Louisiana

United States of America
Louisiana
Experience the blend of cultures in this state that comes alive with the intoxicating combination of jazz, Creole cuisine and carnivals.

Louisiana is a state that lives up to its popular image of parties, mouthwatering food and the constant strains of lively music playing from welcoming bars. Experience a part of America that revels in the good life and invites all of its visitors to join them in it. Outside of its infectiously vibrant cities, discover atmospheric landscapes of wildlife-rich bayous and acres of rolling farmland.

Encounter a range of different cultural influences in the melting pot of Louisiana. French and Spanish settlers colonized here before it became a part of the U.S. with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Learn about the Creole people, a racially diverse group with their origins in the state’s international history.

Start your exploration of Louisiana in the pulsing, energetic city of New Orleans. Investigate the streets of the French Quarter on foot, soaking up a mixture of cultures and stopping at bars to enjoy live jazz music. Preservation Hall is one of the most popular and storied venues in the city for music and it hosts popular nightly performances.

Explore the state capital, Baton Rouge, which is packed with intriguing cultural museums that cover different facets of the state’s history. Visit River Road African American Museum, the Old State Capitol and the Louisiana Art and Science Museum for a complete picture of Louisiana.

Other cities such as Shreveport and Alexandria maintain Louisiana’s restless energy and unique culture. Head to Lafayette for total immersion in Creole and Cajun culture.

Escape the cities and travel to the serene and strange swamp known as the bayou, which carves up the landscape in southern Louisiana. The more than 20 state parks throughout Louisiana offer fishing, hiking, cycling and wildlife watching.

Most major cities in Louisiana have airports for quick access to the state, with Shreveport as a hub in the north and New Orleans in the south. Winter and spring are the best times to visit the state. Come between February and May to join throngs of visitors traveling to take part in the state’s world-famous festival season.

Popular cities in Louisiana

New Orleans
New Orleans
Known for Historical, Live music and Dancing
Listen to jazz at its best, eat spicy Creole food and dress in costume for parades and festivities during Mardi Gras in this fascinating southern U.S. city.

Reasons to visit

  • Tulane University
  • Audubon Zoo
  • Bourbon Street
Howard Wilkinson Bridge featuring a sunset, a bridge and a river or creek
Baton Rouge
Known for Sports, Casinos and Rivers
This city on the banks of the Mississippi is home to Louisiana State University’s Tiger Stadium, three riverfront casinos and supposedly one of America’s most-haunted homes.

Reasons to visit

  • Belle of Baton Rouge Casino
  • Tiger Stadium
  • Raising Cane's River Center
Lafayette showing a bar and night scenes as well as a small group of people
Lafayette
Known for Sports, Festivals and Live music
In the heart of Louisiana, visit this scenic French-American city full of historical monuments, churches and cultural activities.

Reasons to visit

  • Acadian Village
  • Vermilionville
  • Vermilionville Historic Village
Lake Charles which includes a lake or waterhole and a sunset
Lake Charles
Known for Casinos, Dining and Lakes
Enjoy mouth-watering cuisine, foot-tapping music and summer festivals in this city in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun country.

Reasons to visit

  • Golden Nugget
  • North Beach Interstate 10
  • Prien Lake Park
Shreveport showing a garden
Shreveport
Known for Casinos, Dining and Shopping
Since an economic downturn in the early 1980s this former oil and gas town has been reinventing itself as a cultural, entertainment and shopping hub.

Reasons to visit

  • Strand Theatre
  • Shreveport Festival Plaza