<< View Field Trips Part 1

LSU Hilltop Arboretum                                                                  Subject: Science/Nature
P.O. Box 82608
Baton Rouge, LA 70884

Located at:          11855 Highland Road
Baton Rouge, 70808

General Telephone Number: (225) 767-6916
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 767-6916
FAX Number: (225) 768-7740

Website Address: www.lsu.edu/hilltop

Email Address: hilltop@lsu.edu

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, Dawn to Dusk; Free; Office hours Monday – Friday 9:00am – 4:00pm.

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Wednesday 10:00am – 3:00pm; Free

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 7:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks

Number of Students per Visit: 40

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One hour

Handicapped Accessible: The administration and education complex is handicapped accessible, the nature trails are not.

Grade Level Appropriate: Preschool – 4th

Lunch Facilities: School groups can picnic in the open air pavilion. Fast food and restaurants are on nearby Bluebonnet Blvd.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available on site

Tell Us About It!
The community of Baton Rouge and visitors from further away can enjoy an extensive collection of Louisiana trees and shrubs cultivated on 14 beautiful acres. The property known as Hilltop was purchased after World War II by Emory Smith and his wife, Annette, as a farm and country retreat. Hilltop was donated to Louisiana State University with the intent that it will remain a model of the natural landscape and continue its traditional use as an outdoor laboratory for students and the community. The arboretum is managed by the School of Landscape Architecture and is maintained year-round by graduate students from the school. Visitors to Hilltop Arboretum will find more than a quiet place to enjoy, far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life; they will also find a place to learn about Louisiana’s flora.

What Can We See and Do There?
The staff and volunteers at the LSU Hilltop Arboretum maintain this natural landscape for all to come to visit.  The 14-acre site exhibits over 150 species of native Louisiana plants in their natural habitats and an acre-size pond.  The education and administration complex includes an open-air pavilion for visitors. Guided walking tours for visitors and school groups traverse the meadows and woods. Visitors may ask for copies of the arboretum’s self-guided walking tour and map. This program, Walk About, helps kids identify 20 kinds of trees and shrubs.  Students will learn about the coexistence of plants and animals in Louisiana’s habitat. Hands-on projects begin at the arboretum where students can collect pine cones, leaf specimens, and other small finds to take back to their classrooms. This site offers a relaxed and open-air  “walk in the woods.”

How Do We Get There?
From I-12 exit at Siegen Land going south to Highland Road. Turn right.  The arboretum is located on Highland Road between Bluebonnet Blvd. and Siegen Lane approximately 6.5 miles south of the LSU Campus.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Call the arboretum to inquire about rainy day plans.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: LS-A1-4; LS-B1-3; LS-E-C1-3; SE-E-A5; G-1-E1
5th-8th grades: LS-M-A3-4; LS-M-C3-4; LS-M-D1-2; SE-M-A5, 7, 9-10
9th-12th grades: LS-H-D4; LS-H-E1, 3; SE-H-A3, 8; SE-H-C1
[**JULIE: THE SITE DELETED THE ENTIRE BENCHMARKS SECTION.]

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Visit the arboretum’s website or call the education staff to borrow a copy of the teacher’s manual. The manual has over 100 pages of orientation information, lesson plans, facts, and work sheets.  Help students define the word, arboretum.
[**JULIE: THE SITE DELETED THE ENTIRE WHAT CAN WE DO SECTION.]

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
The arboretum asks students to write or draw pictures of what they saw on this field trip.  Teachers can call for samples of student thank-you letters and pictures.  Look back in the teacher’s manual or on the website for more crafts, lessons, and resources to continue studying Louisiana’s plant community in the classroom.  Plant tree seeds in class and monitor the seedlings growth.  Hang pictures of the mature trees near the seedlings!

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana plant life, environmental science, conservation, ecology; classification, scientific inquiry, forests

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LSU Museum of Art                                                                                         Subject: Art
100 Lafayette Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

General Telephone Number: (225) 389-7200
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 389-7207
FAX Number: (225) 389-7190

Website Address: www.lsu.edu/lsumoa 

Email Address: lgaut@lsu.edu

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday 10:0am – 5:00pm  Thursday 10:00am- 8:00pm Sunday 1:00-5:00pm; $8:00 Adults, $6.00 University Students and Seniors, $4.00 Children 5-17 years old, Children under 5 Free

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Friday, 9:30am – 5:00pm; $3.00 Students, Groups with less than 15 students minimum charge $45.00, Required chaperones Free, Additional chaperones $3.00

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks

Advance deposit $45.00 required

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 60

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One to Two hours

Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Groups may picnic in Shaw Plaza or in Lafayette Park, which is across the street from the museum.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking not available on-site

Tell Us About It!
The LSU Museum of Art’s (LSU MOA) permanent collection consists of over 3,500 objects. The collection includes both fine art pieces (drawings, prints, paintings, and sculptures) and decorative art objects (furniture, porcelain, silver, and textiles). The museum is located in downtown Baton Rouge in the Shaw Center for the Arts. The sleek glass and steel complex houses the museum, studios, and performing arts theaters. Inside the modern gallery spaces, LSU MOA offers national and international traveling art exhibitions and changing displays of the museum’s permanent holdings. The museum’s permanent holdings represent cultures from around the world and pieces from antiquity up to the 21st century. For example, the paintings and prints include works by Thomas Gainsborough, Benjamin West, Rembrandt Peale, Diego Rivera and Clementine Hunter. Three dimensional works include Inuit carvings, Chinese jade carvings, and Newcomb pottery wares.

What Can We See and Do There?
Walk up through the massive Shaw Plaza to enter the LSU Museum of Art and enter into a world of aesthetic excitement. This new state-of-the-art complex sets the scene for a visual and intellectual journey. Visitors may explore the galleries on their own. Visitors with more than 10 people in their group can schedule a guided gallery tour. Tour guides are prepared to involve students in discussions throughout the exhibits and Art Work classes give students opportunities to produce expressive projects with hands-on activities. With advance planning, Art Work classes provide pre-visit activities for the classroom and post visit activities to follow the museum field trips. Art Work is designed to incorporate language arts, social studies and math into the art museum experience.

How Do We Get There?
From I-110 exit at Convention St. and travel to Lafayette St. Turn left onto Lafayette St. From I-10 east to I-110, exit to the left onto Laurel St. turn left onto Lafayette St. School groups should enter through the Shaw Center Plaza.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This site provides an indoor climate-controlled experience.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: VA-AP-E1,2,4,-6; VA-HP-M1,3,5,6; VA-CA-E1-5
5th-8th grades: VA-AP-M1,4,5,6; VA-HP-M1-4,6; VA-CA-M1-5
9th-12th grades: VA-AP-H1-6; VA-HP-E1-4; VA-CA-H1,2,4,5

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Visit?
Pre-visit materials for most programs can be downloaded from the museum’s website, www.lsu.edu/lsumoa, or sent to teachers on a CD-rom. These educational resources are designed to give teachers the tools to prepare their students for particular educational experiences at the museum. They offer lesson plans, activities, suggested books, websites.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Along with the pre-visit materials are similar post-visit resources. Provided lessons address the visual arts, language arts, social studies, and math.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
painting, prints, drawings, sculpture, pottery, metals, decorative arts, art history, American history, Louisiana history, multicultural studies

LSU Museum of Natural Science                                                               Subject: Science/Nature
119 Foster Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

General Telephone Number: (225) 578-2855
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 578-3080
FAX Number: (225) 578-3075

Website Address: www.museum.lsu.edu/education

Email Address: mused@lsu.edu

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm, Free; One Saturday per month, 10:00am – noon, $3.00 donation per Child for programs

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm; Free

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 30

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One hour

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Cafeteria, fast food, and picnic areas are all on campus in walking distance.

Gift Shop: School groups can shop at the LSU Union.

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
In the cool quiet halls of the LSU Museum of Natural Science, hundreds of seemingly active animals are busy nesting, climbing, hunting, and even flying. There are nine habitat dioramas constructed between the years 1955 and 1964. These life-size dioramas of swamps, mountain sides, rainforest, and Louisiana’s forests are on the first floor of Foster Hall.  The exhibits emphasize the diversity of flora and fauna in the different habitats.  The Hall of Birds, reptiles and amphibian’s specimens, dinosaur fossils, and the original Mike the Tiger are also on display. This science museum is a research museum first and is staffed by scientists who collect, study, and preserve natural science specimens.  The museum is located a few steps from the Indian Mounds and across from the Theater and Dramatic Arts Building on the LSU Campus.

What Can We See and Do There?
Teachers can lead their own class tour. Self-guiding instructions are on the museum’s website or teachers may call and request a copy of the Activity Book which includes self-guiding directions. The museum contains exhibits animal life, environmental science, geology, ecology, conservation, and insects. The most recent exhibit is Experience Antarctica. Younger students enjoy hands-on specimens and older students appreciate the artistic beauty of the dioramas. The museum staff will send out materials to teachers to help prepare students for their visit. One Saturday a month, the museum offers family programs including lectures and kids’ science classes.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 exit at Dalrymple Drive and turn right on Dalrymple to Highland Road.  Stop at the Visitors Information Office on campus on the corner of Highland and Dalrymple to obtain a parking tag.  Teachers may call (225) 578-5030 to arrange parking in advance.  Continue on Dalrymple Drive.  Foster Hall is on the left across from the Greek Amphitheater.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This field trip is indoors.

What Can We Visit Nearby? LSU’s Hill Memorial Library; LSU Textile and Costume Museum; Indian Mounds at LSU; Foster Hall Art Gallery at LSU

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: SI-E-A1-3; LS-E-A1-4; LS-E-B1-3; LS-E-C1-3; ESS-E-A1, 3-4, 7; SE-E-A1-5; G-1B-E1, 3-4; G-1D-E1; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1, 4
5th-8th grades: LS-M-C1-4; LS-M-D1-2; ESS-M-A8-11; ESS-M-B1-3; SE-M-A1-6; G-1C-M3; G-1D-M1-2
9th-12th grades: LS-H-C2-6; LS-H-D2, 4; ESS-H-C3-4; SE-H-A1-6; G-1B-H3; G-1D-H2-3

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Email or call for pre-visit materials. Contact Scope-on-a-Rope for a free microscope program in your classroom. This lending program is a part of LSU’s Socolofsky Microscopy Center.  Teachers borrow hands-on microscopes. The program also includes biology and imaging presentations for groups. Topics include magnification and scale concepts, electron microscopy, light microscopy with “see your own cell” and DNA. Visit www.scopeonarope.lsu.edu or call (225) 578-0405.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Ask the education staff if a speaker from the Museum can visit your classroom. Take a nature walk at school and look for natural settings. Examine the background, foreground, flora, and fauna.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Animals, ecology, conservation, habitats, dinosaurs, insects, Louisiana wildlife, Antarctica

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LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens                  Subject: History
P.O Box 80498
Baton Rouge, LA 70898

Located at:          4650 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

General Telephone Number: (225) 765-2437
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 765-2437
FAX Number: (225) 765-2639

Website Address: www.rurallife.lsu.edu

Email Address: rulife1@lsu.edu

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 8:30am – 5:00pm; $7.00 Adults over 12 years old, $6.00 Seniors, $6.00 LSU Students and Staff, $4.00 Children 5 – 11 years old, Free Children under 5 years old

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates:  Daily, 8:30am – 5:00pm; $4.00 per person

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Three to four weeks

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 100 for tours; Hands-on programs up to 50
[**JULIE: SITE MADE A NOTE SAYING “NOTES FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT VERONICA: WE PREFER NO MORE THAN 50 AT A TIME.” DO YOU WANT ME TO PUT THIS IN THE TEXT?]

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 60 Minutes. The tour lasts 45 minutes, but allow extra time for looking on your own or for hands-on.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: 4th – 12th

Lunch Facilities:  Fast food restaurants are in the nearby area.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens is a five-acre outdoor museum set on over 450-acres of the old Burden Plantation in busy Baton Rouge. The museum includes more than 20 buildings divided into three areas. The first two exhibits include the Barn which contains collections of objects depicting everyday life in rural Louisiana before 1930, and the Working Plantation which includes a completely furnished commissary, overseer’s house, kitchen, two slave cabins, school house, and sugarhouse. These exhibits help to represent life on a typical 19th century working plantation. The Folk Architecture is a collection of seven buildings that illustrate the diverse cultures in south Louisiana and includes a country church, a pioneer’s cabin, an Acadian house, a jail, and a dogtrot house. In addition to the historical emphasis at the museum, are the Windrush Gardens that offer a tranquil setting for walks.

