City: Baton Rouge, LA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Description: Once a pocket of Beauregard Town, Catfish Town takes its name from an early era when neighborhood residents caught many a catfish from their front porches when flood waters receded. Five attractive brick warehouses from the 1880s have been restored. The Sheraton Hotel anchors one end, and there’s direct access to the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino. The Municipal Complex combines the RiverCenter (convention and exhibition halls and an arena), the Performing Arts Theater, and the downtown branch of the city-parish library. They are linked by three plazas, the Bicentennial Plaza, Mestrovic Court, and Galvez Plaza. Fountains here provide tranquil settings for residents and visitors alike. Across from the RiverCenter, on the Mississippi River, is a fountain and the Red Stick sculpture by artist Frank Hayden. From here, steps lead to the docking area (nicknamed the Paper Clip dock) for steamboats and other pleasure vessels visiting Baton Rouge.