A Heritage Worth Preserving

Across the United States, there are maritime museums that honor ships, trade, and naval history — but there is no museum dedicated solely to the Louisiana shrimping industry, a uniquely American way of life rooted in sweat, skill, and generations of coastal resilience. This museum is being created to fill that gap, to honor the legacy of shrimpers, and to ensure their stories are not lost to time or swallowed by the tides of change. As one shrimper says in the Louisiana Shrimp Museum-produced film Last of the Shrimpers, “It’s not a job to us — it’s a way.” Shrimping in Louisiana is not just an occupation; it is a family tradition, a cultural identity, and for many, a spiritual connection to the water. It is hard work — 18- to 20-hour days, long stretches away from shore, weathering economic shifts and literal storms — but it is work done with pride and freedom. This museum will preserve that heritage through exhibits, oral histories, and immersive education, ensuring future generations understand the role this industry played in shaping Louisiana and feeding the nation.

The Louisiana Shrimp Museum is a tribute to the generations of shrimpers who have shaped America’s domestic shrimping industry. Located in the heart of Louisiana’s coastal region, the Louisiana Shrimp Museum showcases the rich history, technological advancements, and cultural significance of shrimping. Our goal is to create a space where visitors can immerse themselves in the lives of shrimpers, learn about their challenges and triumphs, and gain a deeper appreciation for the industry’s impact on our economy and communities. Through exhibits, storytelling, and hands-on activities, the Louisiana Shrimp Museum inspires pride and ensures this essential tradition endures.

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This museum is more than an archive. It is a response. It is a call to educate the public, to advocate for sustainable and ethical seafood practices, and to recognize that every meal comes with a choice — one that can sustain a family or erase a legacy. “If it can happen to us,” the documentary warns, “it can happen to any industry in this country.” By creating this museum now, we affirm that Louisiana’s shrimpers — their knowledge, their struggles, their sacrifices — matter. And we ensure their voices will not fade, even when the engines go silent.

The mission of the Louisiana Shrimp Museum is to honor, preserve, and share the rich, generational heritage of Louisiana’s shrimping communities by educating the public about the industry’s cultural and economic importance, and by raising awareness of the modern challenges that threaten its future. Through exhibits, storytelling, and community engagement, the Museum celebrates the resilience of shrimpers, amplifies their voices, and inspires support for the preservation of this vital Gulf Coast tradition.

To be a nationally recognized cultural institution that preserves Louisiana’s working coast history, uplifts generational shrimping families, and builds public appreciation and advocacy for the survival of local seafood traditions in the face of global change.

Heritage - We honor the generational knowledge, stories, and traditions of Louisiana’s shrimping communities.

Resilience - We recognize and celebrate the strength and perseverance of shrimpers and their families.

Authenticity - We are committed to telling the true stories of the shrimping industry, past and present, through the voices of those who lived them.

Education - We believe in fostering public understanding of the industry’s cultural and economic role in Louisiana and beyond.

Advocacy - We work to raise awareness of the challenges facing local shrimpers and support efforts that ensure the industry’s survival for future generations.

Community - We collaborate with shrimpers, families, educators, historians, and local businesses to create a museum rooted in shared purpose and pride.