What Can We See and Do There?
Students arriving at the LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens begin their visit with a colorful five minute orientation video. Guided tours are available for fourth graders and older, while kids in K through 3rd grade enjoy self-guided tours. All visitors have ample time to wander through the immense Barn that houses hundreds of artifacts, from African slave artifacts to wagons and early machinery. The 4th grade tour focuses on Louisiana’s folklife and takes kids through the Folk Life Architecture collection. The 5th grade tour emphasizes Louisiana’s 19th century plantation life taking kids through the overseer’s house and slave cabins. After the tour, kids are treated to a 30-minute talk and demonstration. Trained museum staff involves kids in shucking and grinding corn and other domestic tasks. The staff gives an old musket demonstration from loading the shot to firing. Bam! What a memorable day.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10, exit at Essen Lane (Exit 160). The museum’s entrance is located immediately on the right on Essen Lane marked by a white fence and sign.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
The museum has a large indoor space that can accommodate groups if rain begins after the tour has started.  Call to reschedule the field trip in case of inclement weather. Dress for extreme heat. Most of the museum experience is outdoors.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: H-1A-E1-2; H- 1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1-4; H-1D-E1, 3; G-1A-E1-2; G-1B-E1-4; G-1D-E1-2
5th-8th grades: H-1A-M1-3, 5; H-1B-M9, 14-15, 17; H-1D-M1-6; G-1A-M1; G-1B-M1-4; G-1C-M4
9th-12th grades: H-1A-H1-4, 6; H-1B-H1; H-1C-H9; G-1B-H1-2, 4; G-1C-H2; G-1D-H3-4

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Visit the museum’s website. Fourth and fifth grade teachers can call to request a pre-visit packet that contains background information about folklife and plantation life.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Take an historic walk through your school neighborhood and look for different kinds of architecture. See any Acadian-style roof tops? See any shotgun-style buildings?

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, architecture, American slavery, plantation life, folklife, farm life, cultural heritage, cultural geography

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Magnolia Mound Plantation                                                                       Subject: History
2161 Nicholson Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

General Telephone Number: (225) 343-4955
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 343-4955
FAX Number: (225) 343-6739

Website Address: www.magnoliamound.org

Email Address: information@magnoliamound.org

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm, Sunday, 1:00pm – 4:00pm; $8.00 Adults, $6.00 Seniors and Students 18-22 years old, $3.00 Children 5 – 17 years old, Free for Children under 5 years old

Student Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Thursday, 10:00am – 3:00pm; $5.00 Students, Free for required Chaperones, $8.00 additional Adults

Student to Chaperone Ratio Required: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks

Advance deposit required $25.00 prior to field trip date.

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 150

Suggested Length of Time for Visits: Two hours

Handicapped Accessible: Not historic house museum; Yes visitor center

Grade Level Appropriate: 3rd  – 12th

Lunch Facilities: A covered picnic area is on-site and fast food is nearby.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Magnolia Mound Plantation is conveniently located between LSU and downtown Baton Rouge.  This historic site is a BREC property (Recreation and Park Commission of East Baton Rouge Parish), and it is accredited by the American Association of Museums.  Here, visitors are immersed into 19th century South Louisiana culture from the early River Road plantation days.  This colonial period museum opened its doors in 1975 and continues to offer school tours, classes, lectures, exhibits, camps, and historic preservation programs. Today, Magnolia Mound Plantation sits on 16 of the original 900 acres along the Mississippi River.  The plantation house, which dates from 1791, has retained its Creole character for over 200 years. The site also offers visitors the chance to see an authentic slave cabin and interpretive exhibit, overseer’s house, a working open-hearth kitchen, pigeonnier, carpentry shop, weaving shop, and an interpretive visitor’s center. The grounds are graced with an extensive kitchen garden, cash crop garden, fruit and Magnolia trees and 200-year-old live oaks.

What Can We See and Do There?
Costumed docents lead visitors through the fully furnished house museum interpreting the story of the house and the Duplantier family who lived at Magnolia Mound Plantation from 1801 to 1827. Tuesdays and Thursdays, October – May visitors can watch open-hearth cooking demonstrations. Students see this entirely French household and imagine the breadth of activity with enslaved workers in the sugarcane fields and in the main house. Other historic building exhibits include Slavery in the South in a reconstructed slave cabin and Materia Medica concerning medical care in the overseer’s house. School tours include the big house, kitchen, and grounds and interactive programs. The programs include Plantation Heritage, in which students observe open-hearth cooking of a Creole breakfast and get to enjoy the results; Grandmother’s Attic in which students have a chance to examine historic reproductions; and In The Quarter, a sensitive look at slave life set in the slave cabin.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 take the Louise St. Exit and turn left on Louise St. at the stop sign.  Travel three blocks and turn right on Highland Rd.  Travel two blocks and turn left on Terrace St. At Nicholson Drive turn left and travel one mile. The plantation is on the left.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Call the museum to confirm rainy day plans.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1A-E1-2; G-1B-E2; G-1C-E3; E-1A-E3-5; G-1B-E6; H-1A-E1-2-3; H-1B-E1; H-1C-E1-4
5th-8th grades: G-1B-M2-4; G-1C-M2-4-6; E-1A-M9;E-1B-M6-7; H-1A-M1-2-5; H-1B-M2
9th-12th grades: G-1B-H1; G-1C-H2; E-1A-H8; H-1A-H1-2; H-1B-H2-4

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers will receive a pre-visit packet to confirm their field trip plans to Magnolia Mound Plantation. Check out www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp for Teaching with Historic Places by the National Park Service. Teachers may borrow the Traveling Trunk filled with hands-on objects and resource materials.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Visit http://lhn.lsu.edu/lhin/habs/magnolia/POEMM/ for Creole short stories, Louisiana Heritage Network links, and a virtual tour of Magnolia Mound Plantation.  Students can develop a colonial plantation character and draw the person in period clothes.  Have the class draw a sugar-plantation. Each student can place his/her character onto the drawing where each character would be working.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, American history, African American history, architecture, Creole culture, decorative arts

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Nottoway Plantation Restaurant & Inn                                  Subject: History
P.O. Box 160
White Castle, LA 70788

Located at:          30970 Hwy. 405
White Castle, LA 70788

General Telephone Number: (225) 545-2730
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 545-2730 ext. 2409
FAX Number: (225) 545-8632

Website Address:  www.nottoway.com

Email Address: groupsales@att.net

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $10.00 Adults, $4.00 Children under 12 years old; Restaurant 11:00am – 3pm, 6:00pm – 9:00pm.

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; Group rates for 20 or more guests $8.00 Adults, $6.00 Students 14 – 17 years old, $3.50 Children under 14 years old

Student Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Three weeks

Advance deposit $100 required.

Number of Students per Visit: 120

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One hour for tour plus one additional hour for restaurant meal

Handicapped Accessible: First floor of mansion, Randolph Hall Restaurant, and gift shop are handicapped accessible.

Grade Level Appropriate: 3rd – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Groups may picnic on the grounds.  Groups are encouraged to make lunch reservations in the Randolph Hall Restaurant on site. Student lunch is around $10.00 per person.

Gift Shop: Partially

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Nottoway Plantation is the epitome of antebellum elegance and conspicuous consumption. Nottoway was completed in 1859 and is among the largest surviving Civil War period plantations and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site is situated in the heart of the Plantation Region on the west bank of the mighty Mississippi. Visitors can take in the riverfront view from the massive third floor veranda. The mansion reflects an unusual combination of Greek-Revival style architecture. The house was built with such rare innovations as indoor plumbing and hot and cold running water. The two floors are complete with some of the family’s original furniture. The cool basement has sugar industry displays and family documents recounting slavery on this 2,000-acre plantation. Confederate and Federal Troops saw battle action on the grounds.

What Can We See and Do There?
Louisiana was a patchwork of cultures and lifestyles during the second half of the 19th century. Nottoway Plantation is an outstanding example of the grand lifestyle associated with the aristocracy of the Deep South. Guided tours take visitors through elegant parlors, bedrooms, and work spaces describing the high-style life that only the most successful planter families could afford. Unlike the majority of south Louisiana residents, Nottoway was built and owned by Anglophiles. The basement exhibits are self-guided and worth seeing because the artifacts and documents attest to the number and the dependency of slave labor to run this plantation. Walks on the grounds offer fine views of the gardens and river.  School groups are encouraged to make lunch reservations at Randolph Hall to augment the tour. With enough notice, the Executive Chef will do a cooking demonstration for students lunching in the dining room.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 west towards Lafayette, after the bridge take the Plaquemine exit to LA Hwy. 1 south and travel 18 miles. The entrance to Nottoway is on the left side of LA Hwy. 1, the mansion faces River Road.
From I-10 east towards Baton Rouge take Exit 182 Donaldsonville/Sunshine Bridge. Turn left on Hwy. 22 and travel approximately .5 mile. Turn left on Hwy. 70 towards Sunshine Bridge. Stay in the right hand lane. Travel through Donaldsonville. towards LA Hwy. 1 north for about 12 miles to White Castle. Nottoway Plantation is two miles past White Castle on the right side of LA Hwy. 1.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Tours are indoors and the building has climate control.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: H-1A-E1-2; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1-4; G-1B-E1-4; G-1C-E2-5; G-1D-E2-4
5th-8th grades: H-1A-M1-3, 5; H-1B-M10-13; H-1D-M1-3, 5-6; G-1B-M1-4; G-1C-M2-6; G-1D-M2-4
9th-12th grades: H-1A-H1-2, 4, 6; H-1B-H4-5; G1-B-H1-4

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Visit the plantation’s website for pictures of the Nottoway.  Look at a map of south Louisiana and finger trace that part of the Mississippi River that went through the Plantation Region. Calculate the numeric relationship of a football field, (2.04 acres) to Nottoway Plantation, (2,000 acres).

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Visit Magnolia Mound Plantation (or the website), a colonial-period sugar plantation, and compare it to Nottoway Plantation, an antebellum plantation. What are the similarities and the differences? Hints: Similarities include cash crops and magnitude of slave labor used; Differences include Creole owners vs. Anglo owners, and  900 acres vs. 2,000 acres.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, Civil War history, architecture

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Odell S. Williams Now and Then Museum of African American History
538 South Blvd.                                                                                                 Subject: History, Art
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

General Telephone Number: (225) 343-4431
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 343-3331
FAX Number: (225) 343-4431

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday 1:00pm – 5:00pm; $2.00 per person, Free Children under 6 years old

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm;$2.00 Teachers and Chaperones, $1.00 Students

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advanced Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two days

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 50

Suggested Length of Time for visit: One hour

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Climate-controlled banquet room is available for students with sack lunches. Fast food and full-service restaurants are within a five-minute drive of the museum.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
The Odell S. Williams Now and Then Museum of African American History was founded in 2001, on South Blvd. in old South Baton Rouge. The museum is an out-growth of the congregation’s commitment to promote and educate people about Juneteenth and the achievements of African Americans. This intimate museum features museum workers’ enthusiasm to interpret local Baton Rouge and Louisiana history in the context of African American history. Central to the exhibits is a collection of antique posters featuring great African American men and women achievers. The posters were used by former Baton Rouge teacher Odell S. Williams to teach her students African American history in secret, because it was against school policy to teach this history. Mrs. Williams hid the posters under the blotter on her desk and would pull them out to discuss the less-well-known political, scientific, and artistic achievements of African American individuals.

