Louisiana Tourist Attractions

St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans
St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square in New Orleans is considered a masterpiece of neoclassical elegance. St. Louis Cathedral was completed in 1789, making it the oldest cathedral in the United States. However, before the completion of St. Louis Cathedral, two other churches stood on this site. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina caused some damage to the cathedral.

Church of the Immaculate Conception in New Orleans
The Church of the Immaculate Conception in New Orleans is a faithful reconstruction of the church from 1851. But even the reconstruction is historical today, because it dates from 1929. The style of the church leaves to attribute itself to the Venetian Gothic. The height of the nave when you enter the church is extremely impressive. However, the Church of the Immaculate Conception seems somewhat constrained next to its neighboring buildings. Guided tours are offered in the church from 15:00.

St. Patrick's Church in New Orleans
The Catholic St. Patrick's Church in New Orleans is, as its name suggests, a church of Irish immigrants. The parish was founded in 1833 and St. Patrick´s Church was completed in 1840. The church is built in the neo-Gothic style and, because of this, does not look very decorative from the outside, but impresses even more with its "inner life". The bell tower is 56 m high and the nave is 26 m high.

St. Johns Cathedral in Lafayette
The Catholic St. Johns Cathedral in Lafayette is a church from 1821. However, the church was not completely completed until 1916. After its construction, the church was still called l'Eglise St-Jean du Vermilion known. The massive exterior appearance in brick optics forms a nice contrast to the filigree interior of the church. The altar made of Italian marble with its mosaic, which shows a pelican feeding its young, stands out in particular.

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church near Innes
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church near Innes is a brick church from 1848, making it the oldest of its kind in the wider area. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is built in the Gothic Revival style. There is also a monument to the unknown Confederate Soldier on the site of the church. It seems a bit strange that the church is located outside of Innes on the highway and therefore looks a little alone.

St. Mary's Assumption Church in New Orleans
The St. Mary's Assumption Church in New Orleans was completed in 1860 and served as a meeting place for the rapidly growing German community in the city. Hurricane Katrina severely damaged the baroque church and in 1965 the church was already damaged by hurricane Betsy.

Big celebrations and events

New Orleans Mardi Gras
The festival of Mardi Gras (German Fat Tuesday) describes Mardi Gras. In the United States, however, the term Mardi Gras stands for the carnival season itself. The celebrations are best known in New Orleans and many associate Mardi Gras exclusively with New Orleans. The celebrations usually start 2 weeks before the actual "fat Tuesday" with parades and parades. However, the peak is reached on "fat Tuesday". When New Orleans was celebrated for the first time is not entirely certain, but sources suggest that in 1743 Mardi Gras was already an integral part of life in New Orleans. The traditional colors of Mardi Gras in New Orleans are purple, yellow, and green. Another specialty are the pearl necklaces thrown by moving cars.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been an annual music and culture festival since 1970. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival takes place on the last weekend of April or the first weekend of May. Although the name suggests, you can not only hear jazz here, but all music styles associated with New Orleans. In addition to the musical performances, cultural events are offered to bring visitors closer to the unique culture of New Orleans. There is also no need to worry about the physical well-being, because a large number of food stalls offer local and national specialties.

Voodoo Experience
The Voodoo Experience festival, also known as Voodoo, is a New Orleans festival that has been taking place since 1999 and is dedicated to music and art. The voodoo experience usually takes place at the end of October, but this sometimes varies. At the beginning of the festival in 1999 there were only 8,000 visitors and the festival lasted one day. Today there are over 100,000 visitors and the festival lasts 3 days.

Zoos, parks and amusement parks

Audubon Zoo in New Orleans
The Audubon Zoo in the city of New Orleans was opened in 1914 and now covers an area of ​​approximately 230,000 m². The zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals. The main attractions of the Audubon Zoo are the so-called reptile encounter with its Komodo dragons, pythons, vipers and many more, as well as the swamp section where visitors can admire animals from southern Louisiana such as alligators. The zoo also offers elephants, gorillas, white tigers and many more.

Baton Rouge Zoo
The Baton Rouge Zoo opened in 1970 and has since been home to more than 1,800 animals. The Baton Rouge Zoo was the first zoo in Louisiana to be recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for its impressive animal husbandry. The animals living here come from species from all over the world and are not defined regionally. The Baton Rouge Zoo is centrally located in the city, but is about a 15 minute drive north of Baton Rouge.

High Delta Safari Park
The High Delta Safari Park with an area of ​​approx. 8.1 km² is one of the largest safari parks in the world. Due to its size, it can only be driven through by a car. This is intended to offer visitors the real safari experience. The High Delta Safari Park continues to offer visitors the largest herd of saber antelopes in all of Louisiana.

Blue Bayou and Dixie Landin 'in Baton Rouge
The Blue Bayou and Dixie Landin' amusement park in the city of Baton Rouge was founded in 1989 and is therefore one of the more young amusement parks. Actually there are 2 parks here. The Blue Bayou Park is a water park and the Dixie Landin 'is more of a "normal" amusement park with roller coasters and the like. There are a total of 47 rides, 4 of which are roller coasters.

Alexandria Zoological Park
The Alexandria Zoological Park is an approximately 130,000 m² zoo that was opened in 1926. Visitors will find over 500 animals here and the zoo is known for its commitment to the conservation and breeding of endangered species. The zoo's main attractions are certainly crocodiles, Galapagos turtles, alligators and other animals from Louisiana. In the future there will be enclosures for zebras, giraffes, hippos and leopards.

Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans
The Aquarium of the Americas in the city of New Orleans opened in 1990 and is now one of the best aquariums in the United States. The Aquarium of the Americas is located on the edge of the French Quarter on the banks of the Mississippi. Here visitors will find more than 10,000 animals from over 500 species. In addition to water inhabitants of the Mississippi region, there are also species from the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Katrina did not damage the Aquarium of the Americas too much, but the emergency power supply, which was fatal to many animals.

Other natural beauties

Avery Island
Avery Island is actually an arching salt dome located in southern Louisiana near the city of New Iberia. The highest point of the island is 49 above sea level and the entire island covers an area of ​​approximately 9 km². Avery Island is bordered by swampy river arms. The famous bird sanctuary "Jungle Gardens" can be found on the island. But the island should also look good to gourmets, as the well-known Tabasco sauce comes from here.

Cane River National Heritage Area near Natchitoches
The approx. 470 km² Cane River National Heritage Area near Natchitoches is a protected area to preserve the unique Creole architecture in connection with the local landscape. Marsh cypresses and others along with the Cane River create a real "southern swamp feeling".

Chicot State Park near Ville Platte
The Chicot State Park near the town of Ville Platte in central Louisiana was established in 1939 and now covers an area of ​​approx. 26 km². There are some wild animals in the park, but most visitors are likely to head to the park for fishing. So you can rent boats here to go fishing. There is also an approx. 35 km long hiking trail in the park for those who do not want to fish.