CULTURAL ATTRACTIONSCultural Attractions PDF

CITY HALL

Built in 1920 at a cost of $40,000, it housed the Crowley Motor Company, the city’s Ford dealership. Designed by an architect for the Ford Motor Company it was one of 1,000 similar Ford dealerships constructed in the United States. Only a few of the buildings remain. In September 2000, the city of Crowley purchased the building from the Miller family for $180,000. Restoration began in August of 2003 and was completed in early 2006. The building is also home to the Rice Interpretive Center, the History of Crowley Museum and the J.D. Miller Recording Studio Museum.

RICE INTERPRETIVE CENTER

A large number of rice mills line Crowley’s Mill Street and mill more rice annually than any other city in America, helping earn the city the title of “Rice Capital of America.” Focusing on the rice industry, the Rice Interpretive Center includes a video on the history, growing and production of rice, old machinery and exhibits, many of which are interactive.

J.D. MILLER RECORDING STUDIO MUSEUM

The restored studio depicts the original look and includes recording equipment, exhibits, photos and a video that chronicles the history of J.D. Miller, his music, the artists who recorded his music and the artists whose music J.D. produced at the studio – “a place where legends performed.” J.D. began his career as a musician. In 1946, he decided to stop playing music and opened his own studio to produce records using local talent. His labels featured Cajun, Zydeco, blues, country and “swamp pop” artists. Miller was a prolific writer of songs and wrote more than 400 titles. His most famous, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” was recorded by Kitty Wells and the chart-topping record made her a star. The studio is the oldest recording studio in continuous existence in the State of Louisiana. Today J.D.’s son, Mark Miller, owns and runs the studio, now named Master-Trak Sound Recorders.

CROWLEY HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL AND DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

There are more than 200 homes, churches and commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Crowley. The citizens of Crowley work hard at preserving their city’s history and heritage. The Crowley Historic District is a shining example of their work. Reflecting a midwestern influence, many of the Victorian residences feature Queen Anne-style architecture and Eastlake galleries, architecture unique to the Crowley area and not found in such quantities anywhere else in the state. Also impressive is the downtown area where many of the merchants have restored, or are restoring, their buildings with original color themes and trimmings. For a driving tour, look for the brochure included in this folder.

RICE THEATRE

The Southern Amusement Company began construction of the art deco theatre in 1940. Once completed, the theatre hosted its opening night on January 31, 1941, with the movie “This Thing Called Love.” After closing in 1966 and remaining vacant for 20 years, the city of Crowley bought the theatre and started renovations with the assistance of a citizens committee. On May 7, 1988, a grand re-opening hosted by the restoration committee showed the film “Crowley - 100 years.” The Rice Theatre has been hosting events ever since. The city of Crowley can meet any special tour request, book entertainment by area Cajun or Zydeco bands, Cajun comics, historians and other entertainers.

RICE TRAIL

This 15-mile drive will give you a “bird’s-eye” view of the agriculture industry and other historic sites that surround Crowley, the Rice Capital of America. The driving tour begins at the restored Crowley City Hall. The drive then heads through the historic district and takes you through working rice and crawfish fields. As you leave Crowley, the trail takes you to the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station. The trail ends back in downtown Crowley, where you can take in many more sights. From rice mills to the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station to Crystal Rice Heritage Farm to crawfish farms, you will get a glimpse of this
fascinating industry. Please refer to the Rice Trail Brochure for more information.

GRAND OPERA HOUSE OF THE SOUTH

In 1898, Dave Lyons, a deputy sheriff and a livery stable owner, purchased the property on Parkerson Avenue for $500 and in 1900, began building the 22,000 square foot opera house at the cost of $18,000. Lyons opened the Grand Opera House of the South on November 23, 1901. For 39 years, traveling road companies performed in Crowley. When Dave Lyons died in 1940, the Grand Opera House closed its doors and remained untouched for 60 years. In 1999, L.J. Gielen and his family purchased the building and began restoration. The opera house is currently undergoing $3 million in renovations. Tours and performances will begin in the summer of 2008.

HISTORIC MILLER STADIUM

Built in 1948, Miller Stadium served as the home of the Crowley Millers who played in South Louisiana’s Semi-Pro Teche League, the professional Gulf Coast League, and Evangeline Leagues from 1948 to 1957. In 1957, Hurricane Audrey severely damaged many baseball parks and, as a result, the league finished the season with only four teams. In 1958, the league folded and the ballpark was purchased by the city of Crowley. In 1998, renovations for Miller Stadium began. The stadium has been updated with new light poles, an enlarged press box, media deck and phones in the dugouts for communications and game coverage.

Since 1998, the stadium has served as a host site for two Mid- South State 16 and under tournaments, two Mid-South Regional Tournaments and Colt League District, State, Regional and Zone Tournaments. Miller Stadium also hosted the Louisiana High School Athletics Association’s State AAA Tournaments in 2003 and 2004. In August 2003, the state designated Miller Stadium as a historic site. The park now serves the needs of the youth of Acadia Parish in recreational baseball, local high school teams, American Legion and semi-pro teams.

GERMAN HERITAGE MUSEUM

The community of Roberts Cove, just northeast of Crowley, is a community rich in German culture. The German Heritage Museum was built to preserve and cherish this history and culture. An open invitation is graciously extended to all who visit the museum to see genealogy in pictures, unique displays and artifacts. Many of these treasures and heirlooms, still used in homes today, were brought from Germany when the original settlers came to this area. Your visit to the German Heritage Museum will definitely be a memorable one.

KELLY’S LANDING, LLC AGRICULTURE MUSEUM AND FARM TOURS

Take a nostalgic walk through the past as you view the farming tools of our fathers and grandfathers. The equipment of yesterday was simple and often handmade. You will marvel at the ingenuity of the former generations and at how many of the basic concepts they recognized are still used today.

CRYSTAL RICE HERITAGE FARM

A rice farm since 1890 and tourist attraction since 1965, Crystal Rice Heritage Farm has expanded its facilities to enhance this unique experience on the Cajun Prairie of South Louisiana. Attractions included are:

Francine’s Blue Rose Museum: A treasure trove of worldly collectables ranging from fine china to furniture and Acadian/Creole history. Made of Louisiana Cypress and Bousillage, this two-story home has 10 different sections. Salmon’s Classic Car Garage: Big toys for big boys. Salmon loved to collect, work on and drive cars. A unique part of Salmon’s collection is a number of Mercedes in the garage, including two 300SL Roadsters. When you come visit, let the cars and your imagination take you back to the years of big cars!

Agri-Tour: A rice farm since 1890, crawfish was added to the crop rotation in 1995. Rice and crawfish now mingle in harmony to produce a unique crop rotation like no other in the world. Truly a match made in heaven. The agri-tour walks you through a full season of how these two crops fit together, as well as current market conditions and any other questions you may ask. The farm’s fourth generation farmer, Jeb Wright, delivers the tour.

Louisiana School of Cooking & Cajun Store: Noted Louisiana Chef Patrick Mould opened the Louisiana School of Cooking & Cajun Store at the Crystal Rice Plantation. The Louisiana School of Cooking offers a wide variety of cooking classes. The main goal of the school is to educate the masses about this area’s great Cajun & Creole cooking. Chef Patrick Mould is an award-winning chef, cookbook author, television personality and a leading authority on Cajun and Creole cuisine. He will share some of his culinary secrets.