Recreation & Entertainment

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Louisiana provides many opportunities for recreation and entertainment. Louisiana is famed for its vibrant mélange of cultures, its low-country allure, its exquisite foods, and abundant natural attractions. All throughout the Pelican State, adventures abound whether outdoor, urban, historical, or family-oriented.

More urban pursuits can be had in the cities of New Orleans, capital city Baton Rouge, and the central Louisiana city, Alexandria. In New Orleans, cultural aficionados can enjoy the city’s many museums. The New Orleans Museum of Art is the city’s oldest fine arts institution and houses over 40,000 objects in its collection, in addition to the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, with 50 sculptures installed in a scenic five acre (0.02 square kilometers or 2 hectares) setting. The Louisiana State Museum showcases artifacts and works of art that reflect Louisiana’s legacy of historic events and cultural diversity, and operates five properties in the French Quarter. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art houses the largest, most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world and aims to collect, conserve, exhibit, study, and interpret the art of the American South within the context of regional history and culture. At the National World War II Museum, visitors can learn about the American experience during the World War II era via artifacts and displays. Music lovers will find much to enjoy in New Orleans. Classical music fans will not want to miss the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. New Orleans is also famed for its jazz history and culture, which can be enjoyed at the many jazz venues and clubs throughout the city, including historic Preservation Hall. Performing arts fans will appreciate stage performances at the Contemporary Arts Center and opera at the New Orleans Opera. New Orleans also offers vibrant, unique neighborhoods, such as the French Quarter and the Garden District.

The capital city of Baton Rouge offers its own unique cultural attractions. The Louisiana Art and Science Museum, housed in a historic railroad depot on the banks of the Mississippi River, provides educational experiences through fine art exhibitions, interactive galleries of art and science for children, and the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium. The Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science is one of the nation’s largest natural history museums, and boasts over 2.5 million specimens, while providing many scientific and educational roles. Notable performing arts attractions include the Baton Rouge Symphony and performances at the Little Theater, Swine Palace, Baton Rouge Ballet Theater, and Manship Theatre.

The city of Alexandria hosts unique cultural offerings. The Arna Bontemps African American Museum is dedicated to noted African American poet, author, anthologist, and librarian, Arna Bontemps, whose literary works led him to be considered the leading authority on the Harlem Renaissance. The Southern Forest Heritage Museum is an educational and historical site showcasing buildings and artifacts from a working sawmill, as well as exhibits of historical and modern aspects of the Southern forest.

Family-friendly activities abound in the Pelican State. Among these, the Louisiana Children’s Museum in New Orleans offers 30,000 square feet (2,787 square meters or 0.28 hectares) of hands-on exhibits and educational programs for children of all ages. The Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport-Bossier is a 92,000 square foot (8,547 square meter or 0.85 hectare) science and entertainment center showcasing science, math, and space exhibits, as well as an IMAX Dome Theatre and laser planetarium. The Audubon Nature Institute of New Orleans boasts the renowned Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of Americas, and the Entergy IMAX Theatre, as well as numerous other parks and programs. Other zoos in Louisiana include BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo and the Alexandria Zoo.

Outdoor enthusiasts benefit from the splendid natural wealth of Louisiana, with its bayous, ocean beaches, forests, and ample opportunities for fishing, wildlife viewing, and water sports. The Kisatchie National Forest extends across seven parishes and comprises over 600,000 acres (2,428 square kilometers or 242,811 hectares) of public lands, complete with bald cypress groves, old growth pine, and nearly limitless outdoor recreation opportunities. The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road traverses 180 miles (290 kilometers) of one of the nation's last great wildernesses, where visitors can encounter prairies, marshlands, bayous, beaches, and plentiful wildlife. Notable wildlife refuges along the Creole Nature Trail include Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, and Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge.

History buffs will gain much from visiting Louisiana. The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, which shares the cultural history of the people and places that shaped the evolution of jazz in New Orleans, offers educational programs in addition to live jazz performances. At Poverty Point National Monument in northeastern Louisiana, visitors can witness the site of some of the largest prehistoric earth works in North America. Cane River National Heritage Area showcases the Creole culture and is known for its architectural landscapes and such attractions as the Cane River Creole National Historical Park. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve preserves the wonderful heritage of southern Louisiana, capturing the many legacies that people often associate with the Pelican State. This park offers the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, documenting Acadian (Cajun) culture; the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, showcasing the prairie Acadians; the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux, celebrating the Bayou Cajuns; the Barataria Preserve in Marrero, replete with bayous, swamps, forests, marshes, alligators, nutrias, and many species of birds; Chalmette Battlefield in Chalmette, site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans; and the French Quarter Visitor Center in New Orleans, which interprets the history, cultures, and music of the city as well as Louisiana’s lower Mississippi River Delta. For history buffs wanting a peek into plantation history, many antebellum historic homes remain today. Among these are Shadows-on-the-Teche in New Iberia and Chretien Point Plantation, among others.

Louisiana is famed for its festivals. Perhaps the star among these is Mardi Gras in New Orleans, whose unmatched revelry occurs every February. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival celebrates America’s unique jazz musical heritage in addition to other music such as zydeco, Cajun, and blues on several stages and with many renowned performers. Other fun festivals in the Pelican State include the Jambalaya Festival in Gonzales, the World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-off in Eunice, the Satchmo SummerFest, numerous zydeco festivals, and many other festivals for any taste.

Sports fans can appreciate Louisiana’s professional teams, such as the National Football League team, the , and the National Basketball Association team, the New Orleans Hornets.

With its plentiful recreation and entertainment opportunities, rich history, vibrant heritage, wonderful food, and rollicking music, Louisiana offers much to enjoy within its borders.

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