Map to Ville Platte

Museums

        
             Ville Platte Louisiana Swamp Pop Museum

Ville Platte has been officially designated by the Louisiana Legislature at the "Swamp Pop Capital of the World," recognizing the town's "long, rich history of fostering the development of swamp pop music, as the city is the home of JIN Records, the label that has produced more swamp pop acts than any other in the state," including such artists as the Boogie Kings, Rod Bernard, Tommy McLain, Joe Barry, Jivin Gene, Johnnie Allan, and Warren Storm.

Swamp pop is South Louisiana's best-selling music genre, far outselling zydeco and Cajun music combined. Yet swamp pop, a gumbo of oldies rock 'n' roll, New Orleans R&B, country and Cajun sounds, is often treated as a relic, rarely featured at today's festivals and clubs while its accordion-driven cousins routinely receive top billing.

Swamp pop's heyday was 1958-64, when 19 songs broke out of the bayou and became national hits. Songs like Sea of Love, first recorded in 1959 by Phil Phillips of Lake Charles, reached No. 1. This Should Go On Forever put Rod Bernard of Opelousas on national TV and on tour with Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and other early rock 'n' roll stars.

A restored train depot on Ville Platte’s Railroad Street has been converted to a swamp pop museum.

Swamp pop's rich history lives again at the new museum, filled with stage costumes, photos, records, a wall of fame of autographs and more rare memorabilia. Large charts and maps outline swamp pop's stories and travels across the globe.

The museum is the crowning jewel in a grassroots effort to bring more respect to swamp pop. The building is actually a 103-year-old railroad depot, once discarded by the town of Elton. The structure had no roof and a badly-beaten exterior when it arrived in Ville Platte.