Shreveport’s cultural offerings range from a Caddo dugout canoe from the Red River to an art collection spanning more than 4,000 years and a rich music history. The city also offers gardens, a planetarium and historic buildings. To plan your visit, it helps to choose your main interest first: exhibitions, architecture, music or an interactive experience each offer a different focus.
Building History and Exhibitions
The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum building was completed in 1939 as part of a New Deal Public Works project. The Native American Gallery displays a dugout canoe from the Caddo culture that was excavated from the Red River. The exhibition may change in the future. Here, the building’s history meets a specific object from Caddo culture.
The Spring Street Historical Museum combines a building dating to around 1866 with the history of Shreveport, presented through photographs and discovered artifacts. Admission is free; check visitor information in advance, as admission policies can change. The photographs and artifacts offer a different way to explore the past than a single gallery: the focus is on interpreting the city’s history.
The business district also has a place in the city’s history: an area comprising 64 city blocks is now Shreveport’s central business district and is listed as a district on the National Register of Historic Places. The McNeill Street Pumping Station is a waterworks facility built in 1887 and listed as a National Historic Landmark. These designations apply to different scales—a city area and a single waterworks facility.
Art, Gardens and Music History
The R.W. Norton Art Gallery houses an art collection spanning more than four millennia. Its gardens add another perspective: more than 15,000 plants grow there, including around 100 native and hybrid azalea varieties. Plant numbers may change over time. The collection and gardens appeal to different interests, from art history to plant diversity.
Shreveport’s music history encompasses both a historic stage show and symphonic performances. The Louisiana Hayride began on April 3, 1948, as a weekly stage show at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium. The Shreveport Symphony Orchestra was also founded in 1948 and is Louisiana’s oldest continuously operating professional orchestra. It presents symphonic performances for audiences in the Ark-La-Tex region. The two offer distinct musical connections: the launch of a stage show and the history of a professional orchestra.
Planetarium, Tours and Unique Experiences
The Gallery of Intrigue at the Sci-Port Discovery Center is an outdoor escape room. It features relics and replicas from Shreveport’s history dating back to 1835; individual exhibits may change. At the Sawyer Space Dome Planetarium, visitors can travel among the stars, explore distant planets and discover the mysteries of the universe. Both offer a different focus from the history museums: one combines puzzles with local history, while the other turns attention to space.
At the Shreveport Water Works Museum, visitors can explore the museum on a guided tour or a self-guided tour. These two options offer different ways to make your way around: with a guide or independently. As tour arrangements may change, check the current options in advance.
Along the Red River and at the Red River Revel
The Shreveport Aquarium is right on the Red River. The Red River Revel, founded in 1976, offers another way to experience local food culture. At the festival, food vendors serve funnel cakes, seafood macaroni, Natchitoches meat pies and chicken & waffles. The selection ranges from sweet funnel cakes to savory dishes. The festival can add a culinary focus to a trip that also includes museums, art and music; check event dates before visiting.
Discover more destinations: Keithville, Vivian.
View the broader travel guide: Caddo.
