Lafreniere Park

Lafreniere Park is Metairie's largest green space and a genuine respite from the surrounding suburban sprawl. The 155-acre park has a large lagoon, walking and jogging paths, a playground, and enough open space to feel genuinely removed from the surrounding roads and strip malls. It is well-used by locals for morning runs and weekend picnics.

The lagoon is home to egrets, herons, and in season a variety of migratory birds — the wetland fringe along its edges attracts species you would not normally expect to find in the middle of a suburb. The park is free to enter and has ample parking. It makes for a good early morning stop before heading into New Orleans.

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A story
The park sits on land that was largely used for sugarcane farming until the mid-twentieth century. Its name recalls the Lafrénière family, prominent colonial Louisiana landowners whose ancestor, Nicolas Chauvin de la Frénière, was the first native-born Louisianan to practice law in the colony and was ultimately executed for leading a rebellion against Spanish colonial rule in 1769.

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