Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River

Lovely Baton Rouge the capital of Louisiana sits on the Mississippi River. It has impressive antebellum landmarks.

The Old State Capitol is a wonderful Gothic-Revival castle built in 1847. It stands high on a bluff over the Mississippi, Today it houses a museum of political history, It also hosts different events and can be rented as a venue for weddings and other occasions.

The Old Governor’s Mansion is an impressive building dating from the 1930s. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours are available. It was home to nine governors and their families. You can see many of the original furnishings and decorations.

The USS Kidd Veterans Memorial Center is on the destroyer USS KIDD. The ship was named after Rear Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd, Sr. who was killed on the USS Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. The ship was launched in 1943 and nicknamed “Pirate of the Pacific.” Over the years it has been used in movies and historical documentaries. Visitors can climb aboard and have a look at the ship.

The memorial complex also has an observation tower and museum. The Historic Warship & Nautical Center has many amazing artifacts, a model ship collection, and a miniature replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall located in Washington, D.C.

Louisiana State University was moved to Baton Rouge in 1869. Among the highlights are the LSU Rural Life Museum and the LSU Museum of Natural Science. The American Indian mounds that are located on the grounds are supposedly over 1,600 years old. Baseball games take place at Alex Box Stadium/Skip Bertman Field and football at the LSU Tiger Stadium which is home to the LSU Tigers football team.

Mike the Tiger is the official mascot of LSU and was first acquired in the 1930s. Today the tiger’s habitat has been upgraded to a 15,000-square-foot compound.

The LSU Rural Life Museum represents the lifestyles and cultures of pre-Industrial Louisiana. Among the highlights are Louisiana Folk Architecture, a collection of seven buildings showing the various cultural influences of settlers in Louisiana, The Barn with items from pre-historic times to the 20th century, and The Working Plantation, a complex of buildings furnished to reconstruct life on a 19th-century working plantation.

The Louisiana State Capitol was built in the early 1930s. It is a landmark structure with 34 floors. Its limestone exterior has symbolic images that represent the state. The exterior stairs are flanked by two groups of statues. The Patriots, an armored soldier and the mourners of a warrior killed in battle, and The Pioneers, a robed woman surrounded by settlers. Visitors can tour the building and look out over the city on the observation deck. The capital in on the National Register of Historic Places.

On the National Register of Historic Places Magnolia Mound Plantation was built in the last half of the 18th century. It represents the architectural influences of early settlers from France and the West Indies, The home is a wooden structure and still maintains its 18th and 19th-century appearance. It is surrounded by old oak trees.

The Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center provides research and educational resources in a natural setting. A mile of gravel paths and boardwalks stretch through the space and lead to distinct areas of the park such as a cypress-tupelo swamp and hardwood forests. Along the trail, you can catch a glimpse of wildlife. At the Exhibit Building, you can get information about the flora and fauna of the region.

BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo is home to exotic and domestic animals. You can see large cats, rhinos, fish, reptiles, and amphibians in Louisiana. You can enjoy the Realm of the Tiger featuring tigers, Siamang gibbons, a walk-through aviary with colorful Asian birds, a koi pond, and a rock garden. This exhibit raises awareness of threats to tigers and raises funds for their conservation.

Visitors love the Flamingo Cove and Giants of the Islands featuring the zoo’s Chilean flamingos and Galapagos and Aldabra tortoises.

The Louisiana Arts & Science Museum offers a mix of arts and science. It is housed in a beautiful old railroad depot along the Mississippi River. The art galleries have changing exhibitions and a permanent collection of fine art. Among the highlights are American and European art. Ethnographic art, modern and contemporary art of Louisiana, photography, and antiquities.

Capitol Park Museum informs visitors about the culture, history, and industry of Louisiana. There are static and rotating exhibits. Among the exhibits you’ll find “Experiencing Louisiana: Discovering the Soul of America”, and “Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation.”

Downtown Baton Rouge is the place where you’ll find great dining and vibrant nightlife. The downtown area stretches along the Mississippi River. You’ll have a variety of choices from restaurants to bars to casinos. The Live After Five showcase offers a series of free outdoor concerts.