Louisiana Travel Guide

Louisiana, United States — Attractions

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Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World

In Algiers Point, on the west bank of the Mississippi River, stands a unique studio museum showcasing the famous New Orleans' Mardi Gras. The museum is actually the working studio of foremost carnival float designer, Blaine Kern, for whom producing floats and props for the city's annual Mardi Gras is a full-time job. Visitors can watch Kern and his team design and construct the giant sculptures of everything from cartoon characters to mythological figures and animals that will eventually parade through the streets.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 233 Newton Street, Algiers Point
Phone Number: (800) 362 8213
Email Address: sabine@mardigrasworld.com
Website: www.mardigrasworld.com
Transport: Catch the free ferry at the foot of Canal Street to historic Algiers Point. A free Blaine Kern shuttle meets every ferry from 9.30am. to 4.30pm
Hours: Opens daily at 9.30am, with final tour at 4.30pm

The Cabildo

The entertaining and informative Cabildo on Jackson Square in New Orleans' French Quarter explores the history of Louisiana from the first European explorations to the post-Civil War Reconstruction era from a multi-cultural perspective. The museum is the flagship of the Louisiana State Museum facilities and is housed in an historic building, dating to 1799, originally serving as the Spanish city council offices. Two major historic events took place in the Cabildo building: the Louisiana Purchase Transfer ceremonies in 1803 and later a landmark Supreme Court decision was handed down here that legalized racial segregation. The Cabildo takes pride that five American presidents have visited it.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 701 Chartres Street
Phone Number: (504) 568-3660
Website: lsm.crt.state.la.us/visitor.htm#museums
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm
Admission: $6 (adults), free for children 12 and under

D-Day National WWII Museum

The unique D-Day National World War II Museum was founded in 2000 by historian and author Dr Stephen Ambrose and has become regarded as a highlight of any New Orleans sightseeing tour. Situated in New Orleans' Warehouse District it depicts the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, the Home Front during World War II, and the D-Day Invasions in the Pacific. Exhibit galleries include text panels, artifacts, and personal account stations where visitors can listen to the stories of war veterans. A panorama exhibit recreates a Normandy beach landing; there are also regular film shows.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans. Entrance on Andrew Higgins' Drive
Phone Number: (504) 528 1944
Email Address: info@nationalww2museum.org
Website: www.nationalww2museum.org
Hours: Open daily from 9am to 5pm. Closed Mardi Gras Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Admission: $16 (adults), $8 (children 12-5), free for under 5s, concessions available

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

New Orleans' state-of-the-art Audubon Aquarium, situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, is regarded as the best in America with highly entertaining exhibits. Underwater tunnels allow visitors to marvel at a Caribbean Reef and a re-creation of the Gulf of Mexico, complete with sharks. There is also a walk-through Amazon rainforest and an exhibit displaying the inside story of swamp life. The Aquarium features every type of aquatic creature from jellyfish and sea horses to sea otters and penguins. The Aquarium's 'sister' attraction, also run by the Audubon Institute, is the excellent New Orleans city zoo, situated in Audubon Park further uptown.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 1 Canal Street
Phone Number: (504) 581 4629
Email Address: air@auduboninstitute.org
Website: www.auduboninstitute.org
Hours: Aquarium and Zoo: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm
Admission: Aquarium: $18.50 (adults), $111.50 (children 2-12). Zoo: $13.50 (adults), $8.50(children). Concessions available

French Quarter

Regarded as the heart and soul of New Orleans, the French Quarter is the historic part of town covering about 90 square blocks radiating out from Chartres Street and Jackson Square. The Quarter, or Vieux Carre, was established in 1718 as a French military outpost, which was later taken over by the Spanish, merging into a freewheeling culture incorporating slaves, pirates, mercenaries, call-girls and various freemen of every color and creed. Today the area looks and feels much as it did before Hurricane Katrina, with its wrought-iron railings and tall doorways, and clubs, bars, Cajun-seafood restaurants and shops all a-buzz. By day it is one of the best people-watching spots in the world, and the focus for visitors to New Orleans. By night the area becomes a giant street party throbbing with jazz music and a world-class dining district. The most famous street is Bourbon Street, where prostitutes literally mingle with priests, and bars stay open all night.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Website: www.frenchquarter.com

Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens

Situated on the Burden Research Plantation, run by the Louisiana State University, is the Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens. The museum features an extensive collection of tools, household utensils, furniture, vehicles and farming implements, some outdoors and others housed in more than 20 buildings that depict the lifestyle of pre-industrial 19th-century Louisiana.

