Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge Welcomes You!

Situated on the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge represents the best of Louisiana's vibrant culture. The state capital, Baton Rouge is a thriving city that is home to both LSU and Southern University and numerous businesses and industrial facilities. Known for its great people, its unique food and its lively music, Red Stick has something for everyone - including a local government that cares.

Baton Rouge literally means "redstick," but visitors to our city know that Baton Rouge means Old South beauty, Creole culture, Cajun zest, colorful politics and an all-around good time. Named by French explorer Iberville 300 years ago for the "red stick" along a Mississippi River bluff, Baton Rouge has been shaped by a variety of cultural and environmental influences.

Our cuisine is a blend of Creole and Cajun, topped with Italian, German, Spanish, Caribbean and Greek flavorings.

Our architecture reflects African American and Caribbean influences, with large balconies and many doors.

Our language also reflects our international heritage. While visiting Baton Rouge, you will hear locals revert to versions of French in everyday conversation. Cher, a term of endearment, is not exclusive to the French or Cajuns in the area. Many of us will have an "envie," a longing for something, usually food. And of course, there are beignets, caf au lait, and etouffe. Fais do do, literally meaning, "put to sleep," means a party.

Today Baton Rouge's rich cultural tradition can be seen in our unique attractions, heard in our Zydeco, Blues and Cajun music, and tasted in our blend of Creole, African-American, French and Spanish cuisine. Baton Rouge is truly the center of Louisiana's cultural excitement. It is "Authentic Louisiana at Every Turn."

City is home to both LSU, the flagship university of LA (and home to the BCS National Champion LSU Tigers!), and Southern University, the largest Black College in the US. Both rich in tradition. BTR is an hour away from Cajun country, an hour away from NOLA, and less than an hour away from antebellum plantation homes along the river.

Population
More than 600,000 people live in the metropolitan area. Baton Rouge is one of the largest cities on the Mississippi River and Louisiana's second most populous.
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Climate
• Baton Rouge has a semi-tropical climate, perfect for outdoor activities
• The weather is consistently warm from May to September
• Winter is usually mild and short-lived
• Spring is glorious with cool nights and warm, sunny days. A light jacket is all that is needed.
• Fall is mild and only a light sweater is needed in the evenings
• Precipitation is reasonably well-distributed and ample throughout the year with an average annual precipitation of 55 inches
Average summer temperature: 81.3
Average winter temperature: 52.5
Average annual temperature: 67.5
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Location
Baton Rouge, the state capital, is located in Southeast Louisiana, 157 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and 80 miles WNW of New Orleans via Interstate 10. Baton Rouge is also served by I-12, I-55, I-59 and I-49.
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Air Service
Baton Rouge is accessible by jet service via Delta, American, Northwest and Continental. Many hotels provide complimentary transportation to and from Baton Rouge Metro Airport. Rental cars and taxi service are also available.
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Hotels
Rest easy in the Rouge! There are over 8,000 hotel rooms in the area and nearly 4,500 are committable for a citywide event. Baton Rouge hotel rates are among the most affordable in the U.S. Baton Rouge hotel properties also provide complimentary parking.
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Restaurants
No doubt, while you are here, you'll fall in love with regional dishes that reflect our Cajun, Creole, French and Mexican heritage. There are over 900 restaurants in the Baton Rouge area offering every type of menu. From alligator sauce piquant all the way to Zydeco shrimp, the abundance of innovative menus and dishes found throughout our city sometimes makes it difficult for visitors to decide where to eat and what to order!
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The Baton Rouge River Center
The Baton Rouge River Center offers 70,000 sq.ft. of exhibition hall and 125,000 sq.ft. of flat floor space. Also offers theater, classroom and banquet style seating and 13 break out rooms.

