Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, LA
Things to Do

• Attractions

• Plantations

• Museums

• Gardens

Attractions

Africa Safari Park
The park is located about 35 minutes north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. From Baton Rouge take Plank Road north (17.5 miles from Metro Airport) turn right onto Highway 959, Travel 4.7 miles, turn right on Highway 409, the park entrance is 1.5 miles down on your left.

Carload Day - Every Wednesday, you may bring as many people along as you like,
Open to individuals and groups, the Africa Safari Park has over 750 animals with 80 different species being displayed on 168 acres. The park is open to individuals and groups. In addition, the park has 3 safari vehicles which can accommodate larger groups.

Baton Rouge Zoo
3601 Thomas Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70807
Free Admission
Discover Baton Rouge's #1 family attraction! Over 1800 animals, including white tiger, elephants, giraffes and alligators await you in the beautifully landscaped Zoo. . Visitors of all ages will love KidsZoo, complete with a playground and hands-on animal encounter with farm animals! Your visit is not complete without a scenic ride on the Cypress Bayou Railroad or a narrated tour on the White Tiger Tram.

Bluebonnet Swamp Conservation Area
Exit I-10 at Bluebonnet Boulevard; 1 mile south and turn right to:
10503 North Oak Hills Parkway
Explore a unique natural area near the heart of Baton Rouge. Self guided nature trails wind through a magnolia-beech upland forest and into a 65 acre cypress-tupelo swamp. Elevated boardwalks provide complete accessibility. The nature center includes educational exhibits, picnic area, and restroom facilities.

Enchanted Mansion, a Doll Museum
190 Lee Drive
This museum offers a magical and educational doll exhibit for all ages. A unique museum that entertains and informs its visitors through animation and spectacular exhibits. Afternoon tea is also featured.

Louisiana Arts and Science Center and Challenger Learning Center
100 South River Road
First Sunday of the month admission is Free.
Housed in a reconstructed train station, the Louisiana Arts and Science Center offers several exhibits that change each year, as well as a permanent Egyptian tomb exhibit. For the children and "children at heart," there is a hands-on art and science exhibit.

Louisiana Governor's Mansion
1001 Capital Access Road
The Governor's Mansion is built in 1963 in modified Greek Revival style as a replica of one of the state's plantation mansions. Open for tours by appointment only.

Louisiana Old State Capitol
100 North Boulevard
High on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River stands the majestic Old State Capitol, a Gothic architectural treasure. Designed and built by James Harrison Dakin, 1847-1850. The nearly 150 year old building has withstood war, fire, scandal, bitter debate, abandonment, and an occasional fistfight.

Louisiana State Capitol
State Capitol Drive
No admission charged.
The State Capitol is the tallest state capitol in the nation. The tower rises 34 floors above pleasant formal gardens. Visitors can see the city of Baton Rouge, the Mississippi River, and surrounding areas from the 27th-floor observation deck. Steps commemorating the 50 states lead to its entrance. The building is built in Art Deco style with magnificent marble and bronze detailing inside. Completed in 1932.

Louisiana State University Hilltop Arboretum
11855 Highland Road
No admission charged.
The rolling terrain of the12-acre site is landscaped with a variety of interesting and unique native trees and plants labeled for identification.

 

Old Arsenal Museum
East Capitol Drive
State Capitol Complex, formerly a powder magazine, is located amid the formal gardens of the Louisiana State Capitol Complex.

U.S.S. Kidd and Nautical Historical Center
305 South River Road
The U.S.S. Kidd is the only World War II Fletcher Class destroyer meticulously restored. This 369-foot ship is berthed on the Mississippi River in a unique cradle that holds it "high and dry. The adjacent Nautical Historical Center features a P-40 Warhawk fighter plane, a restored "Flying Tiger," and an A7E Corsair attack aircraft. A National Historic Landmark. Plantation Homes Restored and Opened For Public Tours
 

Plantations

Plantation & Antebellum Homes
PO Box 546
St. Francisville , Louisiana
Picnic area. Nineteenth century plantation living can be seen in Oakley, the home where artist naturalist John James Audubon created many of his famous bird paintings.

