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You are here: Travel Guides » Baton Rouge

Travel Guides: Baton Rouge

General Information

Baton Rouge

Situated about 75 miles (121km) northwest of New Orleans along Louisiana's winding 'Great River Road', Baton Rouge, the state capital, is in the middle of plantation country. Surrounded by sugar cane fields and grand plantation homes, haunted southern mansions and beautiful gardens along the banks of the mighty Mississippi, the city is filled with historic buildings and a vibrant nightlife.

Baton Rouge was named by French explorer D'Iberville about 300 years ago when he found a red stick on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi. Today the one-time swampland settlement is the fifth largest port city in America, known for its riverboat casinos where high-stakes gambling, stage shows and Cajun cuisine reign supreme. The city has an academic side too, being home to Louisiana State University and Southern University, the largest historically African-American university in the nation. There are museums aplenty, art galleries, a planetarium and active theatre and ballet companies to complete the scene in this dynamic and diverse city. Incidentally, Baton Rouge also has the tallest capitol building in the United States: an art deco building dating from 1932 standing 34 storeys high.

Getting Around

Public transport options include buses, which go all over the city but run infrequently, and the Capitol Park Trolley, which provides free service around the downtown area. Renting a car is perhaps the best option; the minimum age is usually 25, although some agencies only require drivers to be 21 years of age, a surcharge may be added. A valid driver's license, passport and major credit card are also required. Keep in mind that Baton Rouge is a much busier place than it once was. When Hurricane Katrina hit nearby New Orleans, many people were evacuated to Baton Rouge, and many have stayed. Many roads and highways now experience significant congestion regardless of the time of day.

Activities

San Francisco Plantation, Baton Rouge

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.

Opening Times:
Daily 9:30am-4:40pm (April to October), 9am-4pm (November to March).

Admission:
$15 (adults), $7 (children), concessions available, children under five free.

Baton Rouge Nautical Center and the USS Kidd, Baton Rouge

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.

Opening Times:
Daily 9am-5pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

Admission:
Ship and museum: $8 (adults), $5 (children 5-12), concessions available.

Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge

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 centre 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.

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Saturday 10am-4pm; Sunday 12pm-4pm. Open Mondays for special tours.

Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens, Baton Rouge

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.

Opening Times:
Daily 8:30am-5pm. Closed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Admission:
$7 (adults); $6 (children 5-11)

Lafayette, Baton Rouge

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.

Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Baton Rouge

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 Theatre, offering planetarium shows and large format films.

Getting There:
Capital Transportation Corporation buses on the Florida Boulevard route stop on River Road directly across from LASM

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Friday 10am-3pm; Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 1pm-4pm; closed Mondays.

Admission:
Museum only: $7 (adults), $6 (children). Museum and Planetarium: $9 (adults), $8 (children)