Region/City Name: Baton Rouge
Address: LSU Burden Research Plantation, 4600 Essen Lane
Phone Number: (225) 765 2437
Email Address: rulife1@lsu.edu
Website: rurallife.lsu.edu/
Hours: 8.30am to 5pm daily, all year round. Closed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Admission: $9 (adults); $5 (children 5-11)

Old State Capitol

The historic Old State Capitol Gothic building, once described by Mark Twain as being 'the ugliest thing on the Mississippi', sits on a bluff overlooking the river and today operates as a center for political and governmental history. The building was completed in 1849 and housed the Louisiana Legislature until Union forces captured the city of Baton Rouge in 1862. The legislature returned to the building in 1882 and stayed until the new capitol was completed in 1932. The old Capitol has now been restored and houses a museum featuring state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and multi-media presentations detailing Louisiana's past and political history.

Region/City Name: Baton Rouge
Address: 100 North Boulevard at River Road
Phone Number: (225) 342 0500
Website: http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/245/Default.aspx
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm; Sunday 12pm to 4pm. Open Mondays for special tours

Nautical Center

A highlight of the Baton Rouge Nautical Center is the restored 369ft (112m) World War II Fletcher Class Destroyer, USS Kidd, which is the prime exhibit. Overnight camping experiences on the ship are offered. The center also features a huge collection of model ships, a restored World War II fighter plane, a jet fighter from the Vietnam era and a walk-through exhibit of the gun deck of Old Ironsides.

Region/City Name: Baton Rouge
Address: 305 South River Road
Phone Number: (225) 342 1942
Email Address: Info@usskidd.com
Website: www.usskidd.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Admission: Ship and museum: $8 (adults), $5 (children 5-12), concessions available

San Francisco Plantation

Louisiana's most authentically restored 'great house' is the San Francisco Plantation house, sited on the east bank of the Mississippi under centuries-old Live Oaks about 40 minutes from downtown Baton Rouge near the small town of Garyville. The galleried house was built by Edmond Bozonier Marmillion in 1856 in what is termed the Creole open-suite style. Inside the house features five hand-painted mural ceilings, faux marble and bois wood graining, and one of the finest antique collections in the United States. Also on the plantation is an 1830s slave cabin, a one-roomed schoolhouse and a museum store. Period-costumed guides take visitors on tours throughout the day. Other plantation houses open to the public on the Great River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge include Oak Alley, Nottoway, Laura, Madewood, and Tezcuco.

Region/City Name: Baton Rouge
Address: 2646 Highway 44 (River Road), Garyville
Phone Number: (985) 535 2341
Website: www.sanfranciscoplantation.org
Hours: Daily 9.30am to 4.40pm (April to October), 9am to 4pm (November to March). Tours run from 10am to 4pm
Admission: $15 (adults), $7 (children), concessions available and children under 5 free

Louisiana Art and Science Museum

Housed in a historic railroad depot the Louisiana Art and Science Museum offers educational and entertainment opportunities for visitors of all ages. Featured are changing fine art exhibitions, interactive art and science galleries for children, an Egyptian tomb and a simulated space station. Also on the site is the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium and ExxonMobil Space Theater, offering planetarium shows and large format films.

Region/City Name: Baton Rouge
Address: 100 South River Road
Phone Number: (225) 344 5272
Email Address: lasm@lasm.org
Website: www.lasm.org
Transport: Capital Transportation Corporation buses on the Florida Boulevard route stop on River Road directly across from LASM
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm; Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 1pm to 5pm; closed Mondays
Admission: Museum only: $7 (adults), $6 (children). Museum and Planetarium: $9 (adults), $8 (children)

Lafayette

The city of Lafayette is the hub of the eight-parish area in the heart of Louisiana's southern Acadian region, famed for its unique Cajun and Creole heritage, where the French language is soft on the ear and French traditions prevail. Lafayette, to the east of Baton Rouge, lies at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Interstate 49, and is known for its great food, music and festivals. The city also has historic attractions, majestic plantation homes, vibrant gardens, leisurely swamp tours and exciting museums to entice visitors. Authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine served up with original Zydeco and Cajun music is what most tourists seek here, but sites like the Acadian Cultural Center, University Art Museum, and the Natural History Museum are all worth visiting.

