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Last Modified: September 12, 2008Museums

See also: Touchstone Wildlife and Art Museum, Spring Street Museum, Pioneer Heritage Center , 8th Air Force Museum , Visitor Center on the Red River

In 1939, the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum opened in Shreveport featuring large murals and frescoes of scenes in Louisiana, an Indian Gallery, and periodically changing exhibits illustrating Louisiana’s history. The museum is a member of the Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program and it also contains 18 world-renowned dioramas fashioned from beeswax by the museum's second director. The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum is located at 3015 Greenwood Road in Shreveport, and their contact phone number is (318) 632-2020.

Other notable museums in and around Shreveport include:

  • The Multicultural Center of the South, 401 Texas Street, Shreveport, (318) 424-1380: The museum portion of the Center occupies two floors of space and contains exhibits from Native American, African-American, Asian, Creole, Cajun, Hispanic and Middle Eastern cultures.
  • The Stage of Stars Museum, 705 Elvis Presley Ave., Shreveport, (318) 220-9434: Elvis Presley and many other stars began their careers on the stage of Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium performing for the Louisiana Hayride live radio show’s broadcasts. The museum contains rare photographs, artifacts, and musical instruments that were played by the famous entertainers on the Municipal Auditorium’s stage.
  • The Eighth Air Force Museum, 88 Shreveport Rd. near Barksdale Air Force Base, (318) 752-0055: Containing a large collection of airplanes that were flown in battles during World War II, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, the museum also contains artifacts used by President George W. Bush when he was flown to Barksdale Air Force Base for protection immediately after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City.
  • The Stephens African American Museum, 2810 Lindholm St., Shreveport, (318) 635-2147: Opened in 1994, this living museum is dedicated to preserving African-American history by recreating the time period during which African-Americans helped to build Louisiana’s communities.
  • The Pioneer Heritage Center on the campus of Louisiana State University Shreveport, (318) 797-5339: This is another living museum where trained guides dressed in period costumes demonstrate the history of Louisiana during its formative period from the 1830’s through the 20th century. Two of the historic buildings at the Center, the Caspiana House and the Thrasher House, are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
  • The Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College in Shreveport, 2911 Centenary Boulevard, (318) 869-5169: Featuring the Despujols Collection of artifacts donated by a college alumnus, the museum also contains a variety of changing art exhibits.
  • The Spring Street Historical Museum, 525 Spring St., Shreveport, (318) 424-0964: Originally built in 1865, the museum is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is one of Shreveport’s oldest structures. It contains historical memorabilia from the Civil War, World War I and World War II, authentic Indian artifacts, and antiques that exemplify Shreveport’s history.
  • The Shreveport Water Works Museum, 142 N. Common St., Shreveport, (318) 221-3388: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and also as a National Historic Landmark, a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and an American Water Landmark, the Shreveport Water Works Museum contains the original McNeill Street Pumping Station, which in 1887 became one of the first facilities in America to practice water filtration and chlorination.
  • The Touchstone Wildlife and Art Museum, 3386 Highway 80 East, Haughton, (318) 949-2323: For those who are intrigued by the art of taxidermy, the museum features more than 1,000 mounted animals from around the world displayed in natural dioramas.