Only In Louisiana

Visitors to Louisiana may think they know what to expect from our state – fresh seafood, po’boys, jazz, Mardi Gras – but Louisiana is nothing if not unique. Alongside all the traditional must-sees are quirky sights and experiences like you’ll only find in Louisiana. 

Napoleon’s Death Mask

Louisiana is well known for its masks, especially during Mardi Gras season. However, the state is also the holder of a rare bronze death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte, cast by his physician Dr. Francois Carlo Antommarchi. It is one of only four bronze death masks known to exist. Legend has it, after Napoleon’s exile, New Orleans was willing to offer asylum. The self-declared emperor of France never made it to Louisiana, but the mask did. It has a well-traveled life, including the time it was nearly tossed out in the trash during renovations to Gallier Hall in 1866. If you want to come face-to-face with Napoleon, you can now see it at the historic Cabildo Building located in Jackson Square.

Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum 

The Museum occupies the exact location in Gibsland, Louisiana where Bonnie & Clyde dined for the last time — Ma Canfield’s Café. Learn more about the duo; view real artifacts; see a replica of the “death car”; and  dine at the Bonnie and Clyde Last Stop Cafe, which serves the last meal the pair shared. After the tour, head over to the ambush site, located two-and-a-half miles away on Highway 154. Be sure to go with the Louisiana Ghostin Generations paranormal team for a true paranormal experience.

Art the Dalmatian

The 19-feet tall statue of “Art the Dalmatian” stands guard in front of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council ARTSTATION headquarters. Art is larger than life and is the brainchild of Academy Award-winning filmmakers Bill Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg of Moonbot Studios. Art is covered with 254 spots that perform light shows after dark and change colors for holidays. Art the Dalmatian guards the renovated and repurposed fire station outside of the Engine Room doors of Central ARTSTATION.

The Haunted Gothic Jail 

Completed in 1915 and added to the National Historic Register in 1981, the three-story stone structure is referenced in the 1970’s country song “The Hanging Jail” and was the location of a double-execution of convicted murderers Joe Genna and Molton Brasseaux in 1928. As the story goes, Genna and Brasseaux hired taxi driver Joe Brevelle, killed him and dumped his body in the old Pickering Mill pond. The body was found, and the men were convicted and hanged from the third-floor gallows. The jail features a spiral staircase circling around a noose that hangs ominously, and an underground tunnel that allows prisoners to get to the courthouse next door. The Travel Channel has even featured the Gothic Hanging Jail because of its peculiar reputation. 

The Singing River

Visitors to the Mississippi River levee in downtown Baton Rouge can see — and hear — the Sing the River sculpture. Designed by California-based artist Po Shu Wang, the reflective sculpture is connected to sensors within the river, which trigger sounds that correspond with the rise and fall of the water.

Smallest Church in the World 

The Madonna Chapel is an 8-by-8-foot structure built in 1902, and it was once featured in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” as the smallest church in the world. The Madonna Chapel was built by an economically marginalized farmer after his prayers for a sick son to recover were answered. A Catholic mass is held here once a year on August 15 for the annual Feast of the Assumption mass, which is a Catholic Holy Day.

900-Year-Old Buddha on the Bayou 

There is a beautiful Buddha Shrine on Avery Island, Louisiana. Why?The story began nearly 90 years ago on the McIlhenny family property, where TABASCO® sauce has been produced  for more than 150 years. Avery Island is also home to the Jungle Gardens, a beautiful 170-acre botanical garden and bird sanctuary. 

In 1936, Jungle Garden founder E.A. McIlhenny (affectionately known as “Mr. Ned”) received a magnificent Buddha statue as a surprise gift from two of his friends in New York City. After discovering the statue in a Manhattan warehouse, they shipped it to Mr. Ned by rail – hoping that it would find a suitable home among the Asian flora of his gardens.. In recent years, the centerpiece has become an active place of worship for local Buddhists, who conduct a number of ceremonies there throughout the year – most notably on Buddha’s birthday, April 8.

Chauvin Sculpture Garden 

Along the banks of Bayou Petit Caillou in Terrebonne Parish, a 45-foot-tall brick lighthouse guides visitors to a treasure of modern American folk art by artist Kenny Hill — as well as a mystery. Hill’s eclectic collection of concrete angels were born from religious and personal struggles. In 2000, Hill left the garden and was never seen again.. The artwork has been carefully restored and is now home to an art studio and small museum run by Nicholls State University. This quaint sculpture garden offers weird, wonderful and beautiful things to see.