Trains used to stop here, but now this 1925 railway station has been re-purposed to house the Louisiana Art & Science Museum in Baton Rouge. Plan to spend some time viewing permanent and visiting exhibits at the museum located on the shores of the Mississippi River and come out knowing more about the state and even the solar system.
Walk through our solar system in Planet Tower’s two stories where all the planets are modeled to scale in relation to the Sun. You’ll get a spatial understanding of the enormity of our universe when just comparing the ratio of Saturn’s rings of nearly 15 feet (5 meters) wide with Earth being the size of a bowling ball.
Plan to attend one of the Planetarium’s showings on subjects of extraterrestrial and terrestrial discoveries. Kids can take part in the museum’s interactive exhibits.
The Ancient Egypt Gallery includes artifacts dating from 323 B.C. to 30 B.C. These include a mummy of prime interest because of its age and being singular in a number of aspects. Read the research information that indicates instead of being embalmed, this one, being a male, is desiccated and maintains his internal organs. His hair had been styled and is a reddish color, although it’s not certain if this was dyed or its natural state.
Be in awe with even older displays that include the skull of a 65-million-year-old Triceratops found in Montana in 2011 and a collection of meteorites with one dating 1 billion years before that of any rock on Earth.
Of the 4,000 items at the museum, look for art and photography pieces from many countries with a full section dedicated to Louisiana with selections from 1900 to present day.
Visit the Louisiana Art & Science Museum on the city’s east side on River Road, directly across from the Old State Capitol, with metered parking available on the street, surrounding roads or at nearby parking lots. The museum is open most days except Mondays and holidays. The admission fee is discounted for children under 12 years old, college students and senior citizens. Admission also includes planetarium shows.
Complete your visit by dropping in to the museum store with merchandise that often relates to the exhibits and displays.
