Louisiana State Archives

Subject: History, Art

3851 Essen Lane (PO Box 94125)
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

(225) 922-1207 | General Information
(225) 922-1000 | Reservations
(225) 922-0433 | Fax

What you need to know!

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm, Saturday, 9:00am- 5:00pm, Sunday, 1:00pm – 5:00pm; Free

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm, Saturday, 9:00am- 5:00pm, Sunday, 1:00pm – 5:00pm; Free

Student to Chaperone Rate Requested: 10:1
Advanced Time Needed to Make Reservations: Ten days
Number of Students per Visit: Up to 100
Suggested Length of Time for Visit: 45 minutes
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Grade Level Appropriate: 5th – 12th
Lunch Facilities: Students may picnic on the grass area in front of the Archives building. Fast food and full service restaurants are nearby.
Gift Shop: No
Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!

The largest record-keeper in our state is the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge. The official repository for more than 30,000-cubic feet of records, the State Archives was originally started in 1935 and was housed at LSU. Today, the Louisiana State Archives is permanently housed in its own state-of-the-art building which opened its doors to historians, genealogists, researchers, students, and the general public in 1987. On the first floor, changing art exhibits are displayed in two formal galleries and the Archives’ permanent collection of World War I posters (with descriptive labels) are on display in the hallways at eye-level. The site displays its collection of Work Project Administration (WPA) paintings depicting people and landscapes of 1930s Louisiana, rotating these artworks throughout the year. The 100-seat auditorium, conservation lab, records center, and research library fill the entire first floor.

What Can We See and Do There?

What does the Louisiana State Archives do? The State Archives is the official agency charged with preserving our state’s history and defining us as a people by overseeing the management of records. The State Archives enables people to inspect documents for themselves, and ensures access and preservation of essential evidence of the actions of our citizens, state officials, and the Louisiana experience. Visitors are welcome to tour and use the many services and resources at the State Archives. Preserved for posterity are cornerstone documents of our state including the original Constitution for West Florida Republic, the Ordinance of Secession, Huey Long’s assassination inquiry and the original Louisiana State Constitution. But the State Archives is more than famous documents. Students can go on guided tours in the galleries, the research library, the conservation lab, and the record center to look at government and family records. Students can also see how these treasures are preserved and used.

How Do We Get There?

From I-10, exit at Essen Lane and travel south. The State Archives is on the left.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?

The field trip is entirely indoors.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards

5th-8th grades: C-1A-M1-6; H-1A-M1-6; H-1D-M1-6; ELA-5-M1-6
9th-12th grades: C-1A-H1-2, 4; H-1A-H1-6; ELA-5-H1-6

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?

Visit the website for a preview tour, listen to WWI music, and look at the WWI Poster Art collection. These resources can be printed and downloaded in class. Discuss the role of archives in government, history and genealogy. Call for pre-visit materials.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits

Your turn! Show students how to make a family tree using the pedigree chart available at the Archives. Encourage kids to make scrapbooks. Use archival techniques like using acid-free pages, and envelopes, and other suggestions from the Archives conservation lab. Look up records and famous documents at the National Archives at www.nara.gov