Appreciating Antiquing in Breaux Bridge

For a state that’s so well-known for letting the good times roll, Louisiana sometimes surprises newcomers with how seriously it takes its history. Treasure-seekers, whether they’re looking for century decor or artifacts of Cajun culture, will be delighted to find that Acadiana has a heart of gold waiting for them. In St. Martin Parish, you can load up on some of the nation’s best crawfish and mesmerizing swampland vistas, but antique-lovers know to save room (as in, copious amounts of trunk space) for a visit to the historic downtown of Breaux Bridge.

The city’s Bridge Street may seem quaint – and indeed it is-- but if you’re anticipating a quick buying trip or an hour of window shopping, you might want to set aside a little more time.

“All you’re doing is antique shopping, and before you know it you’re culturally entrenched,” chuckles Lynn Roy, proprietor of Breaux Bridge Souvenirs, Gifts, and Treasures.

Roy’s shop, along with nearby businesses Something Old Something New and Lagniappe Antique Mall, are among the highlights of the over ten antique shops, boutiques, and cozy cafes in downtown Breaux Bridge.

“I’d bet you we have at least an acre’s worth of antiques out here,” says Roy, after a quick tally of the square footage of antique shops along the drag.

But most of these shops go beyond your run-of-the-mill dusty candlesticks and end tables. Contemporary crafts and Cajun folk art are common sights alongside century-old handmade cradles and prized collections of carnival glass, a testament to a culture that habitually weaves past and present. Lynn Roy takes particular pleasure in mixing older Cajun antiques and more recent folk art in displays and enticing guests with stories that blend them together.

“When you finish telling it though, going between the old and the new, it’s all part of the same story really,” Roy says. “But if they want, they can take a piece of it home with them, for real.”