BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

About Baton Rouge

Named by French explorers as “the Red Stick City,” Baton Rouge is where Louisiana’s capital, flagship university, and distinctive Cajun and Creole cultures all come together. Located in Southeast Louisiana, Baton Rouge is the fifth largest city on the Mississippi River and home to Louisiana’s largest parish. Strategically seated at the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Baton Rouge area’s assets are integral to the nation’s logistics and energy networks. Additionally, the city boasts a thriving arts culture and food scene making it a hub for unique festivals all year long. 

Baton Rouge Size

Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital city is now 74.74 square miles in size with some 230,000 people. East Baton Rouge Parish population is approximately 412,500 and is 472.1 square miles in size.

Baton Rouge Culture

When you make a list of all the unique things Louisiana has to offer visitors, you quickly see the long-lasting influences of our French, Spanish and African ancestry. Our past is well-preserved in our architecture, music, food and lifestyles—which include our amazing festivals—and of course in our museums of history and fine arts.

It is not an accident that Louisiana clings to the phrase “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” meaning “Let the good times roll”. Let yourself get lost in the traditions passed down through generations. Come visit us during Mardi Gras when costumed riders parade and magnificent balls are thrown from New Orleans and Baton Rouge to Houma, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport and beyond. Peek back across the centuries, as you walk under lavish ironwork and through the lush courtyard gardens of a meticulous French Quarter hotel. Touch history with a tour of a plantation where the daily activities of the past are recreated. Let nature’s mysteries inspire and awe you via a boat tour through a cypress studded bayou.

Here, in Louisiana, history and lore don’t merely live in books on a shelf; they’re reflected in our everyday lives.

Visit Baton Rouge, Louisiana to experience all the things to do in the capital city. From a hot culinary scene to live music, Baton Rouge offers a unique Louisiana experience. Politics is deeply entwined in the culture of Baton Rouge; it can be found both in the storied past of local dealmakers, showcased at the Old Louisiana State Capitol, and in the political history that is being written now inside the art deco skyscraper that serves as the current capitol. As home to the main campus of Louisiana State University and several smaller colleges, the city buzzes with the energy of youth while holding fast to its traditions in Southern lifestyle and historic sites. LSU’s home football games dominate the fall social calendar when fans perfect the art of tailgating and pack the immense Tiger Stadium. A revival is underway in the city center where attractions range from a riverfront casino to the USS Kidd floating museum to the ultra-contemporary Shaw Center for the Arts, which clusters an art museum, gallery spaces, theaters and restaurants in the heart of downtown. 

 

“Baton Rouge: A Cultural Microcosm of Louisiana”

For more on BR FolkLife, check out this essay by Maida Owens, which provides an overview of some Baton Rouge Folk Culture and traditions. 

The Baton Rouge Flag

The Baton Rouge Flag is a field of crimson representing the great Indian Nations that once inhabited the area. The crest on the lower left uses the red, white and blue representing the colors of the United States. The upper left of the shield is the Fleur-de-lis of France, the upper right is the Castille of Spain, and the lower potion is the Union Jack of Great Britain. The crest encompasses the emblems of the three foreign countries, whose flags have flown over Baton Rouge. The name “Baton Rouge” in white appears prominently on the field of crimson.

 

For more information on Baton Rouge, check out VisitBatonRouge.com

Sources:

https://www.brla.gov/837/About-Baton-Rouge

https://www.brla.gov/841/A-Brief-History

https://www.fotw.info/flags/us-la-br.html

https://www.louisianafolklife.org/lt/articles_essays/brintro.html

https://www.explorelouisiana.com/baton-rouge/culture