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If you have ever wondered where you can enjoy wild excursions with extreme sports consider putting Shreveport on the top of your list. Shreveport is located along the mighty Red River, which is dotted with an array of riverboats. It offers attractive museums, gorgeous art galleries, and impressive nightlife. This city also has some great choices of southern diners, and live music venues! The Sci-Port Discovery Center, located downtown, has an IMAX dome and hands-on scientific displays, in a refurbished 19th-century bank. While the R.W. Norton Art Gallery is surrounded by gardens, paths, exhibits paintings, sculptures, and rare books. Shreveport has emerged as the business and industrial hub for a three-state area known as the Ark-La-Tex. It is the hub for business and commerce in the region.

Whether you like to stay indoors or outdoors, there is undoubtedly a lot to enjoy in this fine city, including gardens, a zoo, and the largest cocoon garden in North America. Furthermore, you can try your luck at their many casinos. If you are traveling with the whole family, there are special places for children and leisure.  Have heart, whatever it is you’re looking to do – this hot spot is sure to welcome you with open arms.

15. American Rose Center

American Rose Center

(image via American Rose Center)

Many visitors don’t know that the largest rose garden in the US is located at the American Rose Center, Shreveport. The garden has 118 acres of land and is charming with over  20,000 individual rose bushes on display. Apart from these incredible flowers, you will also find other foliage, statues, and other architectural masterpieces. There are also vibrant, highly decorated water fountains throughout the garden, should you need a rest on this magnificent, magical journey.

14. Celebrate Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is a celebration right before the season of Lent begins. In the Catholic Church, Lent is a preparatory period before Easter that is somber, reflective, and free from excess. There are multiple days of fasting. Thus, many years ago, Mardi Gras was a time to consume butter, sugar, milk, and meat…all the things that were forgone during Lent. It was also marked by large celebrations and street parties.

Today, the tradition continues in French-influenced Louisiana. Even though Northern Louisiana is much less Catholic than the Southern part of the state, Shreveport still has its share of large parades. The streets are closed. Double-decker floats line up and fill the streets. Visitors and locals alike crowd the curbs and sidewalks to catch beads, candy, and more thrown at them. It’s something you have to experience at least once. Mardi Gras happens in February of March (depending upon when Easter falls).

13. Origin of Davis

The Davis House

(image via The Davis House)

Davis’ home site was first built in 1916, according to records. Today, it has been lovingly enhanced to its old glory to provide a striking insight into how people would have lived in Louisiana during those times. The home is filled with many of the original Davis family quarters, you will also find vintage curios such as oil lamps, beams, and pocket doors.

Apart from all of the wonderful old decore, you might notice you’re with those from the other side. That’s right, it is believed this location is haunted. Grab your salt, and ghost cams, it might be a spooky time. You must call ahead to get an appointment and can take a tour of the home with an instructor.

12. Pioneer Heritage Centers

Pioneer Heritage Center

The Pioneer Heritage Center answers a variety of questions about the pioneers who first lived in northwestern Louisiana. They provide answers to questions regarding the identities of the pioneers such as where they came from, how they lived, how they adapted to northwestern Louisiana, and other related questions. The center was established in 1977. Check out the blacksmith, hospital, settler homes, and other exciting intrigues on your journey in the wild west.

11. Air U Trampoline Park

Air U Trampoline Park

Air U Trampoline Park provides fun for the whole family! It is the perfect dynamism for a rainy day if you’re craving something to do indoors in Shreveport. The park is stocked with indoor trampolines, and foam pits so that the whole family can play. There are open jump spots where you can come and play with gusto. You can also participate in recreated group activities like ball games, and more.

10. Walter B Jacobs Memorial Nature Park

This Park hopes to assist residents of Northwest Louisiana to connect with nature. The Walter B Jacobs Memorial Nature Park encompasses 160 acres of pine-oak-hickory forest, which is accessible through 5 miles of hiking routes with interpretive signs. A bird of prey aviary and a deer enclosure are among the live animal exhibitions.

Their visitor center with hands-on displays, more live animals, a children’s play area, a school, and facilities are available at the park. For organizations and activities, there is a covered picnic pavilion with facilities. Park employees provide a wide range of educational activities for all ages to the general public or upon request.

9. Bally’s Shreveport Casino & Hotel

Casino

The Bally’s Shreveport Casino & Hotel is truly an experience if you want to try your hand with lady luck while in town. This center aims to provide visitors with a premium gaming environment via a massive gaming space. It also has more than 50 table games, including poker, blackjack, and roulette.

If you would rather want to try one of the 1,400 slot machines those are also available. Throughout the casino, the food is abundant, and the entertainment is never lacking. They offer live events, day and night. So stop by and wish that luck will indeed be a lady, tonight!

8. The Touchstone Wildlife and Art Museum

The Touchstone Wildlife and Art Museum

The Touchstone Wildlife and Art Museum displays an interesting mix of war memorials, animal preparations, Native American artifacts, exhibits, and dioramas. Visitors can even watch staff and artists work on creating new displays. Those who come to check out this fantastic museum may also see displays from the Civil War, Bonnie & Clyde, and Star Trek!

7. Shreveport Water Works Museum

Shreveport Water Works Museum

The Shreveport Water Works Museum illustrates the narrative of Shreveport’s early efforts to provide the city with clean water. It is thought to hold the oldest unbroken collection of Victorian period waterworks equipment, providing a fascinating view into the past, industrial machinery, engineering, and the need for clean water. This museum is also a National Historic Landmark.

Interestingly, it was formerly known as the McNeill Street Pumping Station (because it was previously reached through McNeill Street). The venue may be rented for events, and ordinary daily access is free.

6. Barksdale Global Power Museum

Barksdale Global Power Museum

Visitors can step back in time at the Barksdale Global Power Museum and discover the dynamic history of Strategic Bombardment at the Air Force Global Strike Command, the 8th Air Force, and the 2nd Bomb Wing.

The museum is both a memorial to the achievements of the country’s armed forces and a place of recognition for the numerous years of training to prevent war. Guests will see a wide range of aircraft including the B-17 and B-24 bombers used in World War II and the P-51 Mustang. Six exhibition galleries tell the story of Strategic Bombardment.

5. Jubilee Zoo

Jubilee Zoo

(image via Jubilee Zoo)

The Jubilee Zoo offers both general admissions for visitors and event space for birthday parties, excursion programs, or other events where people are looking for kid-friendly fun.

Visitors can pet and feed the animals at the zoo, as the animals that call the zoo home were chosen because they can safely interact with people. There are no large carnivores like bears, tigers, and lions in the zoo. Guests can also ride a carousel, explore the zoo on a safari, have a picnic, play in the playground, and hop on inflatables.

4. Sci-Port Discovery Center

Sci-Port Discovery Center

The Sci-Port Discovery Center offers both learning and recreational activities for visitors of all ages to actively immerse themselves in the world of technology, science, and math. Sci-Port aims to arouse curiosity about the world.

They offer numerous practical activities for scientific discovery in people’s everyday life and promote the love of lifelong learning. This complex has numerous interactive exhibits, an IMAX dome theatre, and a planetarium. The immersive IMAX experience will blow you away. Their Sci-Port IMAX Theater is the only one of its kind in Louisiana.

3. Shreveport Aquarium

Shreveport Aquarium

(image via Shreveport Aquarium)

The Shreveport Aquarium offers a glimpse of marine life, which will fill you with wonder. Visitors can make their way through tropical lagoons, dark ocean caves, creaking shipwrecks, and coral reefs with bright colors. Guests can get up close and personal with jellyfish, rays, sharks, and many other species of marine life through one of several touch tanks in the aquarium. While here you can travel to the depths of the ocean to see strange creatures hiding in the dark of the deepest waters.

2. R.W. Norton Art Gallery

R.W. Norton Art Gallery

The R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport, Louisiana is a non-profit museum constructed in 1966 that showcases unique pieces of American and European art spanning seven centuries and is open to the public for enjoyment and education.

This gallery has a large permanent collection that contains over 400 paintings and a slew of sculptures by over 100 artists. Their collection encompasses a wide range of genres, time periods, and historical significance. Surrounded by 40 acres of beautiful gardens, and walking paths – this is a spot you can not miss!

1. The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum

The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum

The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, completed in 1939 as one of the New Deal’s Public Works projects, is an architectural treasure created in the ultra-modern style of the day. This circular structure has 23 superbly detailed scale dioramas depicting life in Louisiana in the 1940s.

Louisiana Native American artifacts, regional and national history artifacts, unique works by local artists, and natural nature exhibitions are all part of the LSEM collection. You can travel through time and space by visiting this site. This must-see location captures the pioneer spirit as well as the heart of the state.


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Summary

As you can see, Shreveport has a lot to offer everyone. If you want to do more in the area, check out other weekend trips from nearby Shreveport.

These locations are great for a quick day trip or a long weekend getaway. Explore some of our favorite activities or read through some pre-planned itineraries.

Jennifer Freehill

Jennifer Freehill

Howdy! I'm a vet and UniDeb graduate who's a passionate reader, writer, and data nerd. I tend to take life with a grain of salt, a lime, and a shot of tequila.

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