9 Best Attractions To Visit In Louisiana
From New Orleans' famous French Quarter to the fishing paradise of Grand Isle, Louisiana has plenty to attract visitors. Museums like Knock Knock Children's Museum bring out the kid in everyone. The Biedenharn Museum & Gardens is actually three museums in one, all unusual by any standard. Of course, the history of Louisiana is intertwined with its grand plantations, and Magnolia Plantation's many intact buildings show visitors what life and work was like for the owners and the slaves who lived and worked there.
The French Quarter, New Orleans
Also called simply the Quarter, the French Quarter was named a National Historic Landmark in 1965. It is the heart of New Orleans, with its lively Bourbon Street, and is packed with art galleries, live music venues, antique shops, fine restaurants, and architecturally significant buildings. The original 1718 city was planned in French Colonial style, with a central square called Jackson Square. When fire destroyed many buildings in the late 18th century, they were rebuilt in the Spanish Colonial style of the day, so today the Quarter shows both French and Spanish influences.
Visit St. Louis Cathedral, which was built in a blend of Gothic, Renaissance, and Spanish Colonial architectural styles. It is open to the public from 9:30 to 4 pm daily; or book a private access tour for 9 am. Woldenberg Park is situated on the Mississippi River, with a scenic path for walking and running. If you have not been to the French Quarter, you have not truly seen New Orleans.
Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve, Marrero
Depending who you ask, the legendary pirate was either a villain or a patriot, and quite possibly both. History shows he was a pirate and a privateer (hired by a government to stop incoming ships and steal their goods). But when the British asked him to join their side and attack the US from the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) during the War of 1812, Lafitte instead warned the Americans and helped them successfully defend the city in the Battle of New Orleans.
Lafitte figures prominently in Louisiana history and many sites are named for him. This park, located in Marrero, is an ideal place to start because it was formed by combining other parks and areas, like the swamps of the Barataria Preserve, where Lafitte and his crew roamed. The park's website, can direct you to all six Jean Lafitte sites. The Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve charges no admission fee, and most of its programs are also free.
Tabasco Factory, Avery Island
If you love the spicy flavors of Southern dishes, you can see where the peppers are grown and how it becomes the famous peppery sauce in the Tabasco Factory Tour. The whole experience includes a self-guided tour of the Tabasco Brand Museum, the Pepper Greenhouse, the Barrel Warehouse, and the history of the five generations of McIlhennys that have kept the tradition going strong. Learn about Avery Island conservation practices, and visit the Tabasco Country Store and Restaurant 1868.
Be sure to explore the island itself, with its lush landscapes and wildlife in serene, natural settings. The 170-acre Jungle Gardens is a botanical garden and bird sanctuary on the island. The gardens showcase a Buddha statue, said to be over 900 years old, that was given to E. A. McIlhenny aka "Mr. Ned," the son of the inventor of Tabasco sauce, by two New York City friends. Mr. Ned built a shrine around it in an area of Asian flora. Today, local Buddhists hold ceremonies there on certain days of the year, such as Buddha's birthday.
Magnolia Plantation, Natchitoches
Of the numerous plantations still existing in Louisiana, Magnolia Plantation, situated inside the Cane River Creole National Historic Park in Derry, Natchitoches, is significant for several reasons. It is one of the most intact examples of 19th century plantation life in the US. Its 21 still existing buildings is a particularly high number for plantations to have remaining. It includes evidence of 275 slaves having lived there in 70 cabins, eight of which still remain. Existing farm vehicles, like tractors used in cotton picking and two cotton gins (one steam-powered and one drawn by animals) give us insight into the farming technology of the time.
After the Civil War, the cabins were used mostly by black freedmen and Creole people of color who worked the fields as sharecroppers. The plantation came into the Hertzog family through marriage, and descendants of the family lived on and operated it until the mid-20th century. Today, the National Park Service owns, maintains and operates16 of the plantation's buildings including the main house and grounds. Magnolia Plantation is open to the public Monday through Friday with both self-directed and guided tours. Oakland Plantation, though not as intact, is also located in the park and can be toured on more limited days and times.
Poverty Point World Heritage Site, Pioneer
This 3,400-year-old site is both an engineering marvel and a mystery. How ancient people managed to make, transport, and transform handmade earthen bricks into carefully planned and arranged, massive half-circles and a 72-foot mound without the aid of modern technology baffles researchers and engineers today. Its purpose is also an enduring mystery. Archaeologists have uncovered millions of artifacts at the site, from human figurines to huge rocks that appear to have come from as far as 800 miles away. They speculate that the site may have included residences, a trade center, and ceremonial space. What wasn't found at the site is also significant: There are no burial grounds or human remains that are commonly found in ancient archaeological sites.
