Rural Life Museum and Windrush GardensSituated 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.Old State CapitolThe 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.Nautical CenterA 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.San Francisco PlantationLouisiana'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.Louisiana Art and Science MuseumHoused 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.LafayetteThe 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.
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