Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Baton Rouge, LA

The Louisiana Art and Science Museum is located in downtown Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River. In fact the building used for the museum is the old railroad depot. The museum provides a place for residents and tourists to learn the history of Louisiana as well as see some art which is being showcased. The art galleries have many different exhibits, some that are temporary while others are permanent. There is an interactive area for science in which children and adults can learn. The museum presents opportunities for lectures, workshops, camps, and other learning programs for those interested.

The LASM has 20 minute guided tours for certain galleries like the Ancient Egypt or Solar System galleries. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm. It is also open Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. The LASM has a planetarium. The hours are slightly different on Saturday as it remains open until 8pm. The museum and planetarium are not open on Mondays. Admission into the museum is $4 to $10 depending on visitor choices. Children and adults over 65 are able to get discounted entry. Groups are allowed to attend for a discounted price as well.

The exhibits are titled American and European Art, Antiquities, Louisiana Modern and Contemporary Art, Photography, Ethnographic Art, and Scientific Objects. The Ancient Egyptian exhibit as part of the antiquities houses a 300BC old mummy. The museum reconstructed a Ptolemaic tomb for visitors to walk through and view the mummy. In total there are 3,000 different artworks inside the museum.

For the science section of the museum the LASM decided to expand their offerings to find a connection between art and science. There are many objects which date into past centuries and include a star chart that is circa 1713. Amazingly only a fraction of the permanent collection is on display at any given time. There are a number of objects which are changed over throughout the years to keep the interest alive.

The planetarium is a 60 foot dome building with multimedia equipment. The theater offers a number of shows with visual effects and music. The shows will show seasonal changes to the sky and current events which are happening in the solar system. The show even takes one through the Milky Way. There are three galleries in the planetarium exhibit. The Solar System, Planet Tower, and Universe gallery are the three displays.

Also in the museum section are the discovery depot and science station. These are two areas in which visitors can interact with a number of scientific options to learn more about them. For example wheels, pulleys, and blocks are provided so that children can learn about force, gravity, and other physical sciences.

Baton Rouge is the state capital. It is also the ninth largest port city in America. As such there is a long history which is expressed at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum for visitors and residents to learn more about the area.