List of museums in Louisiana facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Louisiana is home to many exciting museums! A museum is a special place where people collect, care for, and show off interesting objects. These objects can be about art, science, history, or different cultures. Museums help us learn about the past, understand the world around us, and even imagine the future. They are great places to visit with family and friends!

Awesome Museums to Explore
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Awesome Museums to Explore

Louisiana has museums for all kinds of interests. Here are some cool places you might want to check out:

Science and Discovery Museums

Alexandria T.R.E.E. House Children's Museum: A fun place in Alexandria designed just for kids to explore and learn.
Children's Museum of Acadiana: Located in Lafayette, this museum offers hands-on activities for young explorers.
The Children's Museum: Find this museum in Lake Charles, another great spot for kids to play and learn.
Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum: In Monroe, this museum provides interactive exhibits for children.
Lafayette Science Museum: This museum in Lafayette has exhibits about space, geology, and even meteorites! It also has a planetarium where you can explore the stars.
Louisiana Art and Science Museum: Located in Baton Rouge, this museum combines art, science, astronomy, and natural history for a wide range of discoveries.
Sci-Port: In Shreveport, Sci-Port is packed with hands-on science and math exhibits. It also has a space planetarium and a huge domed IMAX Theater for amazing shows.
Louisiana Telephone Pioneer Museum: Also known as the Children's Telephone Museum in Jennings, it shows the history of telephones.

