Yes. Our language reflects our international heritage. While visiting Baton Rouge, listen to 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, cafe au lait, and etouffe. Fais do do, literally meaning, "put to sleep," means a party.
 

Baton Rouge is accessible through daily jet service via Delta, United, American and US Airways. Many hotels provide complimentary transportation to and from Baton Rouge Metro Airport. Rental cars and taxi service are also available.

Over 300 years ago, in 1699, French explorer Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville named Baton Rouge for the "red stick" along a Mississippi River bluff, as noted in written records found in the diaries of these explorers -- telling the tale of a pole stained with blood of fish and animals that served as the dividing line between the Bayougoula and Houmas Indians. It is from this "red stick" that Iberville christened our city "le Baton Rouge."
 

Rest easy in the Rouge! There are nearly 10,000 hotel rooms in the area and nearly 3,000 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.
 

Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre
Baton Rouge Symphony
Baton Rouge Zoo
LSU Museum of Art
Southern Museum of Art
Louisiana Art and Science Museum
Swine Palace Productions
LSU Theatre
 

190 Public Tennis Courts
184 City Parks
75 Recreational centers/facilities
8 Public Swimming Pools
7 Public Golf Courses
1 Amusement/Water Park
4 Bowling Lanes
5 Movie Theatres
2 Roller Skating Facilities
1 Miniature Golf Course
 

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!
 

9% sales tax; 13% hotel/motel tax

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 17 break out rooms.
 

Baton Rouge has a semi-tropical climate, perfect for outdoor activities. The weather is consistently warm from May to September and 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
 

More than 800,000 people live in the metropolitan area. Baton Rouge is one of the largest cities on the Mississippi River and Louisiana's most populous.

In 1846, Baton Rouge earned its title as Louisiana’s State Capitol, and nearly four years later, the Old State House was completed. Louisiana seceded from the Union in 1861, and in August 1862, Baton Rouge fell to the Union forces. The federal government of Louisiana was moved to New Orleans and in 1882 Baton Rouge once again became the capital of the state.

LSU was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Lousiana and came to Baton Rouge in 1869. The campus was located downtown prior to its move in 1926 to its present location. LSU is the flagship institution of the Louisiana State University System, and the largest institution of higher education in Louisiana in terms of student enrollment.
 

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.

Huey P. Long.

In 1927, Long was elected governor and served from 1928-1932, when he became a United States Senator. One of the most famous "populist" politicians, Long provided "free textbooks" for public schools.

During Long's term, the skyscraper new State Capitol was erected. It cost $5 million and took only 14 months to complete. It stands nearly 450 feet tall with 34 stories. It was here that Long was assassinated in 1935 and visitors can still remember the former governor as he is buried on the grounds of the State Capitol.