Coming Attractions:

101 Things To Do In and Around Baton Rouge
• Get a bird's eye view of the city from the Louisiana State Capitol
• Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie, File' Gumbo. Dine in any of our countless restaurants including Di Guilio's, Mike Anderson's, Silver Moon, Juban's, Fleur de lis, Pastime's, Gino's
• Tailgate at a Southern or LSU sporting event
• Shop! Choose from the Mall at Cortana, the Mall of Louisiana or the Towne Center
• Visit the stately plantation homes in St. Francisville or along River Road
• Up, Up, and Away! At the Pennington National Balloon Championship
• Red Stick monument on the bluff at Southern University
• Walk through the Louisiana State University Campus. Pay special attention to the Indian Mounds!
• LSU Rural Life Museum/Windrush Gardens
• Louisiana Art and Science Museum
• Irene W. Pennington Planetarium
• Greatest Show on Dirt: the Angola Prison Rodeo
• Kiss the Irish at the St. Patrick's Day Parade
• Local blues musicians; Phil Brady's, Swamp Mama's and more
• Boutin's enjoy Cajun dining as well as listening to Cajun music
• USS Kidd and Louisiana Veterans Memorial Museum
• Alligator Bayou Swamp Tours
• BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo
• Broadway Series at Baton Rouge River Center's Theater
• Performing arts; Baton Rouge Symphony, Little Theater, Swine Palace, Baton Rouge Ballet Theater, Manship Theatre and many more
• Red Stick Farmer's Market
• Stroll/jog along the Mississippi River levee at sunset/sunrise
• Spanish Town Parade
• Tony's Seafood featuring everything from boiled crawfish to live catfish
• Old Governor's Mansion
• Old State Capitol
• Cooking demonstrations at Magnolia Mound Plantation
• Bonfires on the Levee
• Blues Week! It's the real deal!
• Magnolia Cemetery
• Pentagon Barracks
• Bluebonnet Swamp
• Hilltop Arboretum
• Collegiate sports at LSU and Southern University
• Port Hudson State Commemorative Area
• Southern University Museum of Art
• Baton Rouge's City Park; tennis, golf, biking, walking or running
• Visit "Mike the Tiger" on the LSU Campus
• Visit "La Cumba," the Southern University jaguar, on the SU Campus
• Mardi Gras parades in downtown Baton Rouge
• Baton Rouge Gallery in City Park
• Comite and Hooper Road Bike Trails
• Tickfaw State Park
• Highland Road Observatory
• Audubon Golf Trail!
• Ancester hunt at the State Archives
• Odell S. Williams African American History Museum
• Visit Old Bogan Fire Station
• Belle of Baton Rouge Casino & Casino Rouge - try your luck!
• Antique Shopping
• Louisiana Governor's Mansion.
• The Enchanted Mansion: A doll museum
• West Baton Rouge Museum
• Old Arsenal Museum
• Fest for All the first weekend in May
• Downtown 4th of July celebration
• Live after 5 Spring and Fall
• "Screen Classic Silent Films" at City Park
• Authentic Louisiana arts and crafts, every 1st Saturday at Main Street Market
• Rent a Harley Davidson and head for the Feliciana hills
• Take the ferry across the Mississippi River.
• Neubig's Gallery.
• Port Allen/Plaquemine Locks
• Challenger Mission at the Challenger Learning Center, Louisiana Art and Science Museum
• Buy a cookbook, such as John Folse and Holly Clegg or pick up River Road Recipes
• Mid-City Shopping-unique, cool, fun!
• Pause and Refresh yourself at the nostalgic Coca-Cola sign on 3rd St.
• Antique carousel at the Mall of Louisiana
• Play around at Blue Bayou Water Park, Celebration Station or Dixie Landing
• Fluker's Cricket Farm
• Ride the trolleys through downtown
• Winter ice skating at the River Center
• International Festival
• Earth Day
• Louisiana State Museum
• Shaw Center for the Arts
• Gospel music at the Greater King David Baptist Church
• Bike the 2.5 mile path along the Mississippi River levee between downtown and LSU
• Enjoy unique shopping and dining under the Perkins Road overpass
• Bird watching at Cat Island
• Enjoy nightlife on historic 3rd Street
• Visit local wineries
• Stroll through botanical gardens at Independence Park
• River Road African-American Museum in Donaldsonville
• Get delicious ice cream at the LSU Dairy Store
• Compete in bike races at the Velodrome
• Go tubing down the Amite river
• Visit the Baton Rouge Area Convention And Visitors Bureau, 730 North Blvd, Baton Rouge.