What Can We See and Do There?
The Odell S.Williams Now and Then Museum of African American history has five permanent exhibits. The art work of local black artists is featured across the way from an exhibit of African artworks including carvings, paintings, and textiles. A collection of Louisiana rural artifacts feature early 20th century domestic life; many objects can be handled by students. A smaller collection of inventions is displayed to complement the historic poster collection donated by former Baton Rouge school teacher Odell S. Williams. The posters and the artifacts together are used to illustrate the museum tour about African American achievements. The annual celebration of Juneteenth is interpreted for students with posters, images and oral history accounts. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom from slavery in the United States since June 19, 1865 when many slaves in Texas learned they had been freed. To this day, many Americans commemorate this landmark date in American history. The museum actively works to promote Juneteenth.
How Do We Get There?
From I-110 take Government St. Exit west towards River Center (Formerly Centroplex). Travel approximately 1.5 miles, turn left on St. Ferdinand St. and travel approximately six blocks. Turn left on South Blvd. at the first traffic light. The museum is at the end of the first block on the right.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This museum experience is indoors. The site is climate-controlled.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standard
K-4th grades: G-1B-E2; G-1C-E3,4; C-1D-E2; H-1A-E1-3; H-1C-E3,4; VA-AP-E1-4,6; VA-HP-E4
5-8th grades: C-1C-M4; C-1D-M2; H-1A-M1-4; H-1B-M15, 18; VA-AP-M2,6; VA-HP-M2
9-12th grades: G-1B-H5; G-1C-H5; C-1D-H2; H-1A-H1-3; H-1B-H5; VA-HP-H1,2; VA-AP-H2,6

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers can call the museum and request a list of African American inventors. This can be faxed or made ready for pick up at the museum for teachers. Also, the museum staff suggests teachers check out the web site Blackfacts.com for more information to prepare for a trip to this African American history museum.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
After a field trip teachers can discuss with museum staff those topics that were of most classroom interest to the group. The museum staff can assist teachers in locating supplemental materials. Check out the website www.Juneteenth.com for history background and contemporary celebrations of Juneteenth.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
African American history, regional history, Juneteenth, folk art, rural lifeways

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Old Arsenal  Museum                                                                                    Subject: History
Secretary of State
PO Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125

Located at:          Capitol Lake Drive
State Capitol Grounds
Baton Rouge, LA 70804

General Telephone Number: (225) 342-0401 or (225) 922-1000
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 342-0401

Website Address: www.sos.louisiana.gov/museums

Email Address: arsenal@sos.louisiana.gov

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00am- 4:00pm; $1.00 Adults, Seniors and Children under 6 years old Free. Students free. Chaperones of organized groups free.

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00am- 4:00pm; Free

Student to Chaperone Ratio Suggested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Reservations are not required, but a week’s advance notice is recommended.

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 35 at any given time. Larger groups will be split up and admitted successively.

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 30 - 45 minutes per single tour

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: 3rd – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Fast food and full service restaurants are nearby.

Gift Shop: No

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Standing on the grounds of the new State Capitol building is the historic Arsenal Powder Magazine Museum. This 1836 arsenal building was re-opened as a history museum in the 1960s and was refurbished in the early 1990s with exhibits reflecting Baton Rouge’s military history with interactive exhibits and a host of stories that range from the 1700s to the present. This site holds historical traces of famous Americans including President Zachary Taylor, who served as commander of the Baton Rouge post, and leading generals including Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, George McClellan, George A. Custer, and P.G.T. Beauregard. The site is one of four original arsenals and one of two remaining structures from the original garrison. The first powder magazine was built by the British around 1763, which was later held by the Spanish. The flag of the short lived Republic of West Florida (1810) flew from this site. Shortly after, the United States absorbed the territory and expanded the garrison. Civil War soldiers passed through the present arsenal leaving behind the still visible graffiti done by occupying Federal troops. LSU moved to the site in 1886 and left for the larger Baton Rouge campus in 1925.

What Can We See and Do There?
The Arsenal Powder Magazine Museum now stands on the manicured grounds of the State Capitol in downtown Baton Rouge. The imposing 19th century powder magazine is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site was of particular military importance because of its location on the Mississippi River for early settlements and later as the main defensive position of the southwestern United States. Visitors are welcomed by the museum staff who gives a brief orientation to the exhibits and an overview of the history of the arsenal. Students and their teachers are then free to explore the exhibits. Two hands-on puzzles involve students in discussing the original layout of the 11-building garrison and the present day State Capitol grounds, which were built over the original military complex. Cases with models of military structures and seafaring transport are enhanced with historical images and artifacts. Images and reproductions are used to tell the history of the 19th century United States southwestern forts. The arsenal building itself is a fascinating artifact built with 54-inch thick walls to contain potential explosions and the deep charcoal-filled basement that was designed to absorb moisture to keep gunpowder dry. The United States military located the  powder magazine a far and safe distance from the Pentagon Barracks.

How Do We Get There?
From I-110 north, take Convention St. Exit 1-B and go west to River Road. Turn right and proceed to State Capitol Grounds. Follow signs to Arsenal Museum.
From I-110 south, take the Capitol Access Rd. Exit 1-E (Governor’s Mansion and Dept. of Transportation) and travel west to Capitol Lake Dr. Follow signs to Arsenal Museum.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This field trip takes place in an indoor climate-controlled museum.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K – 4th grades: ELA-4-E6; C-1C-1E; H-1A-E1,2,3
5th – 8th grades: C-1B-M2; H-1A-M1,2,3; H-1B-M9,12
9th – 12th grades: H-1A-H1,2,3; H-1B-H2,4,5; H-1C-H9,10

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Visit the museum’s web site, www.sos.louisiana.gov/museums and take the brief virtual tour. Read about the historical military figures who visited or worked at this arsenal powder magazine.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
After your visit to the old arsenal take a short walk and see the original Pentagon Barracks which were at one time part of the same 19th century military garrison. Read the in-depth November 25, 2002 newspaper article about the arsenal’s history at www.2theadvocate.com.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, American history, Baton Rouge history

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Old Governor’s Mansion                                                                              Subject: History
P.O. Box 908
Baton Rouge, LA 70821

Located at:          502 North Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

General Telephone Number: (225) 387-2464
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 387-2464 ext. 11
FAX Number: (225) 343-3989

Website Address: www.fhl.org

Email Address: FHLA@bellsouth.net

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Friday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; $6.00 Adults, $5.00 Seniors, $4.00 Students K- 12th, Free for Children under 5 years old

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Friday 10:00am – 4:00pm; $1.00 Students, Free for required Chaperones, $4.00 Additional adults

Student to Chaperone Ratio Required: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks

Advance deposit required $25.00

Number of Students per Hour: Up to 50

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One hour

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: 4th – 12th

Lunch Facilities: There is an on-site picnic area and fast food is nearby.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Louisiana’s Old Governor’s Mansion is a Georgian-style building designed by the New Orleans architectural firm of Weiss, Drefous, and Seiferth, who also designed the current State Capitol. The mansion was constructed by the inimitable Huey P. Long in 1930. The mansion is the second executive home to occupy this site, replacing the antebellum home that had served as the official residence of Louisiana governors from 1887 until 1929, when it was demolished on orders from Governor Long. Long’s aspirations to be President of the United States are reflected in the façade and design of this mansion, affectionately once referred to as “Louisiana’s White House.”  This landmark building served as the official residence of nine Louisiana governors: Huey P. Long, Alvin O. King, O.K. Allen, James A. Noe, Richard W. Leche, Earl K. Long, Sam H. Jones, Robert F. Kennon, and James H. “Jimmie” Davis.  Today, after a complete historical restoration, the Old Governor’s Mansion is a museum and also serves as the offices of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana.

What Can We See and Do There?
The interior of the building has been restored to its original glory based on historical photographs and first hand accounts of the day. Come waltz across the elegant terrazzo floors in the grand East Ballroom or creep up the secret staircase that governors like Huey P. Long might have used to move through the house unseen. As students tour the mansion, they will come across such personal effects as Huey P. Long’s graduation cap and gown, the “Kingfish’s” famous boater hat, and walking stick that he used to tap legislators during sessions in the Capitol. The mansion’s collection includes Jimmie Davis’s leather saddle that he used to ride his horse, “Sunshine,” and gold records that were awarded the singing governor for his rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” and “Supper Time.”  Tour guides tell about the lives of the legendary men who occupied the Old Governor’s Mansion.  The stories of the First Ladies and their children are woven into the interpretation of this house museum. Formal fountains, a rose garden, and lovely grounds complement this National Register building.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 to I-110 north exit at Government. Turn left on Government St. and travel to Front St. Turn right on Front St. and go one block then turn on North Blvd. Travel past four traffic lights, the museum will be on the right.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This field trip is primarily indoors.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1B-E1, 3-4; C-1A-E1, 4-5; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1-4
5th-8th grades: C-1A-M3, 4-5; H-1A-M1-6; H-1D-M1-2, 6
9th-12th grades: C-1A-H2, 4; G-1B-H1, 4; H-1A-H1-6

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers can request copies of the site’s publication, About Baton Rouge, the Capital City. This 12-page booklet for grades 4 – 6 contains cheerful puzzles and brainteasers for younger students. Teachers for older students may request a detailed description of the historic rooms. Teachers can also check out the website for historical background information and views of the historic mansion.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Younger students may enjoy working on their booklets sent from the mansion. Older students may want to follow up their tour of this historic governor’s mansion with a visit to the new State Capitol that Huey P. Long was also responsible for building. Students can visit the Old State Capitol museum to view the exhibit on Louisiana’s Governors. Back at school kids can visit the State Archives’ website to look for images of the governors and their families who once resided in this North Blvd. residence.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, architecture, historic preservation, government

Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center                                                          Subject: History
315 N. Main St.
Opelousas, LA 70570-6201

General Telephone Number: (337) 948-2589
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (337) 948-2589
FAX Number: (337) 948-2592

Website Address: www.cityofopelousas.com

Email Address: musdir@hotmail.com

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Saturday, 9:00am – 5:00pm; Free
Donations accepted

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Friday, 9:00am – 4:00pm, Saturday 10:00am – 3:00pm; Free

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 75

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 45 minutes

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Fast food can be purchased nearby.
Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Opelousas is the seat of government in St. Landry Parish. In St. Landry Parish, musicians call their accordions “squeeze boxes” and play raspy rhythms on their washboards called “frottoir.” Welcome to the birthplace of Zydeco!  The Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center is the repository for the Zydeco Archives Program started in 1996. The archives contain audio and video live-taped recordings, interviews, print media, photographs, and artifacts from the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival, now known as the world’s largest Zydeco Music Festival. The museum’s main exhibit room chronicles the pre-history and history of the people of Opelousas. Starting with exhibits about Paleo-Indians the displays feature the settlement and cultural growth of the area and continues to current times in the Hall of Fame.

What Can We See and Do There?
The intimate setting of the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center encourages young students to focus on the varied displays. Tour guides lead students through the ancient history of Southwest Louisiana, through European settlement, and through the Civil War. Students learn how Opelousas played an important role during the War Between the States as the capital city of Louisiana after Baton Rouge fell to Federal Troops. A recreated barber shop and 19th century domestic artifacts show students how much life has changed over the past two centuries. The hallmark of Opelousas is Zydeco, and it is one of the featured cultural highlights at the museum.  French songs filled with sad stories keep fans two-stepping and waltzing. “Oh mon, les haricots (Zydeco) sont pas sale,” is a cry to chase the blues away, telling of times so hard there was no salt to pour over the snap beans. “Send salt, dear Lord, or send another ‘LaLa’ to dance these bitter blues away.”

How Do We Get There?
From I-10, exit I-49 north to Junction Hwy. 190 west. Turn right at the third traffic light, Union St., and turn left on Littell St. The museum is on one block down on Main St.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This museum provides an entirely indoor experience that is climate controlled.

What Can We Visit Nearby? Le Vieux Village; Tony Chachere’s Seasoning Mix Plant; Opelousas Welcome Center with the Jim Bowie Display; Fireman’s Museum

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1B-E1-4; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1-4
5th-8th grades: G-1B-M2-4; H-1A-M1-6; H-1B-M1-3, 5, 9-13; H-1D-M1, 3-4, 6
9th-12th grades: G-1B-H-1-4; H-1A-H1-6; H-1B-H1-2, 3-5

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Visit the Zydeco Photo Gallery at www.zydeco.org/archives/html. Then turn on the Zydeco radio station or play some music in class. Listen for the varied instruments. Studying history? Look at a map of Louisiana and locate all the places that have been our capital city.  Why do you think Opelousas was selected during the Civil War?