Blythewood Plantation
400 Daniel Street
Amite , Louisiana 7
Two miles from I-55 Plantation over 100 years old and over 10,000 square feet. Mansion filled with Victorian and heirloom antiques.

Butler Greenwood Plantation
8345 US Highway 61
St. Francisville , Louisiana
Antique-filled historic 1790s plantation on the National Register of Historic Places that includes the area's finest original Victorian formal parlor, live oaks and gardens.

Catalpa Plantation
9508 US Highway 61
St. Francisville , Louisiana

Choctaw Plantation and Railroad
Ellwood Drive
Brusly , Louisiana

Cottage Plantation
10528 Cottage Lane
St. Francisville , Louisiana
Location: 1 mile US Hwy 61, St. Francisville Gift shop, tours, and restaurant. One of the area's most complete plantations, the site includes many original outbuildings, antique furnishings and century-old oaks.

Destrehan Plantation
13034 River Road
Destrehan , Louisiana
8 miles from New Orleans International airport. Gift shop. Built in 1787-1790, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Costumed docents give history of the house and the families who lived there.

Greenwood Plantation
6838 Highland Road
St. Francisville , Lousiana
10 miles from US 61.Gift shop, picnic areas, Built in 1830 in Greek Revival style, Greenwood burned to the ground in 1960, leaving only the columns standing. The home was completely rebuilt to the original specifications.

Houmas House Plantation
40136 Hwy 942
Darrow , Louisiana
Gift shop and food service (with advance notice) Greek Revival mansion (1840) connected to earlier Colonial house (1790). Antique period furniture; costumed guides. "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte" starring Bette Davis was filmed here.

Laura: A Creole Plantation
2247 Hwy 18 (Great River Road)
Vacherie , Louisiana
Guided tours, based on Laura's Memoirs, detail lives of Creole women, slaves, children. Built 1805.

Live Oak
15470 Highway
Rosedale , Louisiana
Gardens, group tours

Madewood Plantation House
20 miles from I-10
4250 Highway 308
Napoleonville , Louisiana

Magnolia Mound Plantation
2161 Nicholson Drive
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
1790's plantation house, reproduction 1800's open-hearth kitchen, 1800's slave cabin, overseer's house & pigeonnier, herb & vegetable garden, cash crop garden. Surrounded by 100-year-old live oaks, the c.1791 house has retained its creole plan and character for over 200 years. It's construction is of cypress beams with the original cypress flooring runs throughout the house.

Mount Hope Plantation
8151 Highland Road
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Historic home, circa 1817, listed on the National Register. Four acres of ancient trees and old garden roses. Entertainment and dinners or teas with advance notice. Fine example of a 19th century farmhouse which was settled by German immigrants. Rich history of settlers, Civil War and slaves who lived on property.

Myrtles Plantation
7747 US Highway 61
St. Francisville , Louisiana
Gift shop, food service, and picnic area. This 200-year-old antebellum plantation features a 120 foot veranda, exquisite ornamental ironwork, hand-painted stained glass and open-pierced firework. The home is also famous for its Aubusson tapestry, Baccarat crystal chandelier, and gold-leafed French furnishings.

Nottoway Plantation
30970 Hwy 405
White Castle , Louisiana
Experience 19th century southern living in the South's largest plantation home. Visit for an overnight stay, a guided tour or a romantic dining experience.

Oak Alley Plantation
3645 LA Highway 18
Vacherie , Louisiana
About 60 miles from Baton Rouge or New Orleans. Gift shop, restaurant & B&B(reservation for groups required) Experience a bygone era in the South's most beautiful setting, beginning with the spectacular quarter-mile alley of nearly 300-year-old live oak trees.

Parlange
8211 False River Road
New Roads , Louisiana
Gardens, group tours

Poplar Grove Plantation
3142 North River Road
Port Allen , Louisiana
10 minutes from downtown Baton Rouge. Food service (with advance notice). Built as a pavilion for 1884 World's Fair in New Orleans and moved by barge in 1886 to its current location. Exotic Victorian mansion with oriental influence, still occupied by original family, National Register of Historic Places.

Rosedown Plantation and Gardens
12501 Highway 10
St. Francisville , Louisiana
Gift shop, picnic areas and restrooms, theater, reception center. Rosedown's 28-acre garden is one of the nation's five most important historic gardens. Its 1835 house with all of its original contents has made it one of the south's most distinguished house museums for 30 years.

Rosewood Plantation
(800) 675-8838
10254 Highway 431
St. Amant , Louisiana
Magnificent and unique 1840s manor house created from the remnants of over 40 Louisiana Antebellum homes. Located in the heart of plantation country in Ascension Parish, Rosewood offers accommodations in the mansion or cottages.

San Francisco Plantation-A Historic Plantation House Museum and Gardens
2646 Hwy 44 River Road
Garyville , Louisiana
Only 40-minutes from downtown Baton Rouge The magnificent house features five hand painted mural ceilings, faux marble and bois wood graining. Built in 1856, by Edmond Marmillion in Old Louisiana Colonial - Steamboat Gothic Style, this National Landmark offers a Museum Store, 1830's Slave Cabin, and1840's one-room Schoolhouse nestled under 300 year old Live Oaks. Opened daily for tours with period dressed guides sharing the French and German heritage of the family, slaves, and civil war.

Tezcuco Plantation
3138 Hwy 44 River Road
Darrow , Louisiana
6 miles from I-10 at Sunshine Bridge. Antique and gift shop, restaurant and Civil War museum. 1855 Greek Revival plantation, listed on the National Register of Historic places.

Museums, etc

Smith & Brown Monument
Southern University Baton Rouge Campus
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
This monument is in memory of two African-American students, Denver Smith and Leonard Brown, who were killed by authorities in 1972 while participating in a student civil rights demonstration. A marker designates the spot where they were killed. The student union is also named in their honor.

Southern University Museum of Art
Southern University Baton Rouge Campus
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
The Southern University Museum of Art is open to visitors as well as to the Baton Rouge local community. It is in Martin L. Harvey Hall, overlooking the bluffs, on the campus of Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Features important works by African American artists from the past and present. Also, provides an opportunity to learn about other aspects of another culture.

LSU Mounds
The LSU mounds stand on the northwest corner of the campus. The two mounds, created by Native Americans, functioned as territorial markers or symbols of group identity. In 1982, radiocarbon dating determined that they were built about 5,000 years ago. The mounds are among the oldest preserved Indian mounds in the Western Hemisphere, and have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Memorial Tower
Tower Drive
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Also known as the Campanile, this 175-foot structure was built in 1923 and dedicated in 1926 as a memorial to Louisianians who died in WWI. On the rotunda walls are bronze plaques bearing the names of those to whom the Tower is dedicated. The Memorial Tower also houses the permanent collections of the LSU Museum of Art. Chimes ring every quarter hour. The Cornerstone in front of the tower was excavated from the ruins of Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy in Pineville (early LSU) one half describes the history, other half is inscribed with first Board of Supervisors and faculty.

Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens
4650 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Located on the 450-acre Burden Research Plantation, Rural Life provides insight into the largely forgotten lifestyles and cultures of pre-industrial Louisiana.

Tiger Cage
North Stadium Drive
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Just to the north of Tiger Stadium is the home of Mike V, LSU's Bengal tiger mascot. The cage, constructed for the first Mike in 1937, was renovated in 1981 to include a grassy area, a tiger-sized wooden scratching post, a pool, a climbing platform, and an indoor area for use in inclement weather.

