Complete Guide to the 42nd Annual Palm Sunday Tour of Homes in Lake Charles (2017)

The 42nd Annual Palm Sunday Tour of Homes showcases exquisite homes across historic Lake Charles, where gracious homeowners invite visitors to explore their gardens and interiors on Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017. If you've never attended, this is the perfect year to experience it firsthand.

1. This year's theme, "Future and Past," highlights both vintage properties and innovative new constructions shaping the future of preservation. All featured homes are in the Historic Charpentier District of Lake Charles, specially selected to celebrate the city's 150th anniversary.

2. Tour six remarkable properties in the northwest corner of the Charpentier National Register Historic District. No need to be an architecture enthusiast or history expert to appreciate their charm. Here's a preview: Utterly enchanting!

_{516 Hodges Street, Lake Charles}

3. This event provides a unique chance to step inside some of Lake Charles' most prestigious private residences, appreciating their historical significance, elegant furnishings, and the dedicated preservation efforts of their owners.

4. Beyond the homes, savor an exclusive Tour of Homes Tea Room at Pujo St. Café. Chefs recreate historic Lake Charles recipes, including Butter Pecan crumpets, Petite Cinnamon Rolls (from the Majestic Hotel*), and finger sandwiches. Complement your tea with cocktails like J.B. Watkins** Lemonade, a Long Island lemonade twist, or Battle Row Bloody Mary.

5. Budget-friendly and accessible, tickets cost just $10 per person for the 1-5 p.m. tour. Tea room items range from $2-$6. Buy tickets online at www.calcasieupreservation.org or at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 715 Kirkman St., on event day.

You're sure to love this event. Snap photos, tag #VisitLakeCharles, and share your adventure. Happy touring!

Learn more about the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society at www.calcasieupreservation.org.

For self-guided tours of the Historic Charpentier District, download our Historic Tour app.

*In the late 1880s, Jabez Bunting Watkins (J.B. Watkins), a banker, lawyer, and land developer, promoted Southwest Louisiana as paradise. He established a bank, sugar mill, land and timber companies, and a newspaper in Lake Charles. Source: www.walnutgrovend.com.

**Built in 1906 at Bilbo and Pujo Streets by Lake Charles businessmen, the Majestic Hotel exemplified modern architecture until its demolition in the mid-1960s. Learn more at www.walnutgrovetnd.com/majestic-hall/brief-history/.