Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu
I take pride in the fact that my hometown, Mobile, Alabama, is the home of Mardi Gras. On my recent tour of the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu in Lake Charles, I found that Carnival season is celebrated year-round. The museum told the story of how Lake Charles celebrates the season and brought back fond hometown memories of ‘Throw me something, Mister.’
This six-room museum features the largest collection of Mardi Gras regalia in the South, and it grows yearly through donations of costumes from Krewes at the end of each season. As the collection grows, so does its encroachment into the halls of the Lake Charles Central School of Arts and Humanities Center or the Historic 1912 Central School. The museum opened in 1998 on its mission to preserve Louisiana’s second-largest Mardi Gras celebration.
THE COSTUME COLLECTION
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Entrance to the Museum -
The Main Hall -
Some artwork
The collection in the Museum is impressive beyond belief. I was fascinated with the detail and sheer size of the mantles that adorn the costumes. Everything from space aliens to kings and queens is represented. In Mobile, the Mardi Gras Kings and Queens invest thousands of dollars in the design, size, and length of their costumes’ trains. In Lake Charles, the mantles of the costumes are impressive, and some are massive. The Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu Museum is awash in vivid colors.
Lake Charles’ Carnival celebration is something special. Since 1964, with the formation of its first Krewe, the Krewe of Cosmos, Lake Charles has made carnival something for everyone. The commonality between Mobile and Lake Charles is the celebration of traditions that remain constant; it’s all about the party.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!!
https://mardi-gras-museum-of-imperial-calcasieu.business.site/
Historic World War Two Destroyer in Lake Charles, Louisiana
USS ORLECK
I did not expect to find a naval vessel docked on the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles, but what I found was a story of determination by a small number of volunteers.
The Orleck was built in 1944 in Orange, Texas, and commissioned in 1945 by Joseph Orleck’s widow. The destroyer served from 1945 to 1982, including World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The ship was then purchased by the Turkish Navy and renamed Yucetepe, where it served until 2000. The ship was then transferred to a foundation in Orange, Texas, where it was to be made a museum ship. Hurricane Rita severely damaged the ship in 2009, and it was moved to the City of Lake Charles for display as a museum ship. The Orleck is one of the few U.S. Destroyers that remains on display in the U.S.
For some older visitors, the ship brings back memories. Many visitors have been crewmen who served onboard as well as individuals who worked in Orange, Texas, where the ship was constructed. Ninety-year-old Rosa Lee Miller, who, on her visit, showed the volunteers where she had installed cabling throughout the ship.
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Passageway -
Close quarters
Ron Williams, Executive Director, is the spokesperson for the ship. He explained that money is always an issue for the ship and the group has come up with many inventive ways to keep the coffers full. Recently, the Orleck worked with a movie company that used some artifacts from the ship. This was a profitable venture. Ron also told me that the volunteers are key to the ship’s success.
One volunteer, David, has been working on the Orleck for several years and told me that, “You can’t put a price on the memories that people share when they visit the ship.” He also enjoys teaching history to the kids and showing them how things work on the ship.
Check out this piece of history in Lake Charles; you will be glad you did.