History and Culture Museums

Finding Our Roots African American Museum: In Houma, this museum shares the history and culture of African Americans, from slavery to the Civil Rights era.
Abbeville Museum: Learn about local art, history, and the Acadian culture in Abbeville.
Acadian Cultural Center: Part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, this Lafayette center explores the story of the Acadians and other local people.
Acadian Museum: Discover the heritage of the Acadian and Cajun people in Erath.
Adam Ponthieu Grocery Store & Big Bend Post Office Museum: A look back at history in Moreauville.
Addis Museum: Learn about local history in Addis.
Alexandre Mouton House: Visit the 19th-century home of Louisiana's 9th governor in Lafayette.
Angola Museum: Located in Angola, this museum tells the history of the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Autrey House Museum: Explore an 1849 log house in Dubach.
Baker Heritage Museum: Operated by the city of Baker, this museum shares local history.
Barataria Museum: In Jean Lafitte, learn about local history, the life of pirate Jean Lafitte, and the culture of wetland dwellers.
Bayou Lacombe Museum: Housed in a historic schoolhouse in Lacombe, it shares local history.
Bayou Teche Museum: In New Iberia, discover the history, culture, food, and music of the area.
Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum: Located in Houma, this museum highlights local industries, traditions, and personal stories.
Beauregard Parish Museum: In DeRidder, this museum is in a former railroad depot and includes a doll museum.
Bienville Depot Museum: Arcadia's museum features local history and art.
Bishop Martin Museum: In Natchitoches, see historic artifacts from the early days of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria.
Bossier Parish Library Historical Center: Adjacent to the Bossier Central Library, this center in Bossier City focuses on local history.
Brimstone Museum: Housed in a depot in Sulphur, it shares local history and features art exhibits.
Canary Islanders Cultural Museum: In Houma, learn about the culture of the Canary Islanders.
Capitol Park Museum: A branch of the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge, it showcases Louisiana's history, industry, and culture.
CARTE Museum: In Baton Rouge, this museum is dedicated to preserving old maps and atlases.
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist: In Lafayette, the Cathedral Museum shares the history of the cathedral and its parish.
Centenary State Historic Site: In Jackson, explore restored college buildings and learn about early education and local history.
Charenton Heritage Museum: Discover local history in Charenton.
Chitimacha Museum: In Charenton, learn about the heritage and culture of the Chitimacha people.
Collinswood Museum: In Ponchatoula, this museum shares local history.
Cottonport Museum: Learn about area cotton farming in Cottonport.
Covington Trailhead Museum: Explore local history in Covington.
Creole Heritage Folklife Center: In Opelousas, this center focuses on African American heritage.
DeQuincy Town Hall Museum: Learn about local history in DeQuincy.
Dorcheat Historical Association Museum: In Minden, explore 19th and 20th-century local history and culture.
E. D. White Historic Site: In Thibodaux, this 19th-century home was the residence of two important Louisiana politicians.
Eunice Depot Museum: Located in an old depot in Eunice, it shares local history.
German-American Cultural Center and Museum: In Gretna, learn about German immigrant contributions to Louisiana's history and culture.
Germantown Colony and Museum: In Minden, explore a 19th-century Harmony Society site.
GOSH Museum: In Slidell, this museum is in a restored convent and shares local history.
Gretna Historical Society Museum: This complex in Gretna includes local history exhibits, a Creole cottage, a fire museum, a blacksmith shop, and a caboose museum.
Gueydan Museum: Learn about local history in Gueydan.
H J Smith's Son General Store and Museum: In Covington, this historic general store also has a museum of local artifacts.
Herbert S. Ford Memorial Museum: In Homer, this museum shares local history.
Hermione Museum: In Tallulah, learn about local history, including an exhibit on Madam C. J. Walker.
Iberville Museum: In Plaquemine, this museum shares local history.
Independence Italian Cultural Museum: In Independence, learn about area Italian culture and heritage.
Jeanerette Museum: Discover local history in Jeanerette.
Kentwood Museum: In Kentwood, this museum features local history and a display about singer Britney Spears.
Le Musee' De Kaplan: Learn about local history in Kaplan.
Lincoln Parish Museum: Also known as the Kidd-Davis House in Ruston, it shares local history.
Log Cabin Museum: Explore history in Shongaloo.
Louisiana History Museum: In Alexandria, this museum covers state and local history.
Louisiana Orphan Train Museum: In Opelousas, learn about the history of children who traveled by Orphan Train to Louisiana.
Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame: In Winnfield, this museum highlights important Louisiana politicians and their memorabilia.
Louisiana State Archive and Research Library: In Baton Rouge, see changing displays from its collections.
Louisiana State Capitol: In Baton Rouge, learn about the history of the state capitol building.
Louisiana State Cotton Museum: In Lake Providence, this museum complex shows the history of cotton farming with a planter's house, sharecropper's cabin, and more.
Louisiana State Exhibit Museum: In Shreveport, explore Louisiana's history and culture.
Louisiana Swamp Pop Museum: In Ville Platte, this museum features memorabilia from the 1950s/1960s Swamp pop music.
Madisonville Museum: Located in a historic courthouse in Madisonville, it shares local history.
Maison Jean Marie Laran Museum: In Ville Platte, this historic 1880s home is filled with festival artifacts and antiques.
Mansfield Female College Museum: In Mansfield, learn about the history of the first women's college west of the Mississippi River.
Merryville Museum: Operated by the Merryville Historical Society in Merryville, it shares local history.
Mooringsport Mini Museum: In Mooringsport, see photographs, paintings, and artifacts of local history.
Multicultural Center of the South: In Shreveport, this center includes art and cultural exhibits from many different cultures.
Museum of Political History: Housed in the Old Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, it features exhibits on Louisiana's political history.
Museum of the Acadian Memorial: In St. Martinville, learn about Acadian culture and their journey to Louisiana.
Old Town Hall Museum: In Pineville, this restored 1935 town hall has exhibits about local government.
Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center: Explore local history in Opelousas.
Pointe Coupee Parish Museum: In New Roads, visit a Creole house.
Prairie Acadian Cultural Center: In Eunice, learn about Cajun history, language, music, and more.
Red River Crossroads Museum: In Gilliam, this museum is located in the Shreve Memorial Library and shares local history.
Republic of West Florida Museum: In Jackson, this museum includes Civil War artifacts, antique cars, and more.
River Road African American Museum: In Donaldsonville, discover the history, culture, and contributions of African Americans in Louisiana.
Rivertown: In Kenner, this historic district includes the Rivertown Science Complex and Kenner Heritage Park.
Sam Guarino Blacksmith Shop Museum: In Abbeville, step back in time to a 1920s blacksmith shop.
Schepis Museum: In Columbia, this museum features local art and history.
Simmesport Fishing Industry Museum: In Simmesport, displays in the local library show fishing customs along the Atchafalaya River.
Slidell Cultural Center: In Slidell, this center in City Hall has changing exhibits of art, history, and science.
Slidell Museum: Located in the old town jail in Slidell, it shares local history.
Snyder Museum: In Bastrop, this museum is a local history and arts center.
Southdown Plantation House: In Houma, this 19th-century sugar manor house is home to the Terrebonne Museum, with exhibits on local history and Native American culture.
Spring Street Historical Museum: In Shreveport, this museum shares local history.
St. James Culture and Heritage Center: In Lutcher, learn about local history.
St. Martinville Cultural Heritage Center: In St. Martinville, this center includes the African American Museum and the Museum of the Acadian Memorial.
Stagecoach Trail Museum: In Mount Lebanon, operated by the Mount Lebanon Historical Society, it shares local history.
Stephens African American Museum: In Shreveport, this museum focuses on African American history.
TABASCO Pepper Sauce Museum: On Avery Island, learn about the history of Tabasco sauce at the McIlhenny Company.
Talbot Museum: In Bossier City, located in the Willis-Knighton Innovation Center, it shares the history of modern medicine.
Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum: In Hammond, this museum focuses on African American heritage.
Tee Joe Gonzales Museum: In Gonzales, visit the home of Tee Joe Gonzales, the town's founder.
Tioga Heritage Park and Museum: In Pineville, this preserved commissary building has exhibits on area history.
Varnado Store Museum: In Franklinton, this historic store has changing exhibits of local history and art.
Washington Museum & Tourist Center: In Washington, learn about local history.
Welsh Museum: Explore local history in Welsh.
West Baton Rouge Museum: In Port Allen, this museum includes an 1830s house, cabins, and local history displays.
West Feliciana Historical Society Museum: In St. Francisville, learn about local history.
Westwego Historical Museum: In Westwego, this museum features an early 20th-century hardware store and furnished living quarters.

Art Museums and Galleries

Abita Mystery House: Also known as the UCM Museum in Abita Springs, it features folk art and unusual collections.
Acadiana Center for the Arts: In Lafayette, this center showcases various art forms.
Alexandria Museum of Art: In Alexandria, this museum has collections of contemporary Louisiana art and Northern Louisiana folk art.
Baton Rouge Gallery: In Baton Rouge, this gallery focuses on contemporary art.
Central School Arts & Humanities Center: In Lake Charles, this center houses art organizations and galleries.
Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center: Lake Charles' public art gallery.
ICONS Museum: A private museum in Covington, showing the work of artist Matthew Montero (by appointment only).
Imperial Calcasieu Museum: In Lake Charles, this museum features local art and history.
Jackson Parish Heritage Museum: In Jonesboro, this museum also features fine arts.
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum: In Shreveport, this museum has changing exhibits of history, art, and culture.
Lafayette Arts Association Gallery: In Lafayette, this gallery showcases local art.
LSU Galleries: In Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University operates several art galleries, including the Glassell Gallery and Foster Gallery.
LSU Museum of Art: Operated by Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, this museum features a wide range of art.
Marlene Yu Museum: In Shreveport, explore the life and works of artist Marlene Tseng Yu.
Masur Museum of Art: In Monroe, this museum focuses on visual arts.
Meadows Museum of Art: Part of Centenary College in Shreveport, this museum features art.
Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum: Part of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, this museum has European, Asian, and American art from the 18th to 21st centuries.
R. W. Norton Art Gallery: In Shreveport, this gallery has American and European fine art, sculpture, and decorative arts.
Sherman Fine Arts Center: Part of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, it includes the Grand Gallery.
Southern University Museum of Art in Baton Rouge: Operated by Southern University, this museum features African and African American art.
Southern University Museum of Art in Shreveport: Also operated by Southern University, this museum focuses on African and African American art.
Zigler Art Museum: In Jennings, this museum covers major art movements from the Middle Ages to today.

Open-Air and Historic House Museums

Acadian Village: In Lafayette, this open-air museum includes an art gallery, a doctor's museum, a blacksmith shop, and old Acadian houses.
Audubon State Historic Site: In St. Francisville, visit Oakley Plantation, where artist John James Audubon once stayed.
Butler Greenwood Plantation: Explore this historic house in St. Francisville.
Destrehan Plantation: In Destrehan, this old plantation home has costumed guides showing historic crafts and daily life.
Evergreen Plantation: In Wallace, this mid-19th-century plantation includes 22 slave quarters.
Fairview-Riverside State Park: In Madisonville, this park includes the Otis House Museum.
Frogmore Plantation: In Ferriday, this is a working cotton plantation with restored old farm buildings.
Greenwood Plantation (Louisiana): Visit this historic house in St. Francisville.
Grevemberg House Museum: In Franklin, explore a mid-19th-century plantation townhouse.
Houmas House Plantation and Gardens: In Darrow, see a mid-19th-century plantation house and gardens.
Kent Plantation House: In Alexandria, this house shows French, Spanish, and American cultural influences.
Laura Plantation: In Vacherie, explore a 19th-century Créole-style big house and outbuildings, including slave quarters.
Laurel Valley Village Museum and Country Store: In Thibodaux, this historic village and plantation is part of a modern sugar cane farm.
Le Vieux Village: In Opelousas, this open-air museum includes historic rural buildings, the Jim Bowie Museum, and the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum.
Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site: In St. Martinville, see a reproduction 1800s Acadian farm and the 1815 Maison Olivier plantation home.
LSU Pioneer Heritage Center: In Shreveport, this open-air museum is operated by Louisiana State University (by appointment).
LSU Rural Life Museum: In Baton Rouge, this open-air museum has 19th-century plantation buildings, examples of different Louisiana buildings, and old tools.
Magnolia Mound Plantation: In Baton Rouge, visit this early 19th-century plantation house.
Magnolia Plantation: In Derry, this mid-19th-century plantation is part of Cane River Creole National Historical Park.
Martin Home Place Museum: In Columbia, this late 19th-century cotton plantation house offers demonstrations of farm life.
Melrose Plantation: In Melrose, this 1830s plantation was built by and for free Black people.
Museum of West Louisiana: In Leesville, this open-air complex includes a railroad depot, a shotgun house, and a dogtrot house.
Myrtles Plantation: In St. Francisville, this 1796 plantation offers tours.
Nottoway Plantation: In White Castle, explore this grand 1859 plantation mansion.
Oak Alley Plantation: In Vacherie, visit this 19th-century sugar cane plantation.
Oakland Plantation: In Natchitoches, this open-air museum is part of Cane River Creole National Historical Park.
Oaklawn Manor: In Franklin, see this mid-19th-century plantation mansion.
Old Louisiana Governor's Mansion: In Baton Rouge, this historic house was modeled after the White House.
Ormond Plantation House: In Destrehan, this 18th-century plantation home showcases historic life and architecture.
Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site: In St. Francisville, explore this 19th-century plantation.
San Francisco Plantation: In Garyville, visit this 1850s plantation house.
Shadows-on-the-Teche: In New Iberia, explore this 19th-century plantation home and gardens.
St. Joseph Plantation: In Vacherie, this is another 19th-century plantation.
Vermilionville: In Lafayette, this living history park recreates life in the Acadiana area between 1765 and 1890.
Winter Quarters State Historic Site: In Newellton, visit this old cotton plantation house.
Zachary Historic Village: In Zachary, explore eight historic buildings in a two-block area.

Military and Transportation Museums

Andonie Museum: In Baton Rouge, this museum shares the history of sports at Louisiana State University.
Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum of Champions: In Shreveport, located in the Shreveport Convention Center, it celebrates sports history.
Barksdale Global Power Museum: On Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, this museum features military aircraft and historical artifacts.
Bernice Depot Museum: In Bernice, this museum focuses on railroad history.
Capt. Fletcher E. Adams 357th Fighter Group Museum: In Ida, learn about the history of the 357th Fighter Group.
Chennault Aviation and Military Museum: In Monroe, located at Monroe Regional Airport (Louisiana), it tells the history of World War II Selman Army Airfield and General Claire Lee Chennault.
Camp Moore Confederate Cemetery and Museum: In Tangipahoa, this museum covers the American Civil War Confederate training base.
DeQuincy Railroad Museum: In DeQuincy, this museum has railroad artifacts from various companies.
Fort Jackson, Louisiana: In Port Sulphur, this early 19th-century fort was a battle site in the American Civil War.
Fort Jesup State Historic Site: In Many, this fort was used to protect the United States border with Spain in the early 19th century.
Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site: In Natchitoches, explore a restored 18th-century military outpost.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve: In Chalmette, the Chalmette Battlefield visitor center has exhibits about the Battle of New Orleans.
J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Regional Visitor Center: In Shreveport, learn about the history along the Red River and the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Krewe of Gemini Mardi Gras Museum: In Bossier City, learn about the history of Mardi Gras in Louisiana, with costumes and floats.
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum: In Madisonville, this museum covers the maritime history of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, including boats, canals, and lighthouses.
Louisiana Military Hall of Fame and Museum: In Abbeville, this museum honors Louisiana veterans, especially from World War II.
Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum: In Pineville, located at Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville, it shares the history of the Louisiana National Guard.
Louisiana Military Museum: In Ruston, this museum focuses on military history.
Louisiana State Oil and Gas Museum: In Oil City, learn about the area's oil and gas industry and the Caddo Indians.
Mansfield State Historic Site: In Mansfield, this museum and preserved site covers the American Civil War Battle of Mansfield.
Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu: In Lake Charles, see Mardi Gras costumes and learn about Carnival history.
Old Arsenal Museum: In Baton Rouge, this museum has exhibits about a historic powder magazine and the State Capitol grounds.
Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site: In Plaquemine, explore a historic canal lock and its museum.
Port Hudson State Historic Site: In Port Hudson, this museum and site covers the longest siege in American history during the Civil War.
Shreveport Railroad Museum: In Shreveport, learn about the history of railroads in the area since 1860.
Shreveport Water Works Museum: In Shreveport, this former water pumping station has preserved steam machinery.
Slidell Mardi Gras Museum: In Slidell, accessed through the Slidell Museum, it features Carnival memorabilia.
Stage of Stars Museum: In Shreveport, learn about stars who have performed at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.
USS Kidd & Veterans Memorial: In Baton Rouge, visit this Fletcher class destroyer museum ship.
USS Orleck Naval Museum: In Lake Charles, explore this Gearing|destroyer museum ship.
Vivian Railroad Station Museum: In Vivian, this historic depot has railroad and local history displays.

Natural History and Archaeology Museums

Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge: In Monroe, the visitor center has exhibits about the wildlife and ecosystems of the refuge, plus live animals.
Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge: In Cameron, the visitor center features exhibits on the birds, wildlife, and ecosystems in the refuge.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve: In Marrero, the Barataria Preserve includes trails and visitor center displays about the ecology of the wetlands.
Louisiana Museum of Natural History: Part of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, this museum has exhibits in the Textile and Costume Museum and the Museum of Natural Science.
Marksville State Historic Site: In Marksville, see prehistoric Indian mounds and a museum.
Poverty Point State Historic Site: In Pioneer, explore prehistoric mounds and a museum.
Touchstone Wildlife and Art Museum: In Haughton, this museum features mounted animal dioramas.
Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Museum: In Marksville, learn about the history and culture of the Tunica-Biloxi people, including artifacts from the Tunica treasure.
ULM Museum of Natural History: Part of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, this museum has exhibits on North Louisiana's natural history, including animal mounts, rocks, and fossils.

Specialty Museums

Cajun Music Hall of Fame: In Eunice, this museum includes Cajun musical instruments and records, operated by the Cajun French Music Association.
Crystal Rice Plantation: In Crowley, this working rice farm offers tours and includes the Blue Rose Museum (collectibles) and Salmon's Classic Car Garage (vintage cars).
Delta Music Museum: In Ferriday, this museum celebrates local musicians.
Eddie G. Robinson Museum: In Grambling, learn about Grambling State University football coach Eddie G. Robinson.
Enchanted Mansion: In Baton Rouge, this museum has antique and collectible modern dolls (by appointment).
Grandmother's Buttons: In St. Francisville, this store and museum features antique buttons and fasteners.
International Petroleum Museum and Exposition: In Morgan City, also known as the Rig Museum, it focuses on the offshore oil and gas industry and offers oil rig tours.
Isaiah Garrett Law Office: In Monroe, visit an 1840s period law office.
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame & Northwest Louisiana History Museum: In Natchitoches, this branch of the Louisiana State Museum celebrates Louisiana athletes and coaches.
Rebel State Historic Site: In Marthaville, this museum focuses on country and folk music performers, history, and instruments.
Southern Forest Heritage Museum: In Long Leaf, this museum focuses on the lumber industry, with a complete sawmill facility and steam-powered equipment.
W. H. Tupper General Merchandise Museum: In Jennings, this museum recreates a 20th-century general store with household items, antiques, and toys.
Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum: In Patterson, this branch of the Louisiana State Museum has exhibits on aviation and the cypress lumber industry.

Resources

Louisiana Association of Museums

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List of museums in Louisiana Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.