Old State Capitol — School's Out Adventures

March 23, 2022

LOUISIANA’S OLD STATE CAPITOL

100 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70801

“The Old Louisiana State Capitol, also known as the State House, is a historic government building, and now a museum, at 100 North Boulevard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.A. It housed the Louisiana State Legislature from the mid-19th century until the current capitol tower building was constructed in 1929-32.” - Wikipedia

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol is a beautiful building now housing a museum with exhibits telling stories of significance to Louisiana’s state government. Besides being a museum, the building can be rented out for meetings and events, therefore you won’t find much period furniture in the building. When I visited the building was hosting what appeared to be a middle school mock legislative session. Luckily, I arrived as all of the students were at lunch.

The first floor had an interesting exhibit about the political life of Huey Long, former Governor and Senator of the state. The well-known politician was loved by some and hated by others, and the exhibit laid out arguments from both sides allowing people to make up their own minds. One of his accomplishments was the building of the present-day capitol building.

The first-floor entryway had a huge spiral stairway leading to the second-floor rotunda topped by a beautiful stained-glass dome. Around the rotunda were portraits of all the governors of the state. The usual House and Senate Chambers were on this floor, behind each of the dais were floor to ceiling stained glass windows.

Fans of government and history would love visiting the Louisiana Old State Capitol.

Statue honoring Bienville, the longest serving Governor in Louisiana.

Governor's Office at the turn of the century.

The first panel of the Huey Long exhibit.

Long wanted to be president, even wrote a book about what he wanted to do.

Long was assassinated in the Capitol Building. Long's bodyguards killed the assassin. However, some people believe Long was actually killed by one of his bodyguards. This display helps justify the rumor.

The room showed all of the buildings that have been used as Louisiana's Capitol.

In the hallway on the first floor there are several statues. "A magnificent statue of George Washington once stood in this building." During the Civil War federal troops seized it and took it to Washington, D.C. After the war the statue was given back, on the way to the Capitol it was to be displayed at a fair in New Orleans. Fire raged through the fair and the statue was destroyed. "The statue is no longer with us, but its spirit continues to reside in this building and will always be remembered and missed by Louisiana."

The spiral stairway to the second floor. The flags are of the states who were part of the Louisiana Purchase.

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