City: Shreveport, LA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (318) 677-2673

Address: 700 Clyde Fant Pkwy

Description: Located next to Sci-Port Discovery Center and across the street from the Red River, this museum is named in honor of former U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston, who led the ongoing campaign to make the Red River navigable from its intersection with the Mississippi River to Shreveport–Bossier, which is located 236 miles northwest. Five navigation locks, measuring 84 by 705 feet, lift barges a total of 141 feet. But the visitor center does more than tell this story. Through exhibits, film, and other audiovisual displays, you can learn of the history of the river, dating back hundreds of years when the Caddo Indians occupied the land. Investigate the archeological remains of the Kentucky, a 19th-century steamboat turned into a Confederate transport. Captured by the Union in 1862, the boat accidently sank on the Red River on June 9, 1865. Traveling from Shreveport to New Orleans, the Kentucky had approximately 800 persons on board, an overcrowded condition. The boat snagged on a submerged log, took on water and eventually fell on its side. Over 200 persons are said to have died in the accident, while military reports from the time claimed a much lower loss of life. The top deck of the building provides great views of both the river and the Twin Cities. Open Mon through Sat, 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sun from 1 to 5:30 p.m.