8 Things To Check Out In Baton Rouge, Number 5 Is A Must See!

things to do in baton rouge louisiana
Tabassum
Tabassum 
Updated
| 2 min read

Baton Rouge, French for Red Stick, is the state capital of the state of Louisiana in the United States of America. It holds the title of being Louisiana’s second-largest city. Nestled along the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge is a great place to take a stroll by the riverbank or gamble at one of the riverboat casinos.

It is a university town that is about an hour and a half drive from New Orleans, by car. Families, students and tourists from around the world enjoy this city.

Be sure to pay this college town a visit and see these places:

1. Louisiana's Old State Capitol

Old Louisiana State Capitol, 2
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Elisa Rolle used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol is a Gothic style, historic building that I love so much. When I was in Baton Rouge visiting friends and family, this site was a must.

It overlooks the Mississippi River and I loved seeing the rooms where the Louisiana State legislature used to be until the new capital building came along.

Louisiana's Old State Capital

Address: 100 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10 am - 4 pm; Saturday 9 am - 3 pm

Contact: +1 (225) 342 0500

Website: Louisiana’s Old State Capital

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2. Louisiana’s State Capitol

2014 Louisiana State Capitol
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Farragutful used under CC BY-SA 3.0

The Capitol is a tall and powerful building since it is the Louisiana seat of government and home of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Governor of Louisiana. It is the tallest state capitol building in the United States and the tallest building in the city of Baton Rouge. It is also a National Historic Landmark.

Louisiana's State Capitol

Address: 900 North Third Street, Baton Rouge, LA

Opening Hours: Daily 8 am - 4:30 pm.

Contact: +1 (225) 342 7317

Website: Louisiana’s State Capitol

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3. The Old Governor's Mansion

Old Louisiana Governor's Mansion, January 2013 2
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Niagara used under CC BY-SA 3.0

This is a beautiful mansion where Governors used to live, but it is now a tourist attraction and known to some as Louisiana’s White House.

It was built while Governor Huey Long was in office. Many Louisiana Governors got to live here and enjoy the mansion. It was also used as a museum at one time and is now a historical landmark.

It is one of the places I enjoyed showing to others since I found it to be so nice. It is a beautiful house by a lake that has historical value.

The Old Governor's Mansion

Address: 502 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA

Opening Hours: Open for tours 10 am - 4 pm Tuesday-Friday.

Access: It is located between Royal and St. Charles Sts in Baton Rouge

Contact: +1 (225) 387 2464

Website: The Old Governor’s Mansion

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4. Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center

Boardwalk at BREC Bluebonnet Nature Center
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user H.dryad used under CC BY-SA 4.0

The Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center (BSNC) is a huge nature center with an award-winning exhibit building. It is a perfect place to walk, hike and bird watch. Within the center, there are boardwalks and paths where visitors can see a variety of habitats such as forests and swamps as well as wildlife like armadillos, coyotes, deer, foxes, otters, and many other creatures.

This place was close to my house in Baton Rouge and I used to love to walk here. Good exercise with good scenery - a mix that cannot be beat.

Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center

Address: 10503 North Oak Hills Parkway, Baton Rouge, LA

Price: Admission: Ages 2 and younger: free. Ages 3-17: 2 USD. Ages 18-64: 3 USD. Ages 65 and older: 2.50 USD. Full-time college students with university ID: 2.50 USD.

Opening Hours: Tues-Sat: 9 am - 5 pm; Sunday: noon - 5 pm. (Trails and gate close at 5 pm) Closed: Mondays, New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, & Christmas Day.

Access: BSNC is located one block off of Bluebonnet Blvd. between Perkins and Highland Road. Turn toward the Whitney Bank and follow N. Oak Hills Pkwy into the parking lot.

Contact: +1 (225) 757 8905 Website: Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center

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5. USS Kidd

USS Kidd (DD-661), January 2013
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Niagara used under CC BY-SA 3.0

The USS Kidd is a National Historic Landmark that is now a museum. I love it because it is located on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge and you can go inside and tour the ship. It is quite popular with the young locals.

USS Kidd

Address: 305 River Rd S, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802

Price: Admission Fees: Adults 10 USD. Veterans and Seniors 8 USD. Children 6 USD

Opening Hours: Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 9:30 - 3:30 pm.  Sat-Sun 10 am - 4 pm

Contact: +1 (225) 342 1942

Website: USS Kidd

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6. Louisiana State University (LSU)

LSU law center 1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Christopherlin used under CC BY-SA 3.0

The main university in Louisiana is Louisiana State University. It has a nice quadrangle, where I used to love to sit and study. I also loved the university tower and lake. While visiting LSU, catch a game at Tiger Stadium, have a bowl of Crawfish Etoufee at The Chimes and visit Mike the Tiger, a real Bengal Tiger, who is the college mascot. He is taken to the college football home games and brought out during halftime in a special cage.

Louisiana State University

Contact: +1 (225) 578 8654

Website: Louisiana State University

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7. Magnolia Mound Plantation

Magnolia Mound Plantation House, 1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Elisa Rolle used under CC BY-SA 3.0

This is a historical place in Baton Rouge that now hosts all kinds of events like the Miss Teen USA pageant. It is a pretty plantation that is not to be missed.

Magnolia Mound Plantation

Address: 2161 Nicholson Dr, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 am - 4 pm and Sunday 1 pm - 4 pm

Contact: +1 (225) 343 4955

Website: Magnolia Mound Plantation

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8. Liberty Lagoon


This is a waterpark that is fun for kids. It is great since Baton Rouge gets hot over the summer.

Liberty Lagoon

Address: 111 Lobdell Ave, Baton Rouge, LA

Price: 12 Months and Younger: Free. Under 48″ tall: 10 USD. Over 48″ tall: 12 USD.

Opening Hours: Closed until April 2017

Contact: +1 (225) 923 3202

Website: Liberty Lagoon

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Why visit Baton Rouge?

Baton Rouge Louisiana waterfront aerial view
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Michael Maples, U... used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

It is a lively college town that has a lot of southern charm and is worth seeing. You will love being here and will not want to leave.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Tabassum Rahmani, a technical writer born and raised in the United States to Indian parents, boasts over a decade of writing experience. She has a passion for sharing her life's adventures and...Read more

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