Museums in Baton Rouge: A Practical Visitor Guide

Baton Rouge’s downtown museums make it possible to build a visit around a theme or combine nearby stops. The Old State Capitol and Louisiana Art & Science Museum are across the street from each other, while Capitol Park Museum is on North Fourth Street. The riverfront also has the Louisiana Art & Science Museum and USS KIDD.

For a history-focused outing, compare the Old State Capitol’s free admission with Capitol Park Museum’s paid entry and broad state-museum discounts. If you want art or science, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum includes planetarium shows with general admission; LSU Museum of Art is another downtown art stop. The USS KIDD and Louisiana Veterans Museum adds a military-history option.

Check the opening patterns before you set a route: the museums do not share the same closed days or hours. If you want to combine the Old State Capitol with the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, their opposite-side-of-the-street locations make that pairing straightforward.

For state history, the Old State Capitol and Capitol Park Museum offer two downtown options with different admission and visiting details.

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol Museum

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol Museum is at 100 North Blvd. Admission is free, and the optional “Ghost of the Castle” film costs $2.

The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.; it closes on Monday.

You can request a large-group tour Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Parking options include a limited number of handicap spaces in the lot behind the building, metered street parking and garages at the River Center and Convention and Third streets. For more on a visit, see this Old State Capitol Baton Rouge guide.

Capitol Park Museum

Capitol Park Museum is at 660 N. Fourth Street. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the last ticket sale is at 3:30 p.m. It closes Sunday, Monday and select state holidays.

Admission is $13 for adults, $11 for Louisiana residents and free for children age 6 and under. Seniors, military visitors and students with ID receive $2 off per person. Buying tickets to multiple Louisiana State Museums at the same time on site brings $2 off each additional ticket.

Groups of 15 or more can receive a $1.50-per-person discount with a reservation, and AAA members receive 10% off. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible, with elevator access to each floor.

The Louisiana Art & Science Museum combines museum admission with access to permanent and changing exhibits and unlimited Irene W. Pennington Planetarium shows.

At 100 S River Road, the museum is across the street from the Old State Capitol. It is closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday school-group reservations are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

General admission is $16 for adults, $13 for children ages 3–12 and seniors age 65 and older, and free for members; applicable taxes are additional.

The museum has ramps, elevators, wheelchairs upon request, accessible parking in its employee lot upon request and five wheelchair-seating spaces in the planetarium. Read the Louisiana Art and Science Museum visit guide for more planning details.

Garages are at 201 North 3rd Street, 499 St. Louis Street and 362 St. Ferdinand Street. Downtown street parking is free on weekends and weekdays after 6 p.m.; before 6 p.m., pay by credit card at kiosks. The Capital Transportation Corporation bus on the Florida Boulevard route stops on River Road directly across from the museum.

For another downtown art option, the LSU Museum of Art is on the fifth floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts at 100 Lafayette Street.

Admission is $5 for adults age 13 and older and free for children age 12 and under; the first Sunday of each month is free. Its hours are Monday closed, Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The USS KIDD and Louisiana Veterans Museum is at 305 South River Road, while the Pentagon Barracks Museum offers another downtown history stop. American Inn’s standard double rooms are about an 8-minute drive from USS KIDD.

The USS KIDD and Louisiana Veterans Museum is open on weekdays and weekends from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Its phone number is 225-342-1942.

The Pentagon Barracks Museum guide covers another downtown history stop.

Hours, ticket prices and access details vary by museum, so check the official site before you go.

For a no-admission-cost visit, the Old State Capitol Museum is free, though its optional film has a charge. Capitol Park Museum and the Louisiana Art & Science Museum have different adult prices and discounts; the latter’s general-admission ticket includes planetarium shows.

Access information is available for several stops: Capitol Park Museum has elevator access to each floor, and the Louisiana Art & Science Museum has ramps, elevators, wheelchairs upon request and accessible parking upon request. At the Old State Capitol, a limited number of handicap spaces are available in the lot behind the building.

Start by choosing a museum that is open on the day you plan to visit, then group nearby stops to avoid doubling back.

1. Pair downtown neighbors. The Old State Capitol and Louisiana Art & Science Museum are across the street from each other, so you can plan one after the other.
2. Add a history stop. Capitol Park Museum is on North Fourth Street; check its last ticket-sale time before heading over.
3. Choose a riverfront visit. The Louisiana Art & Science Museum and USS KIDD are both on River Road.

Which Baton Rouge museums are across the street from each other?

The Louisiana Art & Science Museum is across the street from the Old State Capitol. Their opening days and hours differ, so check both before combining them.

Which Baton Rouge museum has free admission?

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol Museum has free admission. Its optional “Ghost of the Castle” film costs $2.

Does Louisiana Art & Science Museum admission include the planetarium?

Yes. General admission includes unlimited Irene W. Pennington Planetarium shows, along with entry to the museum and permanent exhibits and access to changing exhibits.

Where is the USS KIDD and Louisiana Veterans Museum?

It is at 305 South River Road in Baton Rouge.