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
It’s music making time. Young students will enjoy thimbles and a washboard to keep the beat to Zydeco music. Don’t stop there! It’s time to learn some two-step dances. Great illustrated instructions are at www.tabasco.com . Teachers can request a museum staff member to bring an artifact-filled trunk to their classrooms.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, Zydeco music, Louisiana cultural heritage

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Opelousas Museum of Art                                                                                           Subject: Art
106 North Union St.
Opelousas, LA 70570

General Telephone Number: (337) 942-4991
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (337) 942-4991
FAX Number: (337) 942-4930

Website Address: www.cityofopelousas.com/tourism

Email Address: omamuseum@aol.com

General Public Hours and Suggested donations: Tuesday – Friday 1:00pm – 5:00pm, Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm; $3.00 Adults, $1.50 Students

School Tour Hours and Suggested donations: Tuesday –Saturday, 9:00am – noon and 1:00pm – 5:00pm; $3.00 Teachers and Chaperones, $1.00 Students

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two days

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 50

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 45 minutes

Handicapped Accessible: First floor only

Grade Level Appropriate: 1st – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Two nearby parks for picnics are close to the museum.
Gift Shop: No

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
The Opelousas Museum of Art is housed in the historic Wier House, which dates back to 1820. This unusual Federal-style townhouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.  Located on the edge of downtown Opelousas, the Opelousas Museum of Art fills the two-story brick structure with continually changing fine art exhibits. The home, now known as the Joseph Richard Wier Memorial Building, was restored to original 19th century form with a large central hallway and two large rooms on each floor. Today, these rooms are generous exhibit galleries open to the public who may leisurely visit and view the art on display. Exhibits change two or three times a year and feature such nationally known artists as Norman Rockwell and famous Louisiana artists as George Rodrique. Opelousas is located in St. Landry Parish just north of Lafayette between Lafayette and Alexandria near the Atchafalaya River.

What Can We See and Do There?
The mission of the Opelousas Museum of Art is to provide the south central Louisiana community and visitors to Opelousas with outstanding fine arts exhibitions.  The Opelousas Museum of Art exhibits both fine art and folk art by Louisiana artists. The museum also showcases art exhibitions loaned by major museums, and private collections and hosts traveling art exhibitions from across the nation. The museum offers public lectures and demonstrations that enhance and interpret current exhibits. The museum provides community art education programs that reach out to area students.  Teachers should inquire about the planned art exhibits for the months they hope to visit the Opelousas Museum of Art and then request a guided tour for their students. Museum staff will prepare discussion questions and art activities for student groups with advance reservations.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10, exit I-49 north to Junction Hwy. 190 west which becomes W. Landry St. in Opelousas. 

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This museum experience is entirely indoors in a climate controlled environment.

What Can We Visit Nearby? Le Vieux Village; Tony Chachere’s Seasoning Mix Plant; Opelousas Welcome Center

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: AP-2VA-E1-5;HP-3VA-E1-5; CA-4VA-E1-5
5th-8th grades: AP-2VA-M2-5; HP-3VA-M1-5; CA-4VA-M1-5
9th-12th grades: AP-2VA-H2-5; HP-3VA-H1-5; CA-4VA-H1-5

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
The museum staff recommends teachers call in advance to discuss the museum’s exhibition schedule during the field trip time period. The museum staff will help teachers select a tour date and will send a description of the type of art work that will be featured. Teachers can ask museum staff for a free CD with digital images of the artwork on view to review back in class.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Fine art is not only in major museums; it is also exhibited and enjoyed by smaller cities and communities. Discuss three classical categories of fine art with students: painting, sculpture, and architecture. At the OMA, students will experience a visit to a significant historic building and will view other examples of fine art.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Fine art, architecture

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Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum                    Subject: Art
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
PO Box 42571
Lafayette LA 70504

Located at:          University of Louisiana at Lafayette
710 East Saint Mary Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70503

General Telephone Number: (337) 482-2ART or (337) 482-2278
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (337) 482-1369 or (337) 482-0817
FAX Number: (337) 262-1268

Website Address: www.louisiana.edu/UAM

Email Address: mtullos@louisiana.edu

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm; $5.00 Adults, $4.00 Seniors, $3.00 Students 5 – 17 years old

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm; $4.00 Adults, $3.00 Seniors, $2.00 Students 6 – 18 years old

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Three weeks

Advance deposit requested two weeks prior to visit

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 90

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 90 minutes

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: 4th – 12th

Lunch Facilities: A public park is adjacent to the museum for out-door picnics and fast food and restaurants are within short driving distance.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Rising steel, glass, and stone walls and a showering waterfall sculpture first greet visitors to the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The contemporary building sits on an expansive green behind the A. Hays Town building, a 1967 replica of the Hermitage, which is fully reflected in the University Art Museum’s exterior glass wall. The museum entrance is lined with a 7,000 square foot plaza paved with limestone. Nestled within the more traditional university campus buildings the Hilliard University Museum of Art is a fresh and inviting museum filled with changing art exhibitions. The museum is committed to fostering art appreciation and representing cultures from around the world and through the ages. The two first-floor galleries feature large changing exhibits with works by leading artists and schools including Picasso, Rauschenberg, Newcomb potters, Art Nouveau silversmiths, and national and regional artists. The first floor also has a smaller gallery for group presentations and discussions. The second story holds a bookstore, exhibit space, and gathering areas for conversations and reflection. 

What Can We See and Do There?
When students enter the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette they enter into a state-of-the-art museum, a place for learning and a respite from the clutter of our everyday world. The museum hosts major national and international art exhibits. Teachers can opt to self guide their classes or teachers may choose guided tours for their class visit. School groups are welcomed into the expansive museum foyer by a museum greeter who describes the museum building and the current exhibits to the group. Trained docents take students through the pre-selected art exhibitions explaining the history of the artists and the significance of the works on display. The museum uses all 11,000 square feet of gallery space and most of the space is filled with art that will be on view for three to six months. The museum holds a vast permanent collection that includes paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, and photographs. The collection represents work from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries from Louisiana, the United States, Europe and Japan. On permanent display is a collection of chairs by distinguished international designers including Mies Van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer, Isamu Noguchi and Frank Gehry.

How Do We Get There?
On Interstate 10, take exit 101 (University of Louisiana at Lafayette exit). Turn south onto University Avenue and continue for approximately 3.5 miles, then turn right on Taft. Continue to intersection with East St. Mary Blvd. Drive straight through intersection and take first left into the museum’s parking lot.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This field trip is indoors.

What Can We Visit Nearby?
Acadiana Center for the Arts (337) 233-7060

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: VA-AP-E1-6; VA-HP-E1,3,5: VA-CA-E1-5
5th-8th grades: VA-AP-M1-6; VA-HP-M1,2,3,5,6; VA-CA-M1-5
9th-12th grades: VA-AP-H1-6; VA-HP-H1-6; VA-CA-H1-5

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Visit the art museum’s website for background information. A schedule of current and upcoming exhibits can be found on the website (www.louisiana.edu/uam).

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Teachers may ask museum staff to pull together post-visit materials to take back to the classroom.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Fine art, visual arts, painting, sculpture, prints, drawings, mixed media; local, regional, national, and international art

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Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site                                                        Subject: History
57730 Main St.
Plaquemine, LA 70764

General Telephone Number: (877) 987-7158
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 687-7158 or (877) 987-7158
FAX Number: (225) 687-8933

Website Address: www.lastateparks.com

Email Address: plaqlock_int@crt.state.la.us

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $2.00 Adults, Free Seniors and Children 12 years old and under

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; Free for Students, Teachers, and Chaperones

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 60 for Regular Tours; Up to 400 for Special Program days

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One hour

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: K -12th

Lunch Facilities: Picnic space is available on-site. Fast food and full service restaurants are in close driving distance.

Gift Shop: No

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site tells the story of the rich commercial and maritime history of Bayou Plaquemine Lock. Its 52 years of service, 1909-1961, were punctuated with diverse events, ranging from the exportation of Louisiana’s great cypress and oil reserves to the provision of secure connection to the gulf’s Intercoastal Waterway.  This man-made inland route assured safe maritime transport throughout World War II. Two original structures remain on-site and are listed with the National Register of Historic Places. Bayou Plaquemine Lock, a 260–foot concrete edifice capped with 55-foot steel gates, allowed for regular commerce between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atchafalaya Basin, and the Mississippi River. The Lock House, constructed of cypress timber and white glazed brick, originally sheltered the machinery necessary for operations of the locks.

What Can We See and Do There?
An exhibit of historic images of Plaquemine Lock and displays about the settlement and commerce of the Atchafalaya Basin are presented throughout the Lock House. A working model demonstrates a barge’s passage through Plaquemine Lock highlighting other historic attractions in the surrounding city. The exhibit Louisiana’s Disappearing Coast shows how much of the coastline has been lost, what caused the losses, and what is being done to restore the coastline. Traditional Louisiana water crafts are also housed on-site in an exhibit dedicated to preserving the unique maritime heritage of Southern Louisiana and the Atchafalaya Basin. Other exhibits include Louisiana Waterways, Historic Boats of the Bayou, Music of the River, and Nautical Stargazing. When scheduling this field trip, teachers should inquire about any special programs that may be included with the regular tour. Teachers may also ask site staff to show a 12-minute video which chronicles the construction, operation, and inevitable closure of Plaquemine Lock.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 west, take LA 1 south/Plaquemine exit. Travel 11 miles south. The site is in downtown Plaquemine, across from the Iberville Museum and the St. John the Evangelist Church.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Call to confirm rainy day plans.

What can we visit nearby? Iberville Museum (225-687-7197); St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (225-687-3056)

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1A-E1-2; E-1B-E1, 3-4; G-IC-E1-2, 5; G-1D-E1-4; E-1A-E1, 6, 8,; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E2; H-1C-E1, 3-4
5th-8th grades: G-1A-M1-3; G-1B-M1-4; G-1C-M1, 6; H-1D-M1-4; E-1A-M2, 9; E-1B-M7; H-1A-M1-6; H-1D-M1, 4-6
9th-12th grades: G-1A-H1-2; G-1B-H1-2, 4; G-1C-H1-2, 4; G-1C-H1-2, 5; E-1A-H8; E-1B-H6; H-1A-H1-6

What Can We Do in Class before Our field Trip?
Teachers may request a copy of Bayou Plaquemine Lock or download it from the National Park Service at www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/ . In class discuss the geography of Louisiana highlighting waterways and major navigational routes. Have students locate Iberville Parish and finger-trace possible water routes out to the Gulf of Mexico. Teachers will receive by mail a packet of information that will include program descriptions upon making field trip reservations.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Size and scale have new meaning to students after walking through the visitors’ complex at the Plaquemine Lock. Hold class in the school yard or in the gym. Using yardsticks, have students measure out 55 feet and then add 260 feet, the dimensions of the lock edifice and steel gates. This is the total height of the lock. Turn to world maps and have students find other historic lock systems. Ask them to locate the locks on the Tennessee River and the Panama Canal. Teachers can request site staff to visit their classrooms for presentations on Louisiana’s waterways, historic boats of the bayou, and Louisiana’s disappearing coastline.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, geography, transportation; economics
Port Allen Lock                                                                                 Subject: Industry,             P.O. Box 499                                                                                                      Science/Nature
Port Allen, LA 70767

Located at:          2101 Ernest Wilson Drive
Port Allen, LA 70767

General Telephone Number: (225) 343-3752
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 343-3752
FAX Number: (225) 336-1034

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday, 7:00am – 5:30pm; Free

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday, 7:00am – 5:30pm; Free; Reservations needed for weekend visits

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 15:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week

Number of Students per Visit: 100+

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 60-90 minutes

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: 3rd – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Picnic grounds are on-site and fast food restaurants are in the area.

Gift Shop: No

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Traveling the mighty Mississippi River! The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers welcomes students to visit the Port Allen Lock on the west bank of the Mississippi River just across the bridge from Baton Rouge. The Port Allen Lock was opened to navigation in 1961 and enables vessel and barge traffic to and from the Mississippi River and the Morgan City-to-Port Allen route of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. This waterway connects Florida to Texas. The Port Allen Lock also helps to prevent and control flooding and pollution in the waterway. The 84-feet high concrete structure is 1,202- feet long.  The lock moves ships, large and small, by lowering or lifting crafts up to 45-feet to connecting waterways. Lock operation for navigation consists of equalizing the water level in the lock chamber with either the river or canal stage enabling the vessel to sail up or down the river or canal safely.

What Can We See and Do There?
Student groups are greeted by the Lock Master, who briefly describes how the Port Allen Lock operates. Lock personnel escort students to the observation area to watch the mammoth operation engage in transferring ships and boats from either the Mississippi River or the canal through the lock. The Lock Operator narrates the mechanical process of vessels floating into the lock chamber, the opening and closing of the gates, and the surging water either filling or emptying the lock to either raise or lower the vessel safely.  The gates reopen and allow the vessel to continue its journey. With advance planning, students can visit the Control House where the Lock Operator works. The Lock Operator can blow the warning horn and work the gate controls from this station. The site provides additional Lock personnel for larger groups who can answer mechanical, navigation, wildlife, and conservation questions.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 Mississippi River Bridge take the Plaquemine Exit which will split into a Plaquemine and Port of Baton Rouge exits. Take Port/Lock Exit on the right on LA Hwy. 1 south. Travel down the service road to the Intracoastal Bridge. The site is to the left. The four brick columns on the right mark the site’s entrance. Use the call box at the entrance to gain access.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This field trip is outdoors. In case of inclement weather, plan on rescheduling visits.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: SI-E-A1, B1; PS-E-B1, C6; ESS-E-A2; SE-E-A1, 3, 5; G-1B-E2; E-1A-E6
5th-8th grades: SI-M-A1, B1; PS-M-C1; SE-M-A1-4, 8, 10, G-1B-M3; E-1B-M2
9th–12th grades: SI-H-A1; PS-H-E1, F1; SE-H-A1, 3-4; S-H-C1-5; SE-H-D1; G-1B-H1, 5; G-1C-H1; E-1A-H2

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Call ahead for the history and fact sheet about the Port Allen Locks. The site will provide a fact sheet by request. Check out the Port Allen Lock website for additional information. Look at the following website for an animated presentation of lock operations. www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/ and click on Locks and Dams.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Nearly 50% of all American markets are accessible through the Mississippi Inland Waterway System. Check out the Port of Greater Baton Rouge at www.portgbr.com/  or www.riverroads.com and click on Locks, Dams and Barges.
Think about the animals and aquatic science of the Mississippi River with information found at www.biology.usgov/s+t/SNT/noframe/ms137.htm .

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Mississippi River, locks, geography, aquatic science, transportation, economics, mechanics, conservation, flood control, Intracoastal Waterway System

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Port Hudson State Historic Site                                                 Subject: History
236 Hwy 61
Jackson, LA 70748

Located at:          US Hwy. 61
Zachary, LA 70791

General Telephone Number: (225) 654-3775
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 654-3775
FAX Number: (225) 654-4413

Website Address: www.lastateparks.com

Email Address: porthudson@crt.state.la.us

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $2.00 General Admission, Free Seniors and Children 12 years old and under

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:15am – 3:00pm; Free

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 100

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: Two hours

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: 4th – 12th
Lunch Facilities: There is a picnic area on-site and fast food is nearby in Zachary.

Gift Shop: No

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Walking along the six miles of trails at Port Hudson State Historic Site, students will be walking the same grounds that were the site of the longest siege in American military history. When New Orleans fell to Federal troops in 1862, Confederate control of the Mississippi River was in jeopardy. The bluffs near the small town of Port Hudson were a good place to build a fort to protect the river. Confederate soldiers constructed a series of batteries along the bluffs and erected a four-and-a-half mile line of earthworks.  For 48-days in 1863, Confederate troops defended this fort on top of the bluffs. Federal Troops including the First and Third Louisiana Native Guards, which were two African-American regiments, attacked the fortified Confederate position. Federal soldiers pummeled the Southerners with cannon shot and rifle fire. Finally, five days after the Confederates were defeated in Vicksburg, Port Hudson surrendered to the Union. With these two victories, the North could finally claim undisputed control of the Mississippi River.

What Can We See and Do There?
The six mile trail system winds through a lush upland hardwood forest that once was the northern section of Port Hudson’s historic Civil War battlefield. Trail signs along the path relate information about the battle. Guided tours and demonstrations are offered by costumed interpreters. Students may witness firearms and period crafts demonstrations. The historic site includes a research library, cannon display, and a picnic area.  In the modern Interpretive Center a 15-minute audio/visual presentation tells visitors the story of the siege of Port Hudson and displays letters, diaries, historic photographs, paintings, weapons, and related artifacts about the Civil War. Three viewing towers offer visitors vistas of the battlefields and historic earthworks. Student tours include a walk through the outdoor cannon display.

How Do We Get There?
From I-110 take U.S. Hwy. 61 north for 14 miles towards St. Francisville. The park’s entrance is on the left.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
During inclement weather, students enjoy an indoor guided tour and demonstrations.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1A-E1-3; G-1B-E1-4; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E2; H-1C-E1-4
5th-8th grades: G-1A-M1-3; G-1B-M2-4; H-1A-M1-6; H-1B-H1-10-13; H-1DM1-6
9th-12th grades: G-1A-H1-2; G-1B-H1-2, 4; H-1A-H1-6; H-1B-H5

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Check out these two interesting websites: www.cr.nps.gov/twhp and www.crt.state.la.us . Ask students to finger trace the Mississippi River, highlighting the river route through Louisiana. Find Port Hudson on the map. In class read Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage. The book will give students an intimate look at the harsh life of Civil War Soldiers. Teachers can ask the site to send a study guide about the Port Hudson battlefield.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
How long is 48 days? Keep a class calendar and mark off each day from the first day to the 48th day after the field trip to Port Hudson. Pitch a tent in the school yard using the dimensions and style demonstrated at Port Hudson. Let the kids do the work before letting them try it out, with two people per turn. Ask students to write a descriptive paragraph about their impressions of Port Hudson. Encourage them to think of the emotions – courage, fear, patriotism, loyalty, etc. – that soldiers must have experienced during the siege at Port Hudson. Teachers can arrange for a park ranger to visit their classrooms to make presentations about the Civil War.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, American history, African American history, geography

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Rig Museum                                                                                                       Subject: Industry, History
P.O. Box 1988
Morgan City, LA 70381

Located at:          111 First St.
Morgan City, LA 70380

General Telephone Number: (985) 384-3744
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (985) 384-3744
FAX Number: (985) 384-3047

Website Address: www.rigmuseum.com

Email Address: rigmuseum@petronet.net

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Office hours Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm, Saturday, 9:30am – 3:30pm; Tour times are 10:00am and 2:00pm; $5.00 Adults, $4.00 Seniors, $3.50 Students 5 – 12 years old

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Saturday, Any time with advance reservations; $3.00 per person

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 8:1

Advanced Time Needed to Make Reservations: One day

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 100

Length of Time for Visit: 90 minutes

Handicapped Accessible: No

Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th 

Lunch Facilities: An on-site mess hall and the Drilling Rig Galley, with catering, are available. Fast food is nearby.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
The first offshore oil well, drilled in 1947, was off the coast of Morgan City, Louisiana. The oil field was no longer bound to land-based operations. Today, the International Petroleum Museum and Exposition, locally known as the Rig Museum, resides there. The historic prototype for transportable offshore drilling rigs, a submersible drilling barge fondly called “Mr. Charlie,” drilled its first well in 1954 for Shell Oil. The legendary drilling rig stands on the banks of the Atchafalaya River as the centerpiece of the Rig Museum. Mr. Charlie served the industry well, drilling almost continually until 1986. Today, Mr. Charlie is still a vital part of the industry. It is used to educate the public about the technology and history of the world’s largest industry. This is the place to see, hear, and feel the sensations of offshore life.  According to museum personnel, it is “the only place in the world” where the general public can walk aboard an authentic offshore drilling rig.

What Can We See and Do There?
The Rig Museum teaches and preserves artifacts and information about the offshore petroleum industry. A visit aboard “Mr. Charlie,” a retired rig, gives visitors the chance to experience the real oilfield. The story students learn is from the viewpoint of the “riggers,” the men and women who work on oil rigs. The hardships, heroism, work, and the technology are told on the tour as it travels to all portions of the rig. There are plenty of hands-on opportunities aboard the drilling rig. Tour guides give demonstrations and invite students to touch and hold drill bits, barite, and other offshore equipment and supplies. If your visit is timed well, your students witness offshore rigger training, view active galley and living quarters, and watch offshore workers handle pipe, operate the crane, and ride the personnel basket. The active waterway is also part of the “exhibit.” The Rig Museum’s Visitor Center is in town on Front St. where additional history exhibits and a souvenir shop are located.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10, take LA 1 south to LA 70 south through Belle River to Morgan City.  In Morgan City turn right on Fig St., then left on Sixth St. Take a right on Onstead St. and then turn left on Federal Ave. Cross the railroad tracks, go one block, and turn right on Barrow St. Travel three blocks and turn left on First St. then veer right and go over the levee. Veer right again. Parking for the museum is on the left just ahead.
From Hwy. 90 east take the Federal Ave exit. Turn right then turn left on Federal Ave. Cross the railroad tracks. Turn right on Barrow St. Travel three blocks and turn left on First St. then veer right and go over the levee. Veer right again. Parking for the museum is on the left just ahead.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Tour guides shorten the outside portion of the tour and lengthen the inside portion of the tour.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: SI-E-A1, 7; SE-E-A3, 5; G-1A-E1-3; G-1B-E1, 3-4; E-1B-E5; H-1C-E1
5th-8th grades: SI-M-A1, 8; SE-M-A3-4, 6-8; G-1A-M1, 3-4; G-1D-M2-4; E-1A-M1-3, 9; E-1B-M7; H-1D-M4-5
9th-12th grades: SI-H-A1; SE-H-A1, 3-6; SE-H- B1-6; SE-H-C1-5; SE-H-D3-6; G-1A-H1-2; G-1C-H1, 5; E-1A-H1-2; E-1B-H6

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers can call or write for copies of an informative booklet about oil and gas production and environmental protection in the Gulf of Mexico called, The Living Gulf: A Place to Treasure and other museum literature including historical and technological background of Louisiana’s oil industry.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Teachers can call or write for a copy of the 30- minute video, The Promise and the Reward: Fifty Years Offshore. Ask for a copy of the booklet, Mr. Charlie, that has drawings of all the levels of the rig. Check out this site’s website for even more background information and a pictorial history of the Cajun Coast’s industrial history.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana’s natural resources, Gulf of Mexico, history of and current methods of oil and gas drilling and production, industrial technology, transportation, industrial job training, environmental protection

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River Road African American Museum and Gallery                          Subject: History, Art
P.O. Box 266
Donaldsonville, LA 70346

Located at:          406 Charles St.
Donaldsonville, LA 70346

General Telephone Number: (225) 474-5553
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 474-5553 or on website
FAX Number: (225) 474-5553

Website Address: www.africanamericanmuseum.org. Book a tour here also.

Email Address: aamuseum@bellsouth.net

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm; Sunday, 1:00pm – 5:00pm; $4.00 per person suggested donation

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Wednesday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; $4.00 per person; Group discounts available

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 15:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 100 per visit; must divide into groups of 25. Storyteller available for additional $50.00 fee.

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 30 – 45 minutes per group of 25

Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Grade Level Appropriate: 3rd – 12th  or above

Lunch Facilities: Fast food and full-service restaurants are blocks away. Local folk artist Alvin Batiste paints in gallery across the street. [**JULIE: THE SITE ADDED THIS LAST SENTENCE HERE. DOES IT BELONG IN THIS SECTION?]

Gift Shop: Museum book for sale onsite: Our Roots Run Deep $39.95.

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
The River Road African American Museum and Gallery is dedicated to collecting and teaching through artifacts positive information about the history and culture of African Americans. This museum is an official member of the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Students learn about various routes to freedom of enslaved people in south Louisiana. The enslaved African people who worked on plantations dealt with slavery with a strong sense of traditions.  The traditions have been passed down by generations through religion, art, music, dance, storytelling, cooking, and crafts.  Artwork in the museum shows these connections. Paintings and crafts by today’s local folk artists provide colorful reminders to the past. Most of the objects on exhibit are from families throughout Ascension and surrounding parishes.

What Can We See and Do There?
Ascension Parish was once the location of the largest sugar cane plantations in the South. The story of African American contributions to the economy and culture is being preserved at the River Road African American Museum and Gallery. The museum quotes this African proverb, “Until the lion writes his own story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”  This thought provoking statement helps to begin the tour. Guided tours highlight the historical and cultural artifacts that fill the galleries and attest to the story of enslaved African Americans from the beginning of the 18th century to emancipation. The tour continues tracking the history and creative spirit of their descendants who made contributions to the heritage of today’s generation. The changing art exhibits and temporary history exhibits coordinate with the seasons. An interactive animated kiosk recalls Freedom Stories for visitors. For a fee the museum will arrange for a local story teller to make presentations to school groups while at the museum.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 east take Exit 182 Donaldsonville/Sorrento. Turn right and travel to Hwy. 70 and turn left. Cross the Sunshine Bridge. Stay in the right lane to enter Donaldsonville. Turn right at the first traffic light on Railroad Ave. Travel two blocks and turn right on Charles St. The museum is in a Creole style house on the right.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
The museum tour is indoors.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: H-1A-E1-2; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1, 3-4
5th-8th grades: H-1A-M1-3, 5, 14-18; H-1B-M3, 10-13; H-1D-M1-6
9th-12th grades: H-1A-H1-4, 6; H-1B-H6-7; 9-16; G-1B-H1-4; G-1C-H6

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers can check out the museum’s website. There they will find a scavenger hunt and a curriculum guide for discussing Louisiana’s Underground Railroad. Teachers can call or email requests to obtain a copy of the museum’s curriculum guide for middle grade students. Students can locate the continents on a globe or world map and highlight Africa. Then show students slave ship routes from the west coast of Africa across the Atlantic Ocean through the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico. Students can visit underground railroad site on the web. Students can use Louisiana maps to find the parishes between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Check out www.awesomelibrary.org for resource lists and links about African American history. Look and listen to WPA slave narratives on www.newdeal.org/asn/ to find “Been Here So Long.” Museum staff is prepared to come to classroom to make presentations on  Louisiana’s Underground Railroad, Black Inventors from Louisiana, and Louisiana’s rural foodways and traditions. The museum can help arrange for local story tellers to make visits to schools.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, African American history, folk life, folk art, research skills, geography exercises

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Shadows-on-the-Teche                                                                                Subject: History
317 East Main St.
New Iberia, LA 70560

General Telephone Number: (337) 369-6446
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (337) 369-6446
FAX Number: (337) 365-5213

Website Address: www.shadowsontheteche.org

Email Address: shadows@shadowsontheteche.org

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $7.00 Adults, $6.25 Seniors, $4.00 Children

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $5.25 Students 12 and older, $3.00 Students 11-years old and younger

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 125

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 90 minutes

Handicapped Accessible: First floor of historic house and the visitor center are accessible.

Grade Level Appropriate: K - 12th

Lunch Facilities: Students can picnic at City Park, which is within one mile of the site. Fast food is available within 1.5 miles of the site.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
A property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Shadows-on-the-Teche is a meticulously preserved planter’s home, circa 1834, sitting in what has become New Iberia’s historic district. The Shadows was the city-home of the Weeks family, who grew sugar cane in fields nearly 20 miles away, on Weeks Island. This three-story antebellum home overlooks Bayou Teche and was home to four generations of a family who treasured the furnishings, textiles, clothing, paintings, books, and toys that are still in the house. A rich collection of 17,000 family letters, photographs, and receipts, once kept in trunks in the attic, provides one of the best documented tours in the country today. The visitor center features exhibits and a 13-minute orientation film for visitors.

What Can We See and Do There?
Nearly a century after sugar cane planter David Weeks completed his stately house in 1834, his great-grandson William Weeks Hall undertook one of the first private restorations in the South. The house, a combination of Classical Revival and colonial Louisiana elements, sits on two-and-a-half acres of gardens abounding with azaleas, camellias, and wisteria and shaded by century old live oaks. The tour for students goes through the house recreating a vivid picture of plantation life of both the Weeks family and their slaves. Family and enslaved laborers, whose names are on record, are accurately described as docents explain the function, décor, and history of the private and formal rooms. Life was not all soirees and fine dresses. A letter dated April 26, 1842 was written by the plantation mistress, “…Amos was to haul wood for the cabin fires on Sundays, Martha was to plant seed for mustard greens and black-eyed peas so that the slaves would have something to boil with their pork as it is very fat.”

How Do We Get There?
From I-10, take Exit 103A south on 167 (Evangeline Thwy.)/Hwy. 90 east through Lafayette. Exit on LA 14, toward New Iberia. Hwy. 14 becomes Center St. and ends at Main St. Turn left into the Main St. parking lot to enter the site’s visitor center. 

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
While this house tour is mostly indoors, teachers should call to confirm rainy day plans.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1B-E1-4; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1-2; E-1C-E1-4; E-1A-E3-4, 7; G-1C-E2-6
5th-8th grades: G-1C-M4-6; G-1B-M1-4; E-1A-M1-4; H-1A-M1-6; H-1B-M9-13; H-1D-M1-6
9th-12th grades: E-1A-H1-2; G-1B-H1-4; H-1A-H1-6; H-1B-H1-2, 4-5

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
After scheduling a field trip, the museum will mail a packet of fact sheets, articles, and a description about Shadow-on-the-Teche to teachers. Ask students why they think the house has this name? The answer: the house was built overlooking Bayou Teche. The translation of Bayou Teche is “snake” bayou, and it refers to the winding water route which reminded Native Americans and early French settlers of a wriggling snake.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Teachers may request a set of field study forms for 8th graders from the museum’s educator. Young students may benefit from a discussion comparing this house to today’s homes. Play an analogy game. A radiator or heat vent is to a fireplace as a light bulb is to what?

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, American history, African American history, architecture

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Southdown Plantation House/Terrebonne Museum                       Subject: History, Art
P.O. Box 2095
Houma, LA 70361

Located at:          1208 Museum Drive
Houma, LA 70360

General Telephone Number: (985) 851-0154
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (985) 851-0154
FAX Number: (985) 868-1476

Website Address:  www.southdownmuseum.org

Email Address: southdown@mobiletel.com

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; $5.00 Adults, $4.00 Seniors and College students, $2.00 Children 6 – 18 years old

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; $1.00 Students, Free for Teachers and one Chaperone per 15 students, $1.00 Additional adults

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 15:1

Advanced Time Needed to Make Reservations: Three weeks

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 100, but only 50 can tour at one time

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 90 minutes (longer for groups of more than 50)

Handicapped Accessible: Partially

Grade Level Appropriate: 1st – 12th

Lunch Facilities:  An outdoor pavilion for picnics is on site. There are no drink machines or water fountain on site.

Gift Shop:  Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Southdown Plantation House is a 19th century sugar plantation house, home to the Terrebonne Museum and headquarters for the Terrebonne Historical and Cultural Society. This site is located just about in the heart and center of Bayou Country in Houma, the seat of Terrebonne Parish. Southdown Plantation, like so many south Louisiana plantations, began with the presentation of a Spanish Land Grant to European settlers. These settlers cleared the land to begin an indigo crop in the 1790s. The Minor family established and enlarged Southdown Plantation in 1828 to include just over 1,000 acres. In keeping with the region’s agricultural history, Southdown Plantation exclusively produced sugar cane by 1831 and a few years later built its own sugar mill. Today, the remaining plantation house, “servant quarters”, and additional outbuildings stand as testimony to the lives and work of four generations of sugar planters and the subsequent sugar company workers. Remarkably, Southdown was the last continuously working sugar mill in the region.  The mill was closed and removed from the site in 1979.

What Can We See and Do There?
The Terrebonne Museum has a lot more to share with visitors than the “sweet and sweat” history of sugar at Southdown Plantation! The surviving Greek-Revival plantation-house, first built in 1859, houses over 12 permanent exhibits about the history, art, and folklore of south Louisiana. Guided tours take visitors into this eclectic museum, which offers a venue of historical and cultural collections. Exhibits include: Art and Literature from Terrebonne; Memories of Terrebonne 1890-1945; Mardi Gras in Houma; The Houma Indians and Other Native Peoples of Louisiana; Re-created Office of U.S. Senator Allen J. Ellender 1937-1972; and Life and Labor on a Sugar Plantation in 1885. The region’s industries, oil, sugar, and seafood are featured in three rooms. The tour emphasizes the history of Terrebonne Parish. The tour includes fine art displays with exhibits by local artists, Boehm and Doughty porcelain birds, the Charles Gilbert art collection, the Thad St. Martin literature collection, and a restored 1880s worker’s cabin.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 east, travel to Hwy. 70 cross Sunshine Bridge. Hwy. 70 to Hwy. 1 south to Thibodaux. Hwy. 20 south becomes Hwy. 24 (Main St.) into Houma. Turn right at intersection of Hwy. 24 and St. Charles St. (LA 664). Travel on St. Charles and turn left onto Museum Drive across from shopping center.

                From I-10 east to New Orleans, to I-310 south ends at US Hwy. 90. Take Hwy. 90 west to exit LA Hwy. 311. Turn right off this exit toward Houma. Stay on LA Hwy. 311 to intersection with St. Charles St. (LA 664). Turn right on St. Charles then left on Museum Drive across from shopping center.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
While this field trip visit is primarily indoors, during inclement weather field trip planners should call the site to confirm lunch space arrangements.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1B-E1-4; E-1B-E5; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1-4;
5th-8th grades: G-1B-M1-4; E-1A-M9; E-1B-M7; H-1A-M1-6;
9th-12th grades: G-1B-H1-4; E-1A-H8; E-1B-H6; E-1A-H1-6;

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers can preview the many exhibits at this museum online by visiting www.southdownmuseum.org to select a particular unit of study for students. Native Americans and south Louisiana industry are presented in detail and are well illustrated in the exhibits.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Students may also visit the Veterans Memorial Park connected to the Southdown grounds by a footbridge. The park has a walking path with memorials and statues about the various wars. Teachers can often arrange for veterans groups to meet with students. 

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
South Louisiana history, Native Americans, Louisiana agriculture and industry, architecture, fine art, regional literature, U.S. Senator Ellender

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Southern University Museum of Art                                                       Subject: Art
Martin L. Harvey Hall
Netterville Dr.
Baton Rouge, LA 70813

General Telephone Number: (225) 771-4513
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 771-4513
FAX Number: (225) 771-4498

Website Address: www.sus.edu/suma

Email Address: scarletalero@yahoo.com

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Friday, 10:00am – 500pm; Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; Free, donations encouraged

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates:  Tuesday – Friday, 10:00am – 500pm; Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; Free, donations encouraged

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 25:1

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 30

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Three days

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One hour

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th

Lunch Facilities: A cafeteria, picnic area, and fast food restaurants are on campus.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
The Southern University Museum of Art opened its doors to the public in 2001. It is located in historic Martin L. Harvey Hall, overlooking the bluffs on the campus of Southern University. The museum holds a collection of over 2,000 pieces of African and African American art.  The museum is comprised of eight galleries, a stage, and a gift shop. There are five permanent exhibits. The Voices of Freedom provides a pictorial display of personalities of the Underground Railroad through first person recitations and songs from the periods of slavery and freedom. The African art collection fills four galleries with art from the major art producing regions of Africa including Mali, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and the Congo. The African art collection includes ceremonial masks, statues, clothing, fabric, utensils, and other utilitarian artifacts.  Four more galleries exhibit African American art. The Master’s Gallery displays works by such artists as Phoebe Beasley, John Biggers, and Elizabeth Catlett.  Two rooms are devoted to Louisiana artists, and one gallery is reserved for faculty and student artwork.

What Can We See and Do There?
A portion of the Southern University Baton Rouge campus, which borders the Mississippi River, has been designated as a National Historic District. The 10.5-acre site includes the Archives and Information Center, Clark gravesites, ROTC buildings and the Martin L. Harvey Hall, home to the Southern University Museum of Art. Teachers planning a field trip to this museum may consider adding a campus tour to their visit.  Teachers can opt to self-guide their classes through the art galleries after a brief staff introduction, or they may decide to opt for museum-trained guides who are available to lead students through the art filled rooms. A touch screen kiosk stands in the museum’s foyer that provides detailed information about the exhibits. Special presentations are planned throughout the year and are designed to complement the exhibits. Teachers should be sure to inquire about presentations by storytellers, weavers, magicians, puppeteers, and musicians.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 west, take Exit 155B/I-110 and bear right traveling north on I-110.  At Exit 5 veer left traveling west on U.S. Hwy. 190. Bear left on Swan Ave. and turn left on Local Road to the university.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This museum experience is indoors in a climate controlled building.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1B-E4; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1, 4;
5th-8th grades: G-1B-M4; H-1A-M1-6; H-1D-M1, 6;
9th-12th grades: G-1B-H1, 4; H-1A-H1-6;

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Check out the Southern University website. Teachers may request a pre-visit presentation for their classroom by a museum staff member. The museum will bring a few samples of art work to discuss in class. Teachers can obtain a copy of instructional materials by calling (225) 771-4513.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Teachers can request an in-class presentation and the traveling exhibit of “The Voices of Freedom,” the Underground Railroad Educational Program. This program honors the legacy of courageous men and women who actively sought the preservation of human rights, the abolition of slavery, and women suffrage. Visit www.si.edu/resource/faq/art.htm for a reading list on African and African American art.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
African art, African American art, Louisiana history, regional art, African American heritage, painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing

USS Kidd Veterans Memorial                                                                     Subject: History
305 South River Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

General Telephone Number: (225) 342-1942
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 342-1942 ext. 10
FAX Number: (225) 342-2039

Website Address: www.usskidd.com

Email Address: Reservations@usskidd.com

General Public Hours and Admission Rates to Visit Ship and Museum: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $7.00 Adults, $6.00 Seniors, $4.00 Children ages 5 – 12 years old; Rates to Visit Museum only, $4.00 Adults, $3.00 Children

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $3.00 Students in grades K-8th, $3.00 Chaperones; $5.00 Students in grades 9th – 12th, $5.00 Chaperones

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week

Number of Students per Visit: 20 - 300

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: Two hours

Handicapped Accessible: Only the Main Deck aboard the Ship is accessible, and the Museum is fully accessible.

Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Picnic areas are close to the museum and fast food is available within five blocks of the museum.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking is available.

Tell Us About It!
All hands on deck! Students explore the USS Kidd afloat on the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge. The USS Kidd is a Fletcher class destroyer, one of the last ships of her era. She was awarded 12 battle stars in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean Conflict. The tour aboard the ship takes visitors through more than 50 inner spaces. This destroyer harks back to VJ-Day in 1945, the conclusion of World War II. The museum interprets the rich maritime heritage of Louisiana from colonial days to the late 20th century. The museum features a full-scale interactive model for the USS Constitution’s (Old Ironside’s) gun deck and a tribute to General Chennault’s Flying Tigers with a fully restored P-40 fighter plane. A large ship model collection is on display in the museum along with hands-on areas. Louisiana Veterans Hall of Honor and the Louisiana Memorial Plaza features an eternal flame and names of more than 7,000 Louisianans who died in service to their country.

What Can We See and Do There?
Studying about America’s involvement in war becomes remarkably real for students who climb the ladders, duck low doorways and view weaponry aboard the USS Kidd. After a ten-minute video orientation, guides lead students through the ship describing what life was like for an American sailor on-board over 50-years ago. Students experience the cramped quarters of the World War II destroyer firsthand. There is a doctor’s and dentist’s office, a galley, repair shop, and sleeping spaces, along with the important instruments of battle. They see how the U-boat threat of the North Atlantic was countered. Students view the site where a Japanese kamikaze struck the USS Kidd and begin to understand why more ships were lost by the Navy at Okinawa in 1941 than in any other naval conflict in United States history. Hands-on learning includes steering the wooden ship’s wheel in the museum and trying the interactive displays. Inquire about the overnight program where students spend the night aboard the USS Kidd. Special events include Patriot Day, Veterans Day, and Pearl Harbor Day services.

How Do We Get There?
From the west, take I-10 to I-110 north and exit at Convention St. Travel to River Road and turn left. From the east, take I-10 to I-110 north and exit at Government St. and turn left on Government St. Travel to River Road.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Teachers should call ahead to confirm rainy day plans.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: H-1A-E1-2; H-1A-E1-2; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E2-4; G-1C-E6; C-1A-E4-7; C-1B-E1; C-1C-E1; C-1D-E3; H-1D-E2
5th-8th grades: C-1C-M1-3; C-1D-M2-3; G-1C-M7; H-1A-M1-3, 5
9th-12th grades: C-1A-H2; G-1B-H1-4; H-1A-H1-2, 4, 6; H-1B-H12-15, 17

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
First, check out the USS Kidd website to see a virtual tour of Louisiana’s maritime history and the USS Kidd. Teachers can call for a copy of the USS Kidd teacher’s manual, a 32-page booklet. Ask students to imagine what kinds of spaces and provisions they expect to see on the USS Kidd. Bring the list with you on the field trip and check off those things students find on the tour. Hang onto this list for a class discussion after the field trip.

S-T-R-E-TC-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
What impressed your students the most about the warship? Sailors aboard the ship have a language all their own, using phrases and words that mean different things to us landlubbers.  Sailors make up their rack (bed) and wash up in the head (bathroom). Use the vocabulary list in the teacher’s manual for a fun language arts assignment.  Pull out a world map and ask students to locate Japan, Louisiana, and Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
World geography, Louisiana history, American history, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War

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Vermilionville                                                                                                  Subject: History
300 Fisher Road
Lafayette, LA 70508

General Telephone Number: (337) 233-4077 or (866) 99-BAYOU/(866) 992-2968
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (337) 233-4077 ext. 206
FAX Number: (337) 233-1694

Website Address: www.vermilionville.org

Email Address: eistre@vermilionville.org

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; $8.00 Adults, $6.50 Seniors, $5.00 Children 6-18 years old, Free for children under 6 years old

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; $4.00 Students, Free for Required Chaperones, $6.00 Additional Chaperones, rates apply for groups of more than 20 students

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks

Advance deposit requested for 50% for food orders only.

Number of Students per Visit: 20 -300

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: Two hours

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: PreK – 12th

Lunch Facilities: There is a large on-site restaurant that can provide a hot buffet or bag lunches. There is also a bakery and picnic area.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Situated on the banks of the Bayou Vermilion, Vermilionville reflects the rich cultures of the Acadians and Creoles who settled in this area between 1765 and 1890.  French-speaking Acadians settled along the bayous of colonial Louisiana. One such settlement was Vermilionville, later to be named Lafayette. Vermilionville features several acres of history with 18 structures, including six original period homes, a schoolhouse, blacksmith forge, and a chapel. This heritage and folklife park is alive with costumed interpreters, crafts, traditional cooking, and music.  Also, winding through the village is a nature trail with interpretive signs to identify some of Louisiana’s plants.  Students visit Le Magasin-ecurie (the barn and stable) that features historic tools, farm implements, and animals typical of the 1790s.  In Vermilionville’s festive area is Le Petit Musée, featuring exhibits on the Native Americans, bayou life, and the Vermilion Watershed. Field trips to Vermilionville give students a greater understanding of Acadiana’s heritage.

What Can We See and Do There?
Vermilionville enables students to experience yesterday, today. They can see how the Acadians and Creoles lived more than 100 years ago, listen to stories, and most important, learn Acadiana history. Students walk through this re-created town meeting artisans who may be blacksmithing, spinning cotton, cooking, or playing the fiddle.  Teachers can arrange for craft classes and dance classes for their students. The self-guided walking tour, on a level-paved pathway, includes a variety of history experiences. The historic buildings feature 18th and 19th century lifestyles. Folklife tradition is all around with smells of old-time cooking and sounds of Cajun and zydeco music permeating the air. Students watch and talk to the open-hearth cooks who prepare traditional fare. The staff is eager to share stories, demonstrate crafts and answer questions. Towards the end of their trek through Vermilionville, students experience what will possibly be their favorite part of the visit, a hand-drawn ferry ride across Le Petit Bayou!

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 take Exit 103A south to Lafayette. This road is Evangeline Thwy.  Travel approximately five miles and turn left on Surrey/University. Travel approximately 0.25 of a mile and turn left at the traffic light. This is Fisher Road, which is across from the entrance to the Lafayette Regional Airport. The museum is on the left.
From I-49 travel on Evangeline Thrwy. Turn left on Surrey/University. Travel approximately 0.25 of a mile and turn left at the traffic light. This is Fisher Road, which is across from the entrance to the Lafayette Regional Airport. The museum is on the left.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Teachers should call to confirm rainy day plans or be prepared to reschedule their field trip.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1A-E1-2; G1B-E1-4; G-1D-E1-2; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1-4; H-1D-E1, 3
5th-8th grades: G-1A-M1; G-1B-M1-4; G-1C-M4; M-1D-M2-3; H-1A-M1-3, 5; H-1B-M9; H-1D-M1-6
9th-12th grades: G-1B-H1-2, 4; G-1C-H2; G-1D-H3-4; H-1A-H1-4, 6; H-1B-H1-2, 4; H-1C-H9

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Confirmation materials are mailed once field trips are scheduled. The museum website includes a virtual visit to assist teachers in developing lesson plans. Consider making arrangements for crafts and Cajan and Zydeco dance lessons for students during the field trip.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Ask students to make dioramas of an Acadian/Creole village. They can use their walking tour brochures of the Vermilionville or the website as reference material. Still dancing? Practice the Cajun or Zydeco steps learned at the museum.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history and folk life, French, Cajun and Creole cultures, crafts, music

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Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation Museum                   Subject: History, Industry
Louisiana State Museum
P.O. Box 38
Patterson, LA 70392

Located at:          394 Airport Circle
Patterson, LA 70392

General Telephone Number: (985) 395-7067
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (985) 395-7067
FAX Number: (985) 395-3179

Website Address: www.lsm.crt.state.la.us

Email Address: lsm@crt.state.ls.us

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $3.00 Adults, $2.00 Seniors and Children, Free for Children under 12 years old; Groups with at least 15 people receive a 20% discount with advance reservations

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00am – 5:00pm; Free

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 6:1

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 90

Advanced Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One hour

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate:  K – 12th

Lunch Facilities: A picnic area is on-site. Fast food is within five miles of the museum.

Gift Shop: Yes

Tell Us About It!
New building to open April 2006 with Aviation museum and Cypress saw mill museum.
Overhead in the great blue yonder, above Louisiana are the vast skies where aviation history was made. It is now preserved and on exhibit at the Louisiana State Museum’s Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation Museum.  Louisiana’s flight heritage is chronicled through aircraft, artifacts, and exhibits. This museum is housed in a specially constructed facility near the runway of the airport in Patterson.  Two Louisiana aviation pioneers, Jimmie Wedell and Harry P. Williams, established the first commercial airline and built a fleet of racing planes in a spot close to the museum. Full-size reproductions of their famous planes, a simulation of their 1930s machine shop, and a pilot’s license signed by Orville Wright, provide visitors with tangible links to the Gold Age of Aviation. In addition to the four full-size aircrafts on display in the aviation gallery, there is a space gallery and a cypress lumber industry gallery.

What Can We See and Do There?
Buckle your seat belts and fly into history at the Wedell-Williams Aviation Museum.  Students begin their tour of the museum by viewing a 15-minute video on the history of Wedell-Williams Company located in south Louisiana.  Visitors arrange for a guide or decide to do a self-guided tour of the galleries. Nearly 30 years after the incredible flight of the Wright brothers, enterprising partners Wedell and Williams designed and built fast racing aircraft. The military role Louisiana played in aviation history is recalled in an exhibit about the famous WWII Flying Tigers and President Eisenhower’s Aero Commander.  Another exhibit, Louisiana Enters the Space Age, is comprised of photographs, scale models and space craft components, a NASA spacesuit, and technical equipment. The region’s industries are addressed in two more exhibits, the Cypress Sawmill exhibit and a 1940 crop duster. Hands-on activities are integrated into the museum visit in the What’s Missing? mural.  Teachers should inquire about the arts & crafts presentations available to visiting students and special activities.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10 to Sunshine Bridge Exit, take Hwy. 70 to Morgan City where it runs into Hwy. 90.  Go west (right) on Hwy. 90.  Travel through Patterson, a sign for the museum is on the right, turn right on Zenor Road. Travel 0.75 mile and turn right on Hwy.182.  The museum is 0.75 mile ahead.

                From I-10 west to Hwy. 310 go to Hwy. 90 west to the end. Turn left and travel to Amelia approximately 6.5 miles after the freeway’s end.  Turn right and reenter the freeway.  Follow signs to Morgan City, traveling about 21 miles. Travel through Patterson, a sign for the museum is on the right, turn right on Zenor Road. Travel 0.75 mile and turn right on Hwy.182.  The museum is 0.75 mile ahead.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This museum is air conditioned and heated.  Inclement weather will not jeopardize field trips.

What Can We Visit Nearby? E.D. White House; Cajun Jack Swamp Tours

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: SI-E-A1; SI-E-B1; PS-E-B4; ESS-E-B6; H-1A-E1-3; H-1C-E1, 4; E-1A-E3, 6, 8
4th-8th grades: SI-M-A1; SI-M-B1; PS-M-B2, 5; ESS-M-C8; H-1A-M1-6; H-1D-M1, 6; E-1A-M1-5
9th-12th grades: SI-H-A1; PS-H-E3-4; ESS-H-D7; H-1A-H1-6; E-1A-H1-3

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers may call or write for copies of the museum’s pre-visit lesson plans that relate to aviation and subjects across the curriculum.  Also ask for a copy of the fourteen page coloring booklet which includes coloring, puzzle, and word activities for 1st to 6th grades. Teachers may also ask for copies of the Teacher’s Manual.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
The museum will loan their traveling tabletop displays and the Wedell-Williams Loan Trunk for school use.  Two displays are available, “We-Will, Jr. #17,”which is about early racing planes, and Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation Museum.  An aviation educational loan-trunk is also available to teachers. Museum staff is eager to make classroom presentations.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Space travel, aviation history, Louisiana history, Louisiana industry

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West Baton Rouge Museum                                                                       Subject: History, Industry
845 North Jefferson Ave.
Port Allen, LA 70767

General Telephone Number: (225) 336-2422
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 336-2422 ext.15
FAX Number: (225) 336-2448
Toll Free (888) 881-6811

Website Address: www.westbatonrougemuseum.com

Email Address: contact_us@wbrmuseum.org

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am- 4:30pm, Sunday, 2:00pm-5:00pm; $4.00 Adults, $2.00 Students and Senior Citizens

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:30pm, Sunday 2:00pm-5:00pm; $4.00 Adults, $2.00 Students and Senior Citizens

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 60

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: Two hours

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th

Lunch Facilities: Students may picnic on the museum grounds, inside the museum’s classroom, or walk next door to the community center playground. Fast food is within close driving distance.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
How sweet it is! That is the West Baton Rouge Museum’s permanent display on the history of sugar production. The West Baton Rouge Museum is in the historic Court House building in the center of Port Allen.  A miniature-working model of a sugar mill highlights an interpretive exhibit that explains the sugar making process from the fields to the factory. The exhibit includes oral history recordings called Sugar Stories, of people from the area. Sugarcane grows on the museum grounds. Six historic buildings recall sugar plantation life from the antebellum period through the Civil Rights Era.  The Aillet House, circa 1830 illustrates a small sugar planter’s home and the Allendale Slave Cabin, circa 1850 describes the household of an enslaved family. The Reconstruction Era cabin, circa 1870 spotlights life inside the home of a freed family earning plantation wages on Allendale Plantation and the Civil Rights Era Cabin illustrates life on the same plantation nearly a century later when families on plantations worked to register African American voters and organize to intergrate the local schools. The Whitehead Gallery and the new wing host changing art exhibits that feature history and art exhibits.

What Can We See and Do There?
Students are armed with a clipboard and pencil to begin a history a grade-appropriate scavenger hunt among the displays in the exhibit “In the Interest of Our Parish: Three Hundred Years of West Baton Rouge History.” Then students are led by trained docents through a gallery lined with tin walls rescued from old plantation mills to learn about the history of Louisiana’s sugar industry, from field to factory. They begin their tour with a 12-minute video about modern-day sugar production. The miniature model of an early sugar mill demonstrates the process. Next, school visitors step outside to learn about sugar plantations in the historic buildings on the four acre campus. Students visit the Aillet House, the cottage of a small antebellum planter. Next door stands the Allendale Cabin where docents describe the life of enslaved workers. Students explore the interiors of the later period plantation cabins and the Reed Shot Gun House and the Arbroth Plantation Mercantile Store. Teachers can schedule a an open hearth cooking demonstration to complement the tour. The activities include washboard scrubbing, period clothing, make-and-take projects. Museum lessons are hands-on discussions led by museum staff.  A special Kids Cart is available on request for students. All items are price $1, $2, and $3 (includes tax) for a quick gift shop purchase that helps to keep the field trip on schedule.

How Do We Get There?
From I-10, exit 153 and one mile travel north on Hwy. LA 1.  Turn right on Louisiana Avenue and travel four blocks. The museum is on the corner of Louisiana Avenue and N. Jefferson Avenue  

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Teachers should call the museum to confirm rainy day plans.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: G-1B-E2-3; G-1C-E2, 4; H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1-4; H-1D-E2; E-1A-E1, 2-7
5th-8th grades: G-1B-M4; G-1C-M5-6; E-1A-M1-4; E-1B-M7;  H-1A-M1-5; H-1B-M14-15, 17; H-1D-M6: E-1A-M1-5
9th-12th grades: E-1A-H1-2; G-1B-H2-4; H-1A-H1-6

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers can call the museum and request instructions for 19th century games and crafts, vocabulary lists, and exhibit updates. Ask for the lesson plan, “Ag in a Bag,” which is about sugar, published by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. Consider booking the museum’s outstanding out-reach program, Grandmother Marguerite’s Trunk, which is staged in the school classroom. A costumed historian brings a trunk full of early artifacts and engages students in trying their hands at 200-year old chores.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Plans
Local Louisianans will tell visitors about the joys of chewing on raw sugar cane.  Check local groceries for some cut cane for your students to sample. The museum suggests students read, A Sweet Surprise by Pamela Folse. Ask the museum staff for an easy recipe to make rock candy, a great sugar-related science project.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, sugar industry, art, agriculture, oral history, architecture

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Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center                                                           Subject: History
314 St. Mary St.
Thibodaux, LA 70301

General Telephone Number: (985) 448-1375
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (985) 448-1375
FAX Number: (985) 448-1425

Website Address: www.nps.gov/jela

Email Address: angela_r_rathle@nps.gov

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5pm; Free; Fee for boat tours range $10.00 - $26.00.

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 4:00pm; Saturday & Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm; Free; Fee for boat tours range $10.00 - $26.00.

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1 museum; 6:1 boat tours

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks +

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 100 for the site; 20 for the boat

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 90 minutes

Handicapped Accessible: Yes – site; boat - no

Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th; Boat tour 4th- 12th

Lunch Facilities: Nearby Peltier Park has a picnic pavilion.

Gift Shop: Yes

Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
“What is special about Louisiana?” asks one of the National Park Rangers at this Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. In the next breath, he explains to students how Louisiana is a gumbo, a melting pot of cultures and people form Acadian to Zydeco.  (There are six parks in the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve system in Louisiana.) This field trip destination is about historical and natural resources that tell the story of the people who settled along the bayous, swamps and wetlands of southeastern Louisiana. Their migration, settlement, and cultural development are interpreted in the museum, which contains a 200-seat theater and an audio/visual classroom. Thibodaux served as a trading post between New Orleans and the bayou region during the 19th century. The area has seen many changes over the past 200 years, but the long-lasting presence of the earliest Acadians, is maintained by the Cajun cuisine and French language still found in southeastern Louisiana.  Laissez les bons temps rouler.  Let the good times roll.

What Can We See and Do There?
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center offers guided museum tours and a boat tour to help students discover what the area looked like to the settling Acadians 200 years ago. In the museum, teachers may request a presentation of one of 15 films about Cajun culture and the area. The films run from 13 to 74 minutes. The museum features exhibits about the history, language, music, and architecture of Cajun culture from its 18th century beginnings to the present. An art gallery regularly displays work by local artists and the craft room is used for demonstrations of folk crafts and weekly Cajun music jam sessions on Mondays from 5:30pm – 7:00pm. Teachers should inquire about planned activities in the craft room when scheduling their field trip. Boat tours depart from the local wharf and travel to Madewood Plantation and Ed White Historic Home. Stops include tours of these historic places and lunch can be pre-arranged at Madewood Plantation. Kids can begin to envision what Louisiana looked like to those early French-speaking settlers.

How Do We Get There?
From New Orleans on I-10 west, travel to I-310 south towards Boutte-Houma then take U.S. 90 west towards Houma.  Exit at LA 24. Turn right on LA 24 west.  It will become LA 20 east. Turn Left on LA 1 north, travel two miles to the site.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
This field trip is indoors. Field trip planners may want to call the Center to check road conditions during periods of heavy rain.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: LS-E-B1; LS-E-C1; SE-E-A1, 3, 5; G-1B-E1-4; H-1A-E1-3; E-1B-E1-2; E-1C-E1-4
5th-8th grades: LS-M-C3; SE-M-A1; G-1B-M1-4; H-1A-M1-6; H-1D-M1-6

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Teachers can call or write for pre-visit packets. The packets are complete with benchmark listings for grades K -8. Activities suggested include genealogy, cooking, and language-arts projects.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Thumb through the packets the site sent earlier. Teachers will find short stories and lesson plans that refer to the field trip sights and activities. Plug in the boom box and play some Cajun music for your students. Ask them if they have heard this music at home. Anybody care to dance?

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, geography, French, wetlands, environment, music, art, food ways, drama

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Zachary Historic Village                                                                Subject: History, Science/Nature
P.O. Box 1144
Zachary, LA 70791

Located at:          4524 Virginia St.
Zachary, LA 70791

General Telephone Number: (225) 654-1912
Telephone Number to Schedule School Field Trips: (225) 654-1912
FAX Number: (225) 654-1916

Website Address: www.zachary.la.nww.net/historical/

General Public Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 4:00pm; $2.00 donation per person

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Tuesday – Friday, 9:15am – 1:30pm; $2.00 per person

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1

Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks

Number of Students per Visit: Up to 125

Suggested Length of Time for Visit: Three hours

Handicapped Accessible: PreK – 12th

Lunch Facilities: There is a covered picnic area on-site.

Gift Shop: No
Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!
Zachary Historic Village is a park made up of a dozen buildings situated along several historic blocks in Zachary.  It offers kids hands-on activities in a variety of disciplines. This museum is one of the few places in south Louisiana that has an extensive exhibit about Native Americans featuring housing, hunting, farming, and cultural artifacts.  The Nature Trail is next to the Native American Area for students to find stage artifacts, plants, and small animals.  The Rural Life House exhibit includes furnished 19th century homes that students can tour, and in some houses students can do hands-on activities.  The 100-year old school house has been transformed into a science museum designed for young learners to try experiments.  The Farm is set up for visitors to try old time chores like pumping water from a well and scrubbing clothes on a washboard.

What Can We See and Do There?
Teachers can plan on visiting all the exhibits at Zachary Historic Village or choose to focus on either science or history. Docents lead students on guided tours.  The Native American area has a Palmetto House and a crop garden green with Native American vegetables. There, students see how to make a dug-out canoe and use a cooking pouch made of animal skin.  The collection of Native American artifacts includes a ceremonial drum, peace pipe, tools, and traditional clothing.  Tours of the Rural Life House allows kids to see the range of lifestyles in Louisiana 150 years ago. The Victorian McHugh House shows how a city merchant lived; the Allison Farm House shows how a rural family lived; the Sharecropper Cabin is a three room Shotgun house.  In the Barn, students can try to shuck, shell, and grind corn to make grits and cornmeal.  The Schoolhouse features science experiments, and the Natural Trial gets kids to look closely for specific plants and animals.  A recently renovated Depot, circa 1885, highlights the history of Louisiana railroads and early kinds of communication, as well as military history.

How Do We Get There?
Traveling north on Hwy. 19 turn left on Hwy. 64 in Zachary. Travel two blocks and turn left on Florida St.  Traveling south on U.S.61 turn left on Hwy. 64 and travel five miles to Florida St. and turn right.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Teachers should call to confirm rainy day plans.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
K-4th grades: H-1A-E1-3; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1-4;
5th-8th grades: H-1A-M1-3, 5; H-1B-M1-3, 5, 9; H-1C-M1-2; H-1D-M1-, 3-4, 6;
9th-12th grades: H-1A-H1-6; H-1B-H6-7; H-1B-H17-18

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
If students are studying Louisiana’s Native American history, call the museum for its activity packet.  It includes crafts and cultural information for students to try in class. Ask students to plan a house, complete with modern conveniences.  Can students identify those features that may not have been available to Louisianans 100 years ago?

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
Studying Louisiana history? Draw a timeline on the chalkboard and let students write in the dates and events they learned on this field trip. Can your students find out when public electric power first came to their hometown?  Students can make a classroom exhibit of objects found in nature that Native Americans traditionally used to make utensils and musical instruments two centuries ago.  Students can plant a classroom garden with Native American foods such as corn, beans, and squash.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Native American history, Louisiana history, farming, domestic technology, scientific method skills, architecture, transportation, Louisiana flora and fauna

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