The museum consists of several small exhibit galleries featuring permanent and changing exhibits. The centerpiece is a 33-foot model of a sugar mill, originally constructed for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. There's also a short film shown on request. Seven historic buildings, which can be seen by guided tour only, have been relocated to the grounds. Three of the buildings are cabins furnished to represent how rural Black people lived during times of slavery; reconstruction and Jim Crow; and the 1950s and 60s. The Aillet House is a typical Creole style sugar plantation house. An army surplus building has been repurposed to represent a juke joint. The Arbroth Store, closed in 1980 after operating for 100 years, is stocked with goods that would have been sold from the early to mid 1900s.
This museum has excellent wheelchair access. A ramped entrance can be accessed from the 6th Street parking lot. There's also a ramp at the main entrance that allows access to one gallery which otherwise could not be seen without navