New Orleans
Gulf Coast art is the emphasis in nationally recognized LeMieux Galleries, a good place to get a handle on the breadth of the regional arts scene.
Must-see attractions in Louisiana
New Orleans
The campus of Tulane, a premier Southern university, is an attractive tableau of live oaks, red-brick buildings and green quads spread across 110 acres…
Louisiana
Destrehan, the oldest plantation home remaining in the lower Mississippi Valley, was originally established for indigo production. In 1787 Antoine Robert…
Confederate Memorial Hall Museum
New Orleans
Tattered gray uniforms, rebel swords and faded diaries – this collection of Civil War memorabilia pays homage to the Confederacy and locals who fought for…
Cajun Country
If you want to get a firsthand look at what it really means when American politicians say ‘drill baby drill,’ take the 1½-hour guided tour here. This…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
This plaque marks the site where Homer Plessy, in a carefully orchestrated act of civil disobedience, tried to board a whites-only train car. That action…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
Walk down Burgundy street in Bywater and, seemingly out of nowhere, an Arc de Triomphe–style monument stands next to a high school football field. Oddly…
New Orleans
Architect James Gallier Sr designed this Greek-Revival structure, dedicated in 1853. It served as New Orleans’ city hall until the 1950s and far…
New Orleans
If you're interested in the architecture of New Orleans or a self-guided walking tour, then start here. The welcoming Preservation Resource Center,…
New Orleans
Built in the 1850s, this historical home is a bit of a fun-house. The entire two-story building was elevated in 1884 – not for fear of floods, but so the…
New Orleans
For much of its history, the economy of New Orleans was built on cotton and slavery. The former industry was largely brokered out of this building, where…
Rosedown Plantation Historic Site
Louisiana
Get your cameras out for the corridor of live oaks fronting this attractive plantation home. Commissioned by Daniel and Martha Turnbull, the 1835 cypress…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
Mexican crucifix? Check. Tibetan mandala? Ditto. Balinese Garuda? Why not? Miriam William’s voodoo temple is a mash-up of global religions, New Age…
Our Lady of the Rosary Rectory
New Orleans
Built around 1834 as the home of Evariste Blanc, Our Lady of the Rosary Rectory exhibits a combination of styles characteristic of the region. The high…
New Orleans
This traffic circle was called Place du Tivoli until it was renamed to honor Confederate General Robert E Lee after the Civil War. In 2017, after many…
New Orleans
Built entirely out of found and recycled material, this eye-catching sculpture by artist Sally Heller honors the victims of Hurricane Katrina. A ruined…
French Quarter
It’s supremely pleasant to stroll up to the Mississippi River as it runs by the Quarter. The entire riverfront area has been landscaped with pedestrian…
Louisiana State Exhibit Museum
Louisiana
Built in 1939, this museum is worth visiting if only to gawk at its exterior, a fine example of period art deco that resembles an appealing hybrid of an…
Louisiana
You might think the Water Works Museum is for a certain kind of enthusiast – someone very into civil engineering and infrastructure. In fact, this…
New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park
French Quarter
The headquarters of the Jazz National Historic Park has educational music programs on most days. Many rangers are musicians and knowledgeable lecturers,…
McKenna Museum of African American Art
New Orleans
Although the displayed work at this beautiful two-story institution comes from all over the African diaspora, most of it was created by local New Orleans…
Ruston
Eddie G Robinson was one of college football's most iconic coaches, claiming 408 victories at Grambling University, graduating 80% of his players and…
New Orleans
Laid out in 1852, this is the third-oldest racetrack in the nation. During the Civil War, you could catch bear fights here. Today, besides horse races,…
New Orleans
This pretty park, strung up with lights and lanterns and decked out with funky furniture, sits across the road from one of the most attractive stretches…
Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site
Alexandria
These two defensive redoubts were built by the Confederacy in the last year of the Civil War, only for the war to wrap up in the Union's favor a few…
New Orleans
This large red-brick orphanage was built in 1864 with assistance from federal troops occupying the city. It helped relieve the overcrowded orphanages…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts runs this plot of land as part of its culinary education program. You'll find wandering chickens, placid goats…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
Also known as ‘Marigny Green,' this park is a popular spot for locals to play with their dogs, toss Frisbees and, based on the frequent smell, smoke…
Tremé-Lafitte
A fear of yellow-fever contagion led the city to forbid funerals for fever victims at St Louis Cathedral. Built in 1826 near St Louis Cemetery No 1, the…
Louisiana
The art-deco skyscraper looming over town was built at the height of the Great Depression to the tune of $5 million, and remains the most visible leftover…
Louisiana
Artspace is a nice shot of creative energy and arts-based civic mindedness for downtown Shreveport. Changing gallery exhibitions, poetry readings,…
Alexandria Riverfront Amphitheater
Alexandria
Concerts and community events often kick off at this outdoor stage, especially during spring. Even if no shows are going on, this is a nice jumping off…
F Jay Taylor Visual Arts Center
Ruston
Located on the campus of Louisiana Tech, this center includes two galleries that display changing art exhibitions throughout the year. The choices are…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
As New Orleans cemeteries go, this one feels completely off the tourist radar. And yet, it's as atmospheric and gloomy as any other 'city of the dead.' Be…
New Orleans
Behind a handsome wrought-iron fence, this papaya-hued house was named for the Louisiana historian and author who lived here from 1905 to 1932. It was…
Cajun Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Cajun Country
This small collection of instruments and cultural ephemera feels a little cluttered, but you're witnessing a pretty fascinating trove of material Cajun…
North Louisiana Military Museum
Ruston
This museum is basically the ultimate attic of someone who is very into military paraphernalia – exhibits range from Medals of Honor and service uniforms…
New Orleans
There are no rides at Storyland, located next to Carousel Gardens, but the fairy-tale statuary provides plenty of fuel for young imaginations. Children…
Louisiana Art & Science Museum
Louisiana
This multifaceted museum has exhibitions on everything from space and ancient Egypt to dinosaurs and photography. It's a good spot to take the kids, or…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
This formerly empty lot has been transformed by its Bywater neighbors into a neat little park filled with murals and generally appealing weirdness…
