Location
Once complete, the Louisiana Music Museum will be located in the historic 1890 Lafayette Hardware Store at 121 W. Vermilion St. in Downtown Lafayette, Louisiana.
Nestled in the heart of South Louisiana, this will be a nationally significant cultural destination that draws visitors from around the world as well as those close at home.
The Historic 1890 Lafayette Hardware Store Reimagined
The Louisiana Music Museum is set to be located in the historic 1980 Lafayette Hardware Store.
Constructed around 1890, the Lafayette Hardware Store stands as one of the city’s oldest surviving commercial buildings and a rare example of a two-story frame Italianate structure once common across Louisiana.
Over the years, it was a mercantile store, a drugstore, and home to Lafayette’s first telephone exchange.
Remarkably intact, it retains its original pressed metal ornamentation, historic storefront and wood interior, offering window into late nineteenth-century downtown life.
In a city shaped by rapid change and redevelopment, the building endures as one of Lafayette’s best-preserved architectural artifacts, an anchor of cultural memory and a testament to the craftsmanship of its era.
The building was purchased by Acadiana Center for the Arts in 2022, initiating the vision for the Louisiana Music Museum.
A modern annex will provide accessible entry, visitor amenities, and space for programming, blending the old with the new for future generations.
Getting Here
The future Louisiana Music Museum will be located in the heart of downtown Lafayette at:
121 W. Vermilion St.
Lafayette, Louisiana 70501
Please note: While the address is on W. Vermilion Street, the main entrance will be on Buchanan Street, at the corner of W. Vermilion and Buchanan.
The museum will sit directly adjacent to Acadiana Center for the Arts, its parent organization.
By Car
Downtown Lafayette is easily accessible from all major routes.
From I-10 via Evangeline Thruway:
Take Exit 103A (US-167 S / Evangeline Thruway) toward Lafayette. Continue south and follow signs for Downtown / Jefferson Street. Turn right onto Jefferson Street, continue several blocks, then turn right onto W. Vermilion Street. Continue one block to Buchanan Streetand the museum will be on the corner, with the entrance on Buchanan.
From I-10 via University Avenue:
Take Exit 101 (US-90 / University Ave.) and head south toward Lafayette. Continue on University Avenue, then turn left onto W. Congress Street. Follow Congress into Downtown, then turn right onto St. John Street. Continue and turn left onto W. Vermilion. The museum will be on the corner of W. Vermilion & Buchanan, with the entrance on Buchanan Street.
Parking
Street parking is available throughout downtown Lafayette.
Metered spaces are managed through the ParkMobile app, allowing you to pay and extend time directly from your phone.
Several public parking lots and garages are also located within a short walking distance of the museum.
By Foot or Bike
Located in the center of downtown, the museum is easily accessible on foot from surrounding neighborhoods, restaurants, and local businesses.
Bike racks are available throughout the area, making cycling a convenient option.
Its location next to Acadiana Center for the Arts places it within one of the city’s most active cultural corridors.
Nearby Landmarks
The museum is located in the center of Downtown Lafayette, within easy walking distance of several of the city’s most recognizable cultural and civic destinations.
Just steps away, you’ll find Parc Sans Souci and Acadiana Center for the Arts, along with the Children's Museum of Acadiana and the Lafayette Science Museum.
A short walk away is the historic Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, as well as the Alexandre Mouton House.