Region/City Name: Baton Rouge
Phone Number: 800 346 1958 (Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission)
Website: www.lafayettetravel.com

Hurricane Katrina Tour

In the wake of one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the United States, Gray Line Tours offers a three-hour bus ride around some of the hardest hit areas in New Orleans, including Lakeview and Gentilly, and is aimed at gathering support to rebuild the city. To respect the privacy of the locals, buses will not allow tourists off the bus to take pictures, but will pass around pictures of the storm and its destruction, and guides will describe the events before and after the storm hit the city, as well as explaining the significance of the levee system.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: Tours depart from Gray Line Lighthouse ticket office, Toulouse Street, French Quarter
Phone Number: (504) 569 1401 or (800) 535 7786
Email Address: tours@graylineneworleans.com
Website: www.graylineneworleans.com
Hours: Three hour long tours are conducted daily at 9am, 11am and 1pm from 1 February to 30 September
Admission: $35 (adults), $28 (children)

Preservation Hall

Historic Preservation Hall is New Orleans' most popular jazz venue, where the famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band serves up first-rate music six nights a week in the French Quarter building (originally built as a residence in 1750). On Sundays the Olympia Brass Band performs instead. No seating, food or drinks are available, but crowds flock here simply for the music between 8pm and midnight.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 726 St Peter Street
Phone Number: (504) 522 2841
Website: www.preservationhall.com
Hours: Nightly from 8pm until 11pm. Sets begin at 8.15pm
Admission: $10

Louis Armstrong Park

Louis Armstrong Park is a 32-acre sanctuary of green trees and jazz melodies in the heart of the historic old quarter. Inside you'll find Congo Square, the meeting place of slaves in the 19th century. The Visitors' Facility also has exhibits and an indoor performance venue. Occasional free Sunday afternoon concerts are a highlight in the park.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 835 North Rampart Street
Phone Number: (504) 286 2100
Email Address: pkwebm@new-orleans.la.us
Website: http://www.nps.gov/archive/jazz/Armstrong%20Park.htm
Admission: Free

Audubon Insectarium

If it walks, crawls or flies, find it at the Audubon Insectarium. Set in Custom House, the historic, white marble columned structure in Canal Street, this is the largest freestanding insectarium in the United States, devoted to over 900,000 species of insects. View thousands of live bugs and mounted specimens. The Cooking Show and Cultural Café offer culinary adventures; witness the art of cooking with these creepy criters and sample the treats, or opt for more traditional fare in the insect-themed café.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 423 Canal Street
Phone Number: (504) 581 4629, (800) 774 7394
Website: www.auduboninstitute.org
Hours: 10am to 6pm, Tuesdays through Sundays, with last entry at 5pm.
Admission: $15 (adult); $10 (children)

Besthoff Sculpture Garden

View the priceless sculptures that make up the superb Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The Sculpture Garden provides a unique opportunity for visitors who treasure the arts, with a world-class collection of modern and contemporary sculptures presented in an exquisite natural setting. Next to the Sculpture Garden is the New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park, with centuries old oak trees, lagoons, a small amusement park and Storyland, a charming fairytale playground.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 1 Collins Diboll Circle, City Park
Phone Number: (504) 488 2631
Website: www.noma.org
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4.30pm.
Admission: Free

Louisiana Children's Museum

The Louisiana Children's Museum is a fantastic attraction for kids with a vast selection of exhibits, art activities and educational programs to enjoy. The kid-sized Winn-Dixie grocery store is a favorite, as are the climbing wall and the giant bubble that kids can play in. Eye to Eye has fun showing the workings of the human eye, and Art Trek features drawing, painting and sculpture lessons.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: 420 Julia Street
Phone Number: 504 586 0725 ext 210
Website: www.lcm.org
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am to 4.30pm, Sunday 12pm to 4.30pm (September to May); Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm (June to August). Closed major holidays.
Admission: $7.50

Boat Rides

Set on the banks of the Mississippi River, New Orleans is a great place to take kids for a boat ride. The Natchez steamboat traverses this great river and passes many of the city's historical sites, while the John James Audubon ferries passengers between the Aquarium of the Americas and the Audubon Zoo. There are also a number of Louisiana swamp tours which kids would love.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: Many boats dock near the foot of Canal Street

Storyland and Carousel Gardens Amusement Park

Kids in New Orleans love Storyland and the Carousel Gardens amusement park. Storyland is a fairytale playground featuring life-size storybook attractions such as Captain Hook's pirate ship, and an imitation whale from Pinocchio. The traditional wooden carousel at the theme park always draws a crowd, as do the bumper cars, lady-bug roller coaster and miniature trains.

Region/City Name: New Orleans
Address: City Park, Victory Ave
Phone Number: 504 483 9381
Hours: Carousel Gardens Friday 10am to 2.30pm, Saturday to Sunday 11am to 5pm; Storyland Saturday to Sunday 10am to 5pm.
Admission: $3