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Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana, set on bluffs along the east bank of the Mississippi River about 80 miles upriver from New Orleans. French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville named the spot in 1699 for a red-stained pole, le bâton rouge, that marked the boundary between two Native American hunting grounds. Over the centuries the town flew the flags of France, Britain, Spain, the short-lived Republic of West Florida and the Confederacy before growing into a major river port and center of the petrochemical industry.
Today Baton Rouge has about 220,000 residents and a lively blend of Cajun, Creole and Southern culture. Its skyline is dominated by the Louisiana State Capitol, built by Governor Huey P. Long in 1932, which at 34 stories is the tallest state capitol in the United States, with a free observation deck. The city is home to Louisiana State University, where Tiger Stadium, known as Death Valley, becomes one of the loudest places in college football on Saturday nights, and to Southern University, one of the country's largest historically Black universities.
Visitors can explore the castle-like Old State Capitol, the USS Kidd, a World War II destroyer docked on the Mississippi, and the LSU Rural Life Museum, which recreates 19th-century plantation and rural life. The downtown riverfront, the Shaw Center for the Arts, the Louisiana Art and Science Museum and the Capitol Park Museum add more to see, and the city's restaurants serve gumbo, boudin, po'boys and crawfish in season. Historic plantations along the River Road and the swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin are a short drive away.
At 34 stories, this 1932 Art Deco building is the tallest state capitol in the US, built under Governor Huey Long, who was assassinated in its halls in 1935. Free entry lets you ride to the 27th-floor observation deck for views of the Mississippi River. Bring photo ID for security.
LSU's main campus south of downtown has Italian Renaissance-style buildings, oak-lined quads, the Memorial Tower, the Indian Mounds that are thousands of years old and the LSU Museum of Art. It is pleasant to walk anytime, and the Parade Ground is a favorite spot for picnics.
A white Gothic Revival castle above the Mississippi River, used as the state capitol from 1850 and now the Museum of Political History. Look up at the spiral staircase and the colorful stained-glass dome inside. Admission is free, and it is a short walk from the newer capitol.
An outdoor museum on Essen Lane with more than 30 historic buildings, including slave cabins, a plantation quarters, a schoolhouse and a church, plus barns full of tools and wagons showing rural Louisiana life. The Windrush Gardens on the grounds are lovely in spring.
A French Creole plantation house built around 1791, one of the oldest wooden buildings in the Mississippi Valley, with an open-hearth kitchen, a reconstructed slave cabin and heirloom gardens. Guided tours explain the lives of the planter family and enslaved workers.
A Fletcher-class destroyer that served in World War II and Korea, preserved on the downtown riverfront and shown in its wartime camouflage. You can walk the decks, crew quarters and gun mounts, and the museum building next door holds aircraft and the Louisiana Veterans Memorial.
A riverfront museum set in a restored 1925 railroad depot, with art galleries, an Egyptian gallery with a mummy, hands-on science exhibits and the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, which shows space and sky programs. It is a good stop with children, especially on hot days.
Known as Death Valley, LSU's football stadium holds about 102,000 fans and is famous for loud Saturday night games and huge tailgate parties. Next to it, Mike the Tiger, the school's live mascot, lives in a large habitat that visitors can see for free.
A modern arts complex downtown wrapped in channel glass, housing the LSU Museum of Art, the Manship Theatre, galleries and the Tsunami rooftop restaurant with views of the Mississippi River. Check the theater calendar for concerts and films, and visit the museum on the fifth floor.
A walkway and levee path along the Mississippi River downtown with views of ships, barges and the river bridge, linking the USS Kidd, the art and science museum and the Old State Capitol. Evenings are cooler and good for sunset walks, and riverfront festivals take place here.
A 103-acre cypress and tupelo swamp in the middle of the city with boardwalks and gravel trails where you can spot turtles, herons, owls and other wildlife. A nature center has exhibits and live animals. Admission is a few dollars and it is closed on Mondays; bring insect repellent.
A city-run zoo north of downtown with animals from around the world, including tigers, giraffes, rhinos and a Louisiana swamp section with alligators and otters. A small train and a children's play area make it good for families. The zoo has been upgrading exhibits, so check what is open.
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