Baton Rouge Travel Guide

The unique city of Baton Rouge is situated along the mighty Mississippi River and the bayous stretch all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. While the Louisiana bayous are ruggedly beautiful, unless you are skilled in alligator wrestling, it is not recommended that you visit the swamps and bayous without a professional tour guide.

Baton Rouge is a unique city that has a wonderful mix of French and American cultures and is abundant with friendly locals and oozes Southern charm. The city is home to a wealth of wonderful Art Deco buildings and fabulous old plantation houses and also has a beautiful and vivacious port. The city is also home to a wide selection of museums, parks and fascinating neighborhoods.

Baton Rouge locals have a reputation for partying. An entire hip-hop community has come from this city and has put Louisiana and southern rap on the music map. If hip-hop is not your thing, Chimes Street and Highland Road offer some of the best jazz and Southern blues venues in the region. Baton Rouge also has some great restaurants throughout the city that serve the most delicious Cajun food imaginable. Just remember, this is not your typical Southern cuisine as Cajun food tends to be very spicy and include dishes like buttery crawfish, rice and beans and gumbo.

Highlights

Baton Rouge Zoo: houses over 1,800 animals with exhibits that include the Parrot Paradise, the Kids Zoo and Asian elephants.

Blue Bayou Water Park: is the place to visit where children and adults can****
enjoy slippery slides, a wave pool and a lazy river.

Circle Bowl: is a perfect family entertainment spot and features Galactic Bowling (or Glow-in-the-Dark Bowling).

Creole Nature Trail: offers visitors an opportunity to see the wonderful flora and fauna that inhabit this region.

Enchanted Mansion-a-Doll Museum: offers children and antique doll collectors a chance to see some unique dolls and doll houses.

Lake Martin Nature Reserve: can give visitors an opportunity to experience the alligator infested swamplands around Baton Rouge.

LSU Museum of Art: has a vibrant collection of artworks including spectacular examples of contemporary visual arts.

Plantation homes: These are the former houses of wealthy planters who used slaves to farm cotton, sugar and indigo, which was then loaded onto steamboats.

West Baton Rouge Museum: is a perfect place for history buffs to see exhibits and to learn about Baton Rouge’s rich and interesting history.