The City of Lake Charles is re-imagining a prime area of the city’s Lakefront into Port Wonder, a family destination with an iconic new entertainment and education complex featuring the new Children’s Museum of Southwest Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Science Center and Educational Complex (SCEC).

Nearing completion, Port Wonder’s iconic undulating roofline design reflects the winding waterways that culminate at Lake Charles. The lobby courtyard provides a view from the interstate to the lake right down the center of the building, immediately connecting visitors to the lake. The Children’s Museum (23,600 square feet) and Science Center (8400 square feet) occupy separate wings on either side of this shared congregation space.

This addition to the Lake Charles waterfront is slated to hold over a dozen exhibits, focusing on topics ranging from human health in the Children’s Museum to immersive, Gulf-specific marsh and barrier island exhibits at the Nature Center. The site features outdoor play areas, a covered fishing pier and walking trails that connect to the existing alligator habitat.