Baldwin's Guide to Museums of Louisiana

Book excerpt: The Pelican State boasts not only museums devoted to art and history, but also to aviation, medicine, and politics. All are profiled here, in the most authoritative guide of its kind available. Through their thorough research, the authors have uncovered many hidden gems along Louisiana's back roads. Among them is the only museum in the United States that presents a history of sulfur mining-Brimstone Museum in Sulphur, Louisiana. Better-known museums include the Cabildo in New Orleans, where the transfer of the Louisiana Territory from Spain to France, and from France to the United States took place in 1803. More than 170 museums offer something for everyone. From the Arna Bontemps African-American Museum and Culture Center in Alexandria to the Port Hudson State Commemorative Area Museum in Zachary, the authors have traveled Louisiana from the north to the south and have found every museum in their path.