Poverty Point seems to have been abandoned around 1100 BC, except for a short time, about AD 700, when a small portion of the site was used by another group. In 1962, it was designated a National Historic Landmark, and in 2014, Poverty Point was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site is open to the public daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
Knock Knock Children's Museum, Baton Rouge
When a business answers the phone with, "Knock knock, who's there?" you know instantly that this is a place that meets children on their level and encourages adults to get in on the fun too. The 26,000 sq. ft. museum has a show-stopping two-and-a-half story high Storybook Climber that kids can't wait to jump into. They aren't aware that the 18 zones of interactive fun, like Bubble Playground and By-You Building, are called "Learning Zones." Kids just know they are having a blast exploring, creating, imagining, and figuring-it-out by playing. The museum was founded based on research that shows children learn best through play and hands-on interaction. Knock Knock has won numerous awards including Museum of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Museums.
Committed to the Play 4 All philosophy, which states that play spaces should be accessible to all children regardless of their ability, Knock Knock is wheelchair accessible and has Braille books and signage, ability bags and boxes for children with limited mobility, sensory items like weighted lap blankets and noise-reducing headphones, a Sensory Learning Zone, and a Quiet Cabin where children can take a break from all the stimulation. Knock Knock also offers reduced-price admission to holders of SNAP cards with proper identification. Knock Knock Children's Museum is located in City-Brooks Community Park and is open daily from 10 am (11 am Sundays) to 4 pm (6 pm Thursdays).
R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport
R.W. Norton is a museum of art spanning 24 rooms of paintings, sculptures,and rare books, as well as a research library, and outdoor botanical gardens. The permanent collection features over 100 artists from around the world ranging from the Old Masters to neo-contemporary art, as well as ancient pieces from Rome, Egypt, Greece, and Persia. Sculptures range from miniatures to life size, made of marble, silver, bronze, and wood. The gallery has become well known especially because it includes in its American collection "Western" artists such as Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell.
Richard W. Norton was one of the discoverers of northern Louisiana's Rodessa Oil Field in the 1920s. As his family's fortunes prospered, his wife and son, Richard Jr., began collecting a wide variety of fine art, which eventually became a massive collection that they wanted to share with the community. They established the R. W. Norton Foundation, which opened the art gallery in 1966 with many pieces donated by the Nortons. The museum's collection has continued to grow through the years and the building was expanded several times to accommodate this growth. With no stairs leading into the gallery, it is wheelchair accessible. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm; the garden is open Wednesday through Sunday from sunrise to sunset. Admission is free to both the museum and gardens.
Biedenharn Museum & Gardens, Monroe
This attraction, which was originally the Biedenharn family home, was named Attraction of the Year in 2024 by the Louisiana Travel Association. Joseph A. Biedenharn built the house in 1914, and it is decorated in furniture and accessories from that period. His daughter, Emy-Lou Biedenharn, was known for her singing career in Europe and her eclectic artistic tastes which are evident throughout the house and gardens. The garden, named ELSong in recognition of Emy-Lou's singing career, is a walled English garden consisting of several themed areas. Visitors can stroll through the Four Seasons Garden, the Oriental Garden, the Musical Grotto, and the lawn that features an extravagant Wagnerian Fountain. Elegant statues decorate the landscapes, and music plays throughout the gardens.
Two other featured collections distinguish the museum. Joseph Biedenharn was the first person to bottle Coca Cola, in 1894, and he went on to establish bottling franchises in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The Coke Museum at the Biedenharn Museum has two rooms of vintage memorabilia, a soda fountain, and a demonstration of the original bottling process. Emy-Lou collected rare and unusual Bibles which make up the second feature, the Biedenharn's Bible Museum. The museum complex is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Grand Isle State Park, Grand Isle
Louisiana's beaches along the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) are always popular attractions, and it's difficult to suggest just one. However, since Grand Isle is the state's only inhabited barrier island, it stands apart from the other beaches. Grand Isle State Park has a swimming beach, several fishing piers (with fish cleaning stations), hiking trails, rest rooms with coin-operated showers, a picnic area, 49 premium trailer camping sites with water and electric hookups, and 14 beach tent campsites.
Several other campgrounds are also on Grand Isle but outside the park. Numerous fishing guides and charters will take you deep sea fishing, or fish on your own from the fishing piers, bridges, or from the beach year-round. The rocks around the bridges are also good fishing spots, and many anglers like fishing from a kayak, which can be launched from the state park. The Grand Isle waters are known for attracting speckled trout, redfish, black drum, and flounder. On the last weekend in July, the state park hosts the International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, the oldest fishing tournament in the US, held annually since 1928. Several other tournaments are held here as well, so check the isle's calendars before booking your trip.
Explore This Fascinating State
One of the reasons Louisiana has so many attractions worth visiting is that it is a state full of mysteries to uncover. Whether Jean Lafitte was a pirate or a patriot is up to you to decide as you learn about his many exploits. While you are not likely to solve the mysteries at Poverty Point, you can study what archaeologists have unearthed there and consider the possibilities. If you are fascinated by history, Louisiana's plantations reveal a lot about how they brought in the harvest in the 1800s. Magnolia Plantation, with so many of its original buildings still standing, is a good place to start. From museums to art galleries to beaches, Louisiana is waiting for you. Pick a spot and start planning your visit!
