Lake Charles, LA area guide

Things to Do Near Lake Charles Memorial Hospital

Groceries, food, days-off ideas and shopping close to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Made for travel nurses and RTs on contract.

5 groceries8 restaurants6 to do5 shopping

Photo: David Wilson / CC BY 2.0

Groceries

Closest grocery stores to stock the fridge on week one.

• La azteca latin grocery

  Local grocery store

  ~1.1 mi / ~4 minMap
• Market Basket

  Market Basket grocery store

  ~1.7 mi / ~6 minMap
• Walmart Neighborhood Market

  Walmart with groceries and household basics. Listed hours 6 AM to 11 PM daily

  ~1.7 mi / ~6 minMap
• Albertsons

  Albertsons grocery store

  ~2.4 mi / ~6 minMap
• Sam’s Club

  Sam’s Club warehouse club (membership needed)

  ~4.2 mi / ~10 minMap

Restaurants

Local spots with working websites. Places marked open late or early are handy around a night shift.

• Cajun’s WharfEarly and late

  American and Cajun restaurant

  ~1.8 mi / ~6 minWebsite
• Domino’sOpen late

  Pizza quick-service spot

  ~1.5 mi / ~5 minWebsite
• Leonard’s Food QuartersSit-down

  American and Cajun restaurant

  ~1.8 mi / ~6 minWebsite
• Mr. Gatti’s PizzaSit-down

  Pizza restaurant

  ~1.9 mi / ~6 minWebsite
• Steamboat Bill’s SeafoodSit-down

  American and Cajun restaurant

  ~2.5 mi / ~6 minWebsite
• Stellar BeansQuick bite

  Coffee shop. Listed hours 7 AM to 2 PM daily

  ~2.7 mi / ~6 minWebsite
• Pat’s of HendersonSit-down

  American and Cajun restaurant

  ~2.6 mi / ~6 minWebsite
• Jojo’s Chinese BistroSit-down

  Chinese restaurant

  ~3.8 mi / ~9 minWebsite

Things to do

Parks, water, breweries and more for your days off.

• Frasch Park

  Park, good for a walk between shifts

  ~15 mi / ~25 minWebsite
• Lake Charles

  Lake. If you fish, get a Louisiana license first

  ~3.6 mi / ~9 minMap
• Calcasieu Lake

  Lake. If you fish, get a Louisiana license first

  ~26 mi / ~34 minMap
• Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center

  Museum, good for a rainy day off

  ~2.5 mi / ~6 minMap
• Imperial Calcasieu Museum

  Museum, good for a rainy day off

  ~2.0 mi / ~5 minWebsite
• Infinite Sundries

  Local spot

  ~11 mi / ~19 minWebsite

Shopping

Malls and big stores for anything you forgot to pack.

• TJ Maxx

  TJ Maxx, discount clothes and home goods

  ~2.0 mi / ~5 minMap
• JCPenney

  JCPenney department store

  ~2.1 mi / ~5 minMap
• Kohl’s

  Kohl’s department store

  ~2.2 mi / ~5 minMap
• Prien Lake Mall

  Shopping mall

  ~2.2 mi / ~5 minWebsite
• Dillard’s

  Dillard’s department store

  ~2.4 mi / ~6 minMap

Laundromats

Closest self-serve laundromats for scrubs and linens when your rental or RV park doesn’t have a washer.

• Laundry World

  Laundromat

  ~2.5 mi / ~6 minMap
• Everlynn Washateria

  Self-serve laundromat. Listed hours 9 AM to 7:30 PM daily

  ~4.8 mi / ~11 minMap
• Cooling Springs LaundromatOpens early

  Self-serve laundromat. Listed hours 6 AM to 10 PM daily

  ~5.4 mi / ~13 minMap

Coffee shops

Nearest coffee shops, local spots first. Places marked “Opens early” are handy after a night shift.

• Starbucks

  Starbucks coffee chain

  ~2.2 mi / ~5 minMap
• Stellar Beans

  Local coffee shop. Listed hours 7 AM to 2 PM daily

  ~2.7 mi / ~6 minMap

Gyms

Closest gyms to keep your routine on contract. Ask about short-term or month-to-month memberships.

• Planet Fitness

  Planet Fitness gym

  ~2.5 mi / ~6 minMap
• Pryce/Miller Recreation Center

  Local gym

  ~2.9 mi / ~7 minMap
• Anytime Fitness

  Anytime Fitness gym

  ~5.0 mi / ~12 minMap

Nearby RV parks

Monthly-stay parks near Lake Charles Memorial Hospital from our RV parks list. Call to confirm the rate and a spot for your dates.

• Rustic Oak RV Park

  3403 Broad St, Lake Charles, LA 70601

  $575/mo; water, electric and WiFi included

  ~3 mi / ~7 minRates & phone
• Spacious Living RV Park

  3066 LA-3059, Lake Charles, LA 70615

  $577/mo

  ~7 mi / ~13 minRates & phone
• Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Lake Charles

  4200 Luke Powers Rd, Lake Charles, LA 70615

  $650/mo; water, electric, sewer and WiFi included

  ~8 mi / ~18 minRates & phone

Need a license for Louisiana? See the state licensing boards, then run through the contract checklists and housing tips.

Looking for your next contract? See Louisiana travel contracts posted by staffing agencies.

Sources: place data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), plus each place’s own website and Wikidata. Last checked Oct 2026.