Top Things to do in Louisiana
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10 Free Things to do in Louisiana That You Shouldn't Miss
Louisiana tourism is centered on New Orleans and the North Shore region in the southeastern corner of the state near the Florida border. West of New Orleans is the Great River Road, with the I-10 running to the Mississippi River port capital city of Baton Rogue. West of New Orleans along the Gulf of Mexico, the I-10 cuts through Lafayette and Lake Charles on its way past Abbeville to Texas. Central Louisiana is Lake Country, and home to cities like Alexandria and Natchitoches. In northern Louisiana, the I-20 runs west from Monroe to Bossier City, Shreveport, and East Texas. Unless Louisiana is very familiar and frequent territory, New Orleans will be the top choice for a Louisiana vacation. Though Mardi Gras, music, and the winning ways of the New Orleans Saints football team get the spotlight, there is much more to explore in New Orleans. Within New Orleans choose among Bourbon Street, Royal Street, the Upper and Lower French Quarters, the Warehouse and Central Business District, the Garden District and Uptown, and Mid-City. With street car lines linking the French Quarter to the Garden District, Convention Center, and everywhere else, it is easy for the whole family to get around. If long walks are your exercise, explore the scenic city on foot. An easy two-hour drive from New Orleans brings you to Baton Rogue, Natchitoches and Lake Country. Explore old Beauregard Town in downtown Baton Rogue, the historic homes of the Baton Rogue Garden District, and tour one or several working plantations. Walk the 33-block Historic Landmark District and tour the historic homes and churches of Natchitoches. Relive Spanish Empire history in Louisiana at Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site. Heading west from New Orleans is Cajun Country and Lafayette with its mix of French, French Canadian (Acadian), Spanish, and Caribbean cultures. Besides Cajun and Creole cookery, explore the Civil War heritage at the Lafayette Museum. Stop by Abbeville to view the courthouse designed by Hayes Town, St. Mary Magdalen Church, and have a seafood meal. With 75 annual festivals Lake Charles is Louisiana's Festival City, and home to the Creole Nature Trail Scenic Byway. Shreveport and Bossier City in northwest Louisiana are casino and entertainment centers. Shreveport is renowned for hosting the Louisiana State Fair in the fall. Plus floral centers, art galleries, and museums. Monroe in the northeast also has notable gardens.
Restaurants in Louisiana
1. R. W. Norton Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 366 reviews
Museum chronicles more than four centuries of American and European art featuring the works of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. The springtime sees more than 10,000 azaleas bloom in the museum's garden.
Reviewed By jkj01
So glad we sought this museum out and visited! Beautiful art. My husband appreciated the gun collection. A special section of art for children. The setting is another destination not to be missed. Grounds are immaculately manicured with a walking trail to enjoy. We cannot wait to return to see hundreds of azaleas in full bloom!
2. Millennium Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 120 reviews
Reviewed By mvanden - Humble, United States
The kids loved the play structure and I loved the safety features. Our toddler is a bit more adventurous so preferred the big kid area over the toddler corner, but that looked nice for the little ones.
3. Jackson Square
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16,042 reviews
Fun area with street painters, musicians and jugglers.
Reviewed By debbiesE2403PL
Jackson Square is a beautiful little area filled with local artists, music, gorgeous flowering plants (these are inside the gated area), horse-drawn carriages, and tons of opportunities to people watch. A definite must-see when visiting New Orleans.
4. Garden District
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,808 reviews
An area of the city that features numerous historic homes.
Reviewed By bron1962 - Dural, Australia
Beautiful area and we just took streetcar and walked around ourselves - lovely houses, beautiful mansions and easy just to wander through the streets. We got off at washington street and walked down various streets and got back on streetcar at Louisanna Street
5. Louisiana State University
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 252 reviews
Louisiana's top university since 1860 has a beautiful, tree-covered campus and lots of attractions to visit, like the Union Art Gallery, Museum of Art, Greek Theatre and Museum of Natural Science.
Reviewed By drmommca - Asheville, United States
On our way to visit "Mike", we drove through the LSU campus, which is truly one of the most beautiful campuses in the state! Azaleas were blooming and the signs of winter were gone. Building upkeep is excellent!
6. Cathedral of St John the Evangelist
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 403 reviews
This quasi-Romanesque brick cathedral in Lafayette is worth a look.
Reviewed By sallyhZ267CK - Youngsville, United States
We were led to grounds of St John’s Cathedral in our downtown Lafayette scavenger hunt. We happened to see the cathedral the day before Easter. Unbelievably beautiful!
7. Louisiana State Capitol
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 724 reviews
This art deco masterpiece has been the site of a bombing, an assassination and the infinite machinations of state kingpins and politicos.
Reviewed By edieann - Denver, United States
Having been very disappointed by the Florida capitol “skyscraper” I had few expectations for the tallest of the capitol buildings: Louisiana. I was pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous art deco rotunda, House and Senate. We were lucky to arrive at the start time of a tour. Without our tour guide Bernard we would have missed out on the history, creation and stories of the current capitol building and the governor who created the building and was also shot there, Huey Long. We spent more than an hour touring the first floor, marveling at the incredible beauty of the marble, depiction of Louisiana’s history in bas relief just below the ceiling circling the rotunda, and in the solid bronze doors leading to the chambers. Not to mention the statuary, ceiling patterns and pencil like wood shard imbedded in the ceiling of the senate, a reminder of the dynamite bomb that had been planted and detonated in 1970. We also heard a number of conspiracy theories regarding the shooting of Governor Long plus got to see the two unfilled bullet holes left from the shooting.
8. Louisiana's Old State Capitol
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 693 reviews
Louisiana's Old State Capitol sits on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge. Completed in 1849, the castle-like fortress has been restored to its original grandeur. It houses both traditional and state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and a multi-media film presentation. Audio tours available in English, French, German and Spanish. Free admission.
Reviewed By BHartMich - Northville, United States
We walked in on a whim, and enjoyed a short time walking around the old state capitol. Upon entry we were greeted by a guide who gave us an quick overview, and then gave us a sheet enabling us to do a self guided tour. We could have spent longer than the 20 minutes we did, but we wanted to walk around the city a bit more. It is a beautiful building inside and out, with some very interesting history, and well worth stopping by.
9. New Orleans City Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,252 reviews
One of the largest urban parks in the country, City Park has golf, tennis and horseback riding.
Reviewed By marion542017 - Manchester, United Kingdom
New Orleans City Park has plenty of art and nature attractions: wonderful Oak trees dripping in Spanish Moss and a beautiful lake; New Orleans Botanical Garden; Storyland; Carousel Gardens Amusement Park; City Putt; Louisiana Children’s Museum; New Orleans Museum of Art and The Sydney and Walda Besthoff; Sculpture Garden; Train Garden; City Park Birding Corridor. The park has plenty of scope for recreational activities too: Bayou Oaks Golf; City Park / Pepsi Tennis Center: 2019 Outstanding Facility Award recipient; Big Lake; NOLA City Bark Dog Park; City Park Snoballs; Boating & Biking; Couturie Forest; Playgrounds; Festival Grounds; Fishing; Birding; Equest Farm; Disc Golf; Sports Fields; Walk, Bike or Run. There are regular featured events: Thursdays at Twilight; Garden Concert Series and Celebration in The Oaks. If you are in need of refreshment, I can recommend the Cafe Du Monde, located in the Park's Casino Building, for traditional New Orleans beignets and coffee. The Casino Building also has a Park gift shop and public restrooms.
