Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, lies about 80 miles (129 km) northwest of Downtown New Orleans and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes by car via I-10 West. Visitors without a car can take an intercity bus such as Greyhound or FlixBus from 1001 Loyola Avenue in New Orleans, with fares of roughly $10-30 each way and several departures daily. The city's most recognizable landmark is the Louisiana State Capitol at 900 North 3rd Street, a 34-story Art Deco tower completed in the 1930s whose observation deck on the 27th floor offers free views over the Mississippi River and the city. The grounds also contain gardens and memorials, and the building's interior features ornate marble and murals. Nearby, the Old State Capitol, a Gothic Revival building on the riverfront, houses a museum of political history. Other stops include the USS Kidd Veterans Museum, a restored destroyer on the river, the LSU Museum of Art, and the Louisiana State University campus, home to the LSU Indian Mounds and the Tiger football culture. Downtown dining ranges from Cajun and Creole kitchens to casual cafes, and the Mid City and Perkins Rowe areas offer additional restaurants. A practical day arc starts with the drive up in the morning to reach the Capitol observation deck when it opens, then a walk through the Old State Capitol and the riverfront levee before lunch downtown. The afternoon can be devoted to the USS Kidd or the LSU campus, with a departure back to New Orleans before the evening commute. October to April is the most pleasant period for outdoor strolling, while summer is hot and humid. Traffic on I-10 can slow around the Mississippi River Bridge and the Atchafalaya Basin approach, so allowing extra time on weekday afternoons is prudent. The city also pairs well with a stop at one of the River Road plantations on the return, since the routes overlap in places. Visitors are advised to check hours for each museum before leaving, because some sites have limited days.