Capital Summer Fun: Family activities abound in Baton Rouge

Although many people travel long distances to visit famous sites or beaches for the Fourth of July, there are thousands who quietly (or maybe not so quietly) enjoy celebrating Independence Day in Baton Rouge. The historic USS Kidd is the setting for a one-of-a-kind experience on July 4. You can take a tour of the 369-foot destroyer, enjoy live music on the Riverfront stage, and watch an aerial reenactment of World War II with mock aircraft attacking the ship. The evening concludes with a massive fireworks display over the mighty Mississippi.

Beyond Fourth of July celebrations, Baton Rouge provides an abundance of summer activities for families and children of all ages, from a world-class zoo to interactive science exhibits, educational art activities, a water park and an amusement park, laser shows, a doll museum, and ice skating.

The perfect time to plan a family weekend in the state capital is in August, when the Pennington Hot Air Balloon Championship is held at Pennington Center (August 5-6 from 6:30 am to 10 pm). The free event includes hot air balloon competitions in the mornings, balloon lift-offs in the late afternoons, and balloon glows at night.

There is a giant children’s village which has expanded to include a host of activities, art, food, and fun for the entire family. Some of the free activities include pony rides, a rock wall, water slides, face painting, and arts and crafts.

People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, and there are usually around 5,000 free parking spaces around Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Each morning, plan to be seated in the field by around 6:30 am to see all the balloons flying. They take off upwind from the field and fly over Pennington as they drop a bean-bag marker onto a target. Between events during the day, there are opportunities to visit with those operating the balloons. The balloon glow, which takes place after sunset, is not to be missed. The balloons resemble huge lighted ornaments twinkling in the night. This is followed by spectacular fireworks as the grand finale.

There are few southern cities that offer the diversity of culture and family entertainment that is found in Baton Rouge throughout the year. The state’s capital has gracefully merged its past with the energy and excitement of the present. Eight flags have flown over Baton Rouge since its naming by Iberville in 1699. As the capital of Louisiana, the downtown area holds a wealth of colorful stories about our past.

At the top of the list for children’s educational activities downtown is the Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM). Housed in a 1920s train depot, there is an impressive collection of fine art along with the Discovery Depot, an interactive area that teaches basic art concepts; and the Science Station Gallery and Lab where scientific concepts are demonstrated. The exhibits are further enhanced with the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, which is among the most sophisticated multimedia presentation facilities in the world. It features everything from laser shows on a 60-foot domed screen to 5,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits, including nine giant planets built to scale that you can walk through.

LASM is offering free admission throughout July to active-duty military personnel and their families as part of a nationwide program called Blue Star Museums. It continues until Labor Day; the card holder and up to five family members receive free admission to planetarium shows, art exhibitions, the hands-on children’s galleries, the Ancient Egypt Gallery, and the Planetarium’s solar system and universe galleries.

LASM is one of few venues across the country to feature CUT! Costume and the Cinema, a major touring exhibition of 43 exquisitely made movie costumes and accessories. More than 30 stars, including Johnny Depp, Ralph Fiennes, Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet, and Vanessa Redgrave wore the exhibited costumes in 25 period films, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Sherlock Holmes, The Duchess, The Phantom of the Opera, and Howard’s End.


 Across the street from LASM, be sure to check out the Old State Capitol with its various multimedia exhibits and hands-on activities, including one designed to teach children the voting process. An animated Huey Long comes to life, giving commentary on the legendary governor’s favorite topics including LSU football, paved roads, and more.

The 34-story State Capitol building, which is the tallest in the nation, was the dream of Governor Long and he pushed it to completion in just over one year. Ironically, the first floor of the building today maintains the bullet holes that were result of his assassination in 1935.

The Old Governor’s Mansion, built by Long, was reputedly constructed as an exact replica of the White House so that Long would not have to learn where the light switches were when he became president. It was recently restored to its original grandeur. Just to the north is the “new” Governor’s Mansion, which was copied from a southern plantation and stands regally beside a pond.

It is never too early to introduce children to history, architecture, fine art, and museums. One of the finest additions to Baton Rouge’s art scene is the new LSU Museum of Art in the Shaw Center for the Arts, where the 10th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition is on view until July 10. It features 100 shoebox-sized sculptures by a large number of well-known artists from all over the world.

