Cane River Creole National Historical Park is located within the Cane River National Heritage Area

Cane River National Heritage Area

The Cane River National Heritage Area is a United States National Heritage Area in the state of Louisiana. The heritage area is known for its spectacular Creole architecture as well as numerous other sites that preserve the multi-cultural history of the area...

 in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana

Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana

Natchitoches Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Natchitoches. As of 2000, the population was 39,080. This is the heart of the Cane River Louisiana Creole community...

. The United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 National Historical Park

National Historical Park

National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...

 protects a total of 67 historic structures at two locations, Magnolia Plantation

Magnolia Plantation (Derry, Louisiana)

Magnolia Plantation is a former plantation in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001. Included in the Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Magnolia Plantation is also a destination on the Louisiana African American Heritage...

 and Oakland Plantation

Oakland Plantation (Natchez, Louisiana)

Oakland Plantation was originally known as the Jean Pierre Emmanuel Prud'homme Plantation. It is also known as Bermuda. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001, it is part of Cane River Creole National Historical Park near Natchitoches, Louisiana.The plantation is associated with Atahoe...

. Both plantation sites lie along the Cane River. The park was established by the U.S. Congress in 1994 in order to preserve examples of French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and Creole

Louisiana Creole people

Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...

 architecture

Architecture

Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...

 and to interpret the multi-cultural history of the area.

Due to the preservation and restoration work in progress on the historic structures in the park, limited services are available to the public.