City: Shreveport, LA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Address: 3015 Greenwood Rd.

Description: Opened in 1939, this circular building, combining neoclassical and modern design, shocked the area with its creativity. Famed local architect Edward F. Neild—responsible for the Old B’nai Zion Temple, The Scottish Rite Temple, and the Wray Dickson Building—along with D. A. Somdal and Ed F. Neild Jr., designed the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, which was funded as a Public Works Administration Project. The interior incorporates Colorado marble and Texas granite to create an inspiring exhibit space. The frescoes at the entrance, created by Conrad Albrizio and commissioned by Huey P. Long, tell the tale of the state’s agricultural and industrial growth. The female figure on the left represents the southern part of the state, with hints of farm life and a glimpse of New Orleans’s famous St. Louis Cathedral. A bare-chested lumberjack stares at you from the right side of the entrance, representing the timber industry of northern Louisiana and the growing cities of Shreveport and Bossier. Collectively, the frescoes cover more than 700 feet of wall space and are considered some of the most important works of art in the South. The exhibition hall highlights 22 world-renowned dioramas created from beeswax. Louisiana artists painted the backgrounds, while master model builders worked under director E. J. Whetzel and diorama artist Henry Brainerd Wright, who became the museum’s second director. Representing agriculture, the oil industry, wildlife, and the famous Poverty Point Native American site, located in northeast Louisiana, the dioramas continue to captivate the imagination of visitors. Rotating exhibits, frescoes, large murals of Louisiana scenes, and the Indian Gallery are other points of interest. Look in the glass cases throughout the building for examples of pottery, Indian handiwork, and other crafts. You will also notice a topographical map of the state, measuring 49 feet in circumference; it is original to the building, although it was restored to its initial surface—for the most part—in 2006. Many locals come to the museum to lose themselves in the dioramas and enjoy the stillness of the space. This is the only museum in the state to be a member of the Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program, which accounts for several of the top-quality temporary exhibits offered to the public. An auditorium with a spacious stage and seating capacity for 330 people is available for meetings.