Explore local and known artists' work for FREE during gallery hours! One of the oldest co-ops in the United States, Baton Rouge Gallery is the place to check out unique installations and dynamic programming.

Built by Governor Huey P. Long in 1930, this historic house museum is modeled after the White House, as Long embarked on a mission to become the President of the United States. Admission is free to see the furnishings and artifacts of the nine Louisiana governors who called this house home, as well as a grand ballroom, French wallpaper, crystal chandeliers and a stunning marble staircase.

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol is one of Baton Rouge’s top attractions, and its free admission is just an added bonus! Explore Baton Rouge’s colorful political history in this gothic-style Castle on the River.

Did you know that Louisiana hosts the tallest capitol building in the nation with 34 floors? So tall, in fact, you get an incredible view of the city on the 27th-floor Observation Deck for FREE! From its art deco interior to the stunning gardens surrounding the building, there are treasures to be found all around the Louisiana State Capitol and grounds.

Catch a glimpse of one of the largest college football stadiums, Tiger Stadium, and while you’re there, stop and say hi to the live mascot, Mike the Tiger, in his multi-million-dollar habitat, where he receives top-of-the-line care from his caretakers, who are students at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

Southern University is home to the nation’s largest HBCU system and is filled with free gems for all to explore. See the sculpture of the Red Stick, which marks the location of where it is said Baton Rouge got its name, or stand in awe at A.W. Mumford Stadium, where fans come from all over to cheer on the Jags and jam to the Human Jukebox.

Admission: $3 Adults $2.50 Seniors $2 Ages 3-17 $2.50 Full-time College Students FREE Children 2 and under

Get a taste of the great outdoors on a budget! Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center is filled with live animal exhibits, photographs depicting the site’s flora and fauna, natural artifact and mineral displays and a sizable, vintage waterfowl decoy carving station. Just outside, connect with nature on over a mile of paths and boardwalks linking habitats such as the cypress-tupelo swamp, beech-magnolia and hardwood forests.

Admission: $8.75 Adults $7.75 Seniors $5.75 Children 2-12 FREE Children 1 and under

BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo is home to animals from around the world, and the perfect place for family fun on a budget! In addition to showcasing beautiful animals, the Zoo also takes strides in conservation efforts by participating in survival plans for critically endangered species, as well as reintroducing rehabilitated animals to the wild.

Admission: $7 Adults $6 Military $6 Seniors $6 Students FREE Children 6 and under

If you’re looking for a one-stop shop on all things Louisiana, then Capitol Park Museum is the spot for you. Housing a full-size shrimp boat, Louis Armstrong’s bugle and much more, Capitol Park Museum details the history, culture and industry of the most vibrant state in America.

Admission: $15 2 and older FREE 23 months and younger

Knock Knock Children’s Museum is filled with hands-on, interactive exhibits – all anchored in research and evidence-based practices addressing all areas of childhood development. By engaging in activities such as grocery shopping, construction, reading and much more, the kiddos will have a day filled with fun and education!

Admission: $15 Adults $12 Seniors $12 Children

Louisiana Art & Science Museum finds its home in an old train depot and is filled with fascinating wonders you won’t find anywhere else. With rotating and permanent art collections, fossil displays, a world-class planetarium and even a mummy, LASM is filled with learning opportunities for adults and kids alike!

Admission: $5 Adults FREE Military FREE Children

Located on the fifth floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts is the LSU Museum of Art, which holds one of the largest university-affiliated art collections in the South, and features world-class touring exhibitions of regional, American and European art.

Admission: $12 Adults $10 Military $11 Seniors $10 Children 4-11 FREE Children under 3 years $10 LSU Faculty, Staff and Students

The LSU Rural Life Museum & Windrush Gardens has the largest collection of Louisiana vernacular architecture and the most extensive collection of material culture from 18th, 19th and early 20^th century rural Louisiana, and you can walk through the 32 historic outbuildings spread over 25 acres for a budget-friendly admission fee.

Admission: $14 Adults $12 Military $12 Senior $10 Child

Hit the decks of this Fletcher-class destroyer that has been restored to her World War II configuration – the only one in the world. Get a glimpse at how sailors lived their day-to-day or pay your respects to the fallen at the Louisiana Memorial Plaza.