For visitors of all ages, the Louisiana State Museum in downtown Baton Rouge features a large, full-size shrimp boat, an entertaining Mardi Gras exhibit, interactive music booths, and more. A juried exhibition, Art Melt, is held until July 16. Guests can view the show while enjoying live entertainment and performance art.

Both little girls and big girls will love the Enchanted Mansion on Lee Drive. It was founded in 1994 by Rosemary Sedberry who wanted a space to properly display her extensive collection of 2,000 dolls. Thousands more have since been donated. The main purpose of the Enchanted Mansion is to benefit the handicapped community; all proceeds are deposited into a foundation for the handicapped.

The building was designed to make one feel doll-size. A new exhibit of royalty dolls, in honor of the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, includes a tableau of the newlyweds in addition to Napoleon and Josephine depicting her coronation; they are the creation of internationally-known doll artist Geri Blandsfield. Other dolls include U.S. presidents and myriad historic characters (both antique and contemporary).

For an outdoor activity, be sure to bring the family to see the Baton Rouge Zoo, which is one of the finest in the country with 1,400 animals, a daily elephant show, train rides, and a playground. The otter pond allows for underwater viewing, so kids can catch a glimpse of the playful animals’ aquatic antics. A zoo camp is offered throughout the summer.

For nature lovers, the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center is a 103-acre facility that houses a 9,500-square-foot building filled with live animal exhibits, natural artifact displays, a vintage waterfowl decoy carving collection, and photographic presentations of the site’s flora and fauna. There is over a mile of gravel paths and boardwalks that link varied habitats, and wildlife is plentiful, including hundreds of bird species.

To cool off, take the whole gang to Blue Bayou Water Park, and then hop a ride on a roller coaster next door at the 80-acre Dixie Landin’ Amusement Park. There is a laser light show Monday to Friday at 9 pm. A kiddie section for the small fry features a carousel, a crop dusters biplane ride that allows children to move the plane up and down, and small cars that give kids a chance to drive their parents around in a Model T. The Iron Horse train travels over one-half mile around the park.

The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC) recently celebrated the grand opening of Liberty Lagoon, a family aquatic center located at 111 Lobdell Avenue in Independence Community Park. Liberty Lagoon offers water sports and a 125-foot-long beach that has ground sprays to cool you off. Watch for a large elevated tea cup which dumps water every so often. Check out the tug boat slide for the little ones, or float down the lazy river. Activities include speeding down 205 feet of an enclosed slide through spins and turns before landing in a lagoon.

A novelty during the summer is ice skating, which is offered July 8-17 at the River Center in downtown Baton Rouge. Also in July at the River Center is Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s Zing, Zang, Zoom July 28-31. The show always dazzles viewers with elaborate costumes and stunts.

If you have teenagers in the family, they most likely would enjoy the New Orleans-based indie pop group the Generationals, who perform July 26 at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for the Arts. The group draws liberally from rock heydays while maintaining enough modern sensibilities to remain relevant in the MP3 age.

For the adults, Third Street downtown offers great music and nightlife. Check out the Roux House or Boudreaux and Thibodeaux’s for live music (the nightclub on the first floor resembles a fishing camp; the second floor has a balcony overlooking Third Street). On Government Street, visit Phil Brady’s for a night of blues music and dancing, or travel a few minutes north of Baton Rouge to enjoy some soul food and a lot of rhythm and blues at Teddy’s Juke Joint. On the walls you will find old photographs, license plates, and relics from the past. There is a blues jam on Sundays.

While you are in town, visit BREC’s City Park for Movies and Music on the Lawn, where families and film buffs gather on the last Saturday of the month from May to October to enjoy silent-era films paired with live contemporary music supplied by some of the area’s best musicians. The Baton Rouge Gallery in City Park features contemporary art exhibits and special performances.

The past is preserved at the grand plantations in and around Baton Rouge. Just minutes from downtown is the Magnolia Mound Plantation, complete with a working kitchen that depicts life in the 18th century and period furnishings. The Baton Rouge area boasts the largest concentration of plantation homes in the South; many offer elegant bed and breakfast accommodations. This includes Houmas House, Oak Alley, San Francisco, and Nottoway plantations. Take a day to travel along the scenic River Road, experience the romantic architecture, and take a step back in time while listening to the stories of the past. ✦