The gentleman working the day I stopped in was very friendly and informed about the items here…read more This was a one room schoolhouse when it was built in the 1800s. There are a lot of pictures about the history of the area and of the Battleship Ponchatoula. Amazing. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the history of the area. The admission is free, but they do accept donations.

The Capitol Park Museum is definitely worth a visit…read more There are some genuinely interesting exhibits, and it does a good job showcasing Louisiana's history and culture. It's engaging enough to spend a solid amount of time exploring, especially if you're already visiting other museums in the area. That said, certain parts of the museum felt a bit repetitive - almost like carbon copies of exhibits you might see at the Old State Capitol or other nearby museums. If you're doing multiple stops, you might notice some overlap. Still, the admission is very affordable, which makes it an easy and worthwhile stop overall.

Honestly, I had high hopes, but I should have known better. The state of LA has a rich history of…read morebeing part of the Deep South so I'm not sure why I expected anything elevated, learned, recognized, or truthful to be here. The museum is cheap to get into, can be completed in less than 2 hours and is technically geared more towards school age, but since it was our first time in the state capitol I figured it was worth the visit. I actually found myself crying, actual tears, in the middle of a museum for how poorly done the entire portion on slavery was. If ever there was a chance for a state to tell the real story, the real history, this would be it and that isn't what happens here. At EVERY turn there was some watered down version of how slaves "benefited" or "learned skills" and I was horrified. There was an entire section dedicated to slavery and not one school field trip was visiting that section and there were at least 2 buses of kids in the location. Let me be clear though, when I say a section was dedicated to slavery they did not tell the full story or the truth and they didn't even try! The one highlight was learning the history of mardi gras upstairs, but it was very Krewe heavy and I want to believe there's more history to learn there as well.

Abita Mystery House / UCM Museum…read more 22275 LA-36, Abita Springs, LA 70420 Not food this time. Found something strange out in Abita Springs, and I'm still trying to process it. Nostalgic, weird, and oddly captivating all at once. Louisiana always hides its secrets in plain sight. #tonylameats #abitamysteryhouse #explorelouisiana #abitasprings #louisiana

This was such a fun stop on our recent travels through Abita! I loved all of the surprises and…read morememory inspiring items in the museum! We really enjoyed the crank piano and the 32 foot alligator! Fun stuff! Got a tshirt and some magnets and a mystery bag. The curator was also so helpful and nice. Will be back next time I'm there with another friend.

I want to shout it to the world that everyone with the slightest interest in history, especially…read morethe history that has been greatly whitewashed, come here and learn a bit more about the actual history. I will not go into any great detail here, as I want people to go and support this museum, but it opened my eyes to quite a few things. It is a work in progress and a grass roots organization. Relatively inexpensive to enter (I had only a self-guided tour), the greatest hurtle will be to those who do not live in the immediate area to come and visit. Set in a residential area, they have several "rooms", such as a room of inventions created from people of color, a room for genealogy, a room for the sports balls, and just so much more. There is an interactive display with narration to describe what you are looking at. It is very in depth. I look forward to coming back and seeing how they are progressing. I really hope that they do continue to grow. They have several upcoming events, just check out their website. For now, they are only open weekdays. This is listed on the Louisiana African American Heritage Site, and I hope it helps to get more attention to them.

We had a great time here! The play areas and restrooms were…read morenice and clean. Staff was friendly. Great place to beat the heat with your kids!

It's summer in south Louisiana (a.k.a. one zillion freaking degrees) and the kids are bored,…read morefighting, and making you question why you ever thought having children was a good idea. Just kidding. Sort of. What to do? There's the aquarium in New Orleans which is wonderfully dark and cool. But if you're in the mood for something different the Louisiana Children's Discovery Center in Hammond is perfect. It's small but just the right size for kids to run around and have a blast while mom and dad get to relax and not hear "I'm boredddddd" for a few hours. Highlights include a bubble station (this is my personal favorite) where you can blow bubbles of all sizes and stand on a little circle and actually put yourself in a bubble...sounds weird but is way cool. A rock climbing wall, a stage complete with dress up items and a curtain (watch out for my little girl who thinks she is the director of every play) an ambulance with a patient and sirens!, a cow that you can milk (water comes out) and a construction zone. They also do birthday parties here and although we haven't had one here I can imagine they are quite fun. Admittance is reasonable and it's a great way to spend an afternoon.

As an Afghanistan veteran who served as a medic with the 101st Airborne Division, and as someone…read morewho has always loved military and World War II history, this museum completely blew my mind. However, I think it is equally important to mention that my girlfriend attended with me. She only had a general knowledge of the war, yet she also considered it a five-out-of-five experience. You certainly don't need to be a historian or veteran to appreciate what this museum has created. The National WWII Museum is massive. You could easily spend most of the day here, especially if you take your time reading, watching the films, and exploring everything. The museum covers multiple buildings and levels, so be prepared for a considerable amount of walking. During our visit, the exhibits appeared accessible to guests with mobility needs. There is an excellent mixture of immersive environments, historical artifacts, educational displays, interactive features, and video presentations. The exhibits are modern, detailed, and arranged in a way that makes an enormous and complicated conflict easier to understand. Whether you are already familiar with the subject or walking in with only basic knowledge, there is something here that will capture your attention. The entire museum was exceptionally clean, and every staff member we encountered was polite, knowledgeable, and willing to help. We saw visitors from nearly every age group, and everyone appeared engaged, reading the displays, discussing the artifacts, and interacting with the exhibits. History is treated with great care here, but it never feels stale or lifeless. The sections concerning the airborne forces naturally struck a particularly deep chord with me. At one point, I could almost feel the spirit of my 101st Airborne forebears flowing through me, the courage, sacrifice, and proud legacy of those who wore the Screaming Eagle long before I did. It was an emotional reminder that although generations change, the history and brotherhood remain. Their presence apparently remained with me even after leaving the museum. That evening, while venturing down Bourbon Street, I discovered that I could drink with a stamina I had never previously possessed. Whether this was airborne pride, supernatural intervention, or several deceased paratroopers temporarily occupying my liver remains a question for historians and medical professionals to debate. A phenomenal museum and an absolute must-see while visiting New Orleans. Give yourself plenty of time, wear comfortable shoes, and prepare to be humbled, educated, and possibly accompanied onto Bourbon Street by the spirits of the 101st. Airborne--all the way!

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans was absolutely great! The entire campus is incredibly well…read morelaid out, packed with tons of interactive exhibits that keep you fully engaged from start to finish. A massive highlight was the 4D theater movie narrated by Tom Hanks--it was awesome and is highly recommended if you visit. Make sure you give yourself definitely a few hours to go through everything so you can properly learn and take in as much as possible. If you are staying next door at the Higgins Hotel, there is a small ticket discount available, which is a nice perk. We didn't get to try the food inside the museum, choosing instead to go offsite to Magazine Pizza. It's located within steps of the museum and turned out to be a smarter choice cost-wise, I think!