Page 150 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New Orleans

148  BEY OND NE W ORLEANS

2 Baton Rouge at the Museum of Natural
Science in Foster Hall (225-578-
In 1719, the French established Baton Rouge as a fort 2855) are also worth seeing.
designed to control access to the Mississippi and the interior. The visitor information center
It was so named by Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville is at Dalrymple Drive and
(see p17), after he observed the spikes (red sticks) hung Highland Road.
with bloody fish heads that were arranged along the river E Magnolia Mound
bluffs. In 1762, the French ceded it to the British. During the Plantation
American Revolution, the Spanish took the opportunity to 2161 Nicholson Dr. Tel (225) 343-4955.
seize the garrison, which remained under their control until Open 10am–4pm Mon–Sat, 1–4pm
Sun. Closed public hols. & ∑ brec.
1810. After that, the local American population took the fort org/magnoliamound
and proclaimed the Republic of West Florida. The area was John Joyce built this plantation
claimed for the United States and it was incorporated into home in 1791. In the 19th
the Union in 1817. It has been the state capital since 1849. century, it stood at the center
of a 900-acre farm. The building
P Louisiana State University has been carefully restored to
Nicholson Drive btw Highland Rd and reflect the antebellum era.
W Chimes St. Tel (225) 578-8654.
∑ lsu.edu P Old Governor’s Mansion
With its 31,000 students, this is 502 North Blvd. Tel (225) 387-
the state’s flagship university. 2464. Open 10am–4pm Tue–Fri.
The campus is attractively Closed public hols. & 8 only
landscaped and boasts some (last tour 3pm). 7
unique features. In the north- ∑ oldgovernorsmansion.org
west corner, for example, two Governor Huey Long had
mounds rise some 20 ft (6 m) this mansion built in 1930.
high. Archaeo logists believe that He modeled it on the White
they are 5,000-year-old Native House, even down to the office,
American mounds built before which is a smaller version of
the first Egyptian pyramids. the Oval Office. The building
The university’s sports teams has been carefully restored,
are some of the hottest tickets and the rooms have even been
The graceful interior of Louisiana Old in college sports. In baseball, repainted in their original colors,
State Capitol the Tigers have won national some of which are outlandish;
titles for several consecutive Huey Long apparently loved
P Louisiana Old years, and the enthusiasm hot pinks, purples, and greens,
State Capitol generated by the football team which appear in several
100 North Blvd. Tel (225) 342-0500. is legendary. bathrooms. Many of the
Open 9am–4pm Tue–Sat. The university also has two furnishings in the library and
Closed public hols. & 7 cutting edge research facilities; the master bedroom are
∑ louisianaoldstatecapitol.org the Pennington Biomedical original to the house. There is
James Harrison Dakin designed Research Center, devoted to also memorabilia from other
this striking castle-like building nutritional medicine, and the governors, including the singing
in 1847. William Freret conceived Center for Microstructures governor, Jimmie Davis, who
the soaring iron spiral staircase, and Devices. The collections wrote You Are my Sunshine.
installed during a renovation
in 1882, which winds from the
foyer toward the stained-glass
dome. It was here, in the House
Chamber, that Louisiana’s state
representatives voted in 1861
to secede from the Union.
Seven decades later, in 1929,
impeachment proceedings were
begun here against Huey
“Kingfish” Long. Today, this
magnificent building serves as
the state’s Center for Political and
Governmental History. Visitors
can view and listen to many of
the state’s colorful political
orators expressing their views. Facade of the Greek Revival Old Governor’s Mansion

148-149_EW_New_Orl.indd 148 05/08/16 3:50 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm