Carnaggio, Joey OD

The professional staff and talented artists at the West Baton Rouge Museum know how restless and distracted kids can sometimes be. That's why they constantly work hard to create exhibits that not only involve your children, but the experiences are often interactive and on-going. Exhibits like Cathartic Art elicits emotions, the expressions of which are highly encouraged. Another great example of a kid-pleasing exhibit is "S is for Sugar" that incorporates learning about letters, farming and sugar. That, along with all the other educational and constantly-updated exhibits make the West Baton Rouge Museum a great family attraction that offers a completely sweet experience.

Crawfish is synonymous with Louisiana, so celebrate that fact at the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival. Held every year, the gathering is considered to be one of the best food festivals in the whole country. Great family fun, live music, and lots of crawfish! Make sure you have some cool water or beverage for all the spicy fun.

Baton Rouge celebrates nature's wild kingdom at Brec's Baton Rouge Zoo. The Realm of the Tiger is the latest spotlight feature at the zoo, as it dramatically illustrates how the tiger lives in its natural environment as well as how it uses its natural instincts to find food and to remain one of the jungle's most respected residents. Also, see the zoo's latest addition, the baby baboon and enjoy the colors of the dusky shades of sunlight on the very popular Twilight Tour. All that plus the summer zoo camp for kids all go to make Brec's Baton Rouge Zoo the #1 family attraction in the city.

Louisiana's Old Governor's Mansion has, in a sense, gotten a second chance. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a breathtakingly beautiful structure that also serves as the headquarters for the Foundation for Historical Louisiana. The home has a dramatic history all its own. The structure was built in 1929 by Huey P. Long and served as the governor's residence until 1963 when a new structure was built. The house museum now houses rare artifacts, documents, and other relics of Louisiana's history and features regular tours headed by highly knowledgeable guides. The venue is also available for private parties, family gatherings and weddings.