Louisiana Arts and Science Center
100 South River Road
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Features fine art exhibitions, interactive art and science exhibits, an Egyptian gallery a Challenger Learning Center and a gift shop. Building is a 1920's train depot with five-car train on-site. In 2002, LASC will open a planetarium space theater.

Louisiana Old State Capitol
100 North Boulevard
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Center for Political and Governmental History. This Gothic architectural treasure was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Experience a multimedia presentation, interactive exhibits, political research library, political memorabilia, film and videotapes of state leaders.

Louisiana State Capitol Building
State Capitol Drive
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Gift shop, food service and picnic area. Tallest State Capitol in the nation, this Art deco-style building is 34 stories high. Built in 1932, it is the site of Huey Long's assassination. Its Observation Tower offers a view of Mississippi River and Capitol grounds.

Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science
119 Foster Hall
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
The museum is divided into two main parts: the public exhibits containing both habitat and biological exhibits, along with identification panels and the research collections used by scientists from all over the world.

Milbank Historic House
3045 Bank Street
Jackson , Louisiana 70748
Gift shop, restaurant next door, restroom facilities. An 1836 historic house suitable for small functions, with Doric columns and furnished with many Mallard antiques and other fine pieces.

Old Arsenal Powder Magazine
Secretary of State; PO Box 94125
Baton Rouge , Louisiana -9125
Picnic Area Formerly a powder magazine, circa 1838, the site is surrounded by a 10-foot outer wall and contains hand-on exhibits. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Bogan Fire Station
427 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Featuring fire equipment (hoses, extinguishers, fire boxes), the fireman's uniform and three fire trucks dating back to 1919 through 1926. Home to the Greater Baton Rouge Arts Council.

Old Governor's Mansion
502 North Blvd.
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Handicapped access and restroom facilities; jewelry collection on display, and jewelry is available for sale. Built by Huey P. Long in 1930 as Louisiana's White House the Old Governor's Mansion is now a historic house museum and the headquarters of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana. The Mansion reopened to the public in November 1999 after an extensive restoration and features furnishings and artifacts from nine Louisiana governors, a grand ballroom, French wallpaper, crystal chandeliers, and a marble staircase.

Old Turnerville Homes
23230 Nadler Street
Plaquemine , Louisiana
Gift shop House museums furnished with antiques reflecting life in an 1800's Mississippi River Village.

Pentagon Barracks Museum & Gift Shop
959 North Third Street
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Museum and gift shop. The barracks were built in 1823-24 to quarter U.S. Army personnel servicing the post of Baton Rouge. The Barracks housed many famous military men, including President Zachary Taylor. Original site of Louisiana State University. Housed in the historic Pentagon Barracks, this museum features exhibits highlighting Baton Rouge history.

River Road African American Museum and Gallery
3188 Highway 44
Burnside , Louisiana
Featuring art and artifacts from African American families who lived on River Road, along with lists of Africans enslaved at area plantations, inventors, entrepreneurs, etc..
 

West Baton Rouge Museum
845 North Jefferson
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Guided tours of historic sugar plantation buildings, and free "lagniappe" samples of locally-produced Louisiana "raw" sugar for every visitor! See a 22-foot working sugar mill model, an c.1850 slave cabin and a c.1830 French-creole sugar planter's cottage. A unique "sweet" Louisiana experience is available to visitors of the West Baton Rouge Museum who want to learn the story behind plantation life, its culture, and its impressive technology.

Gardens

Afton Villa Gardens
9247 Highway 61, Box 993
St. Francisville , Louisiana
A 1/2-mile oak alley leads to a renowned 19th-century garden, featuring formal parterre, hundreds of azaleas and expansive grounds.

Bluebonnet Swamp Nature-Center
10503 North Oak Hills Parkway
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Educational exhibits, gift shop, picnic area, restroom facilities Self-guided nature trails wind through a magnolia-beech upland forest and into the heart of a 65-acre cypress-tupelo swamp.

Cohn Memorial Arboretum
12206 Foster Road
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
Marked trail through 16 acres of native Louisiana trees and shrubs.