around. It was really an interesting place and I highly recommend visiting it. I definitely plan to go again when they do one of their Battle of New Orleans reenactments! That would be a lot of fun.
Check out the The Chalmette Battlefield Photo Gallery on FineArt.com.
The Chalmette Battlefield is open daily 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Closed December 25 and Mardi Gras (Tuesday, February 12, in 2013).
Open large map
*Side note: Listen to Johnny Horton’s The Battle of New Orleans, you will love it.
