Louisiana’s history is a rich confluence of different cultures from the French to the Spanish, the African to the Native American. Innumerable sites, attractions, and traditions around Louisiana continue to preserve this multicultural history brought from different parts of the world over centuries of exchange, allowing visitors an intimate glimpse into the state’s glorious past.
Take a tour of Houmas House: Historic Estate and Gardens in Darrow, where visitors are treated as guests. The intimate tours display the beauty and intricacies of the historic home, which was once called “The Sugar Palace.” Wander the gardens and enjoy an afternoon refreshment at one of the on-site restaurants or The Turtle Bar.
Marksville’s Tunica-Biloxi Museum houses more than 200,000 artefacts that are considered to be the best physical evidence of the interrelationship between the Tunica-Biloxi and the French during the Colonial period. Special artefacts in the exhibit include original bowls, jars, and plates that the Tunica-Biloxi people used. You will also find trading goods, like glass beads, bowls, plates, cooking utensils, tools, and guns, that the French gave to the Tunica-Biloxi in exchange for horses and salt. Throughout the year, the local Tunica-Biloxi tribe hosts powwow events in the area. Tribal members, dressed in full regalia, dance and sing to the beat of drums, while crafts and Native-American foods are featured.
There are a total of 10 museums statewide in the Louisiana State Museum collection, but visitors to New Orleans should include these French Quarter gems in their must-visit list: The Cabildo (where the Louisiana Purchase was decided), The Presbytere, the 1850 House, and the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old US Mint. These National Historic Landmarks are home to intriguing exhibits with thousands of artefacts and artwork reflecting Louisiana's historic and cultural legacy.
Visit Preservation Hall and listen to the sounds of traditional New Orleans jazz played within the halls of the 1750s French Quarter building dedicated to preserving traditional jazz. Both seasoned and budding musicians play at the hall in a continuing effort to preserve and maintain the sounds of traditional jazz. Check out their nightly music programs with shows beginning at 5 pm on weekdays and earlier on weekends.
If you are in Monroe, you must stop into the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens to travel back in time to the early 20th century at the home of Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola. Take a tour of the museum, residence, and the beautiful gardens. The museum also offers a large collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia, including a replica soda fountain with a genuine soda jerk retelling the Biedenharn story.
Vermilionville Living History Museum in Lafayette is a picturesque representation of a late 1700s-1800s village reenacting how Acadians and Creoles created a new life in the Attakapas Region of the new Louisiana territory. The museum sprawls across 23 acres filled with costumed artisans and musicians acting out the chores and activities of their daily lives.
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is an unusual museum located in the Vieux Carré Historic District, and was called “one of the best” by Rand McNally. The historic building houses an extensive collection of pharmaceutical items from a time when pharmacists compounded their own medicines without the structure or knowledge of modern medicine. From showcasing the history of America’s first licensed pharmacist, Louis J. Dufilho Jr., to antique surgical instruments, hand-blown apothecary jars filled with crude medicines, to perfumes and cosmetics and more, the museum preserves the history of pharmacy and healthcare in Louisiana.
Take a ride on New Orleans’ oldest electric streetcar line. The route covers seven miles of the city with most of the tracks running in the centre median on St. Charles Avenue. Riding the historic streetcar line shows off the gorgeous historic homes, buildings, and tree-lined streets from the Garden District to Tulane and Loyola Universities.
The Old State Capitol, a 160-year-old National Historic Landmark located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge, is a preserved treasure of architecture. The Gothic Revival structure has withstood war, fire, scandal, and bitter debates. In 1990, the building underwent a major restoration project and is now the Museum of Political History. Schedule a tour, watch The Ghost of the Castle theatrical presentation or just wander the museum for free.
Head to the Frogmore Cotton Plantation & Gins in Ferriday to discover how the cotton industry developed from the techniques of the 1700s to the modern processes found today, while exploring the deep history of slavery. Frogmore offers tours that take you through the cotton gin's evolution, quarters once used by formerly enslaved people, a rare steam gin and more. And do not miss the Delta Music Tour, which chronicles the history of the area with authentic music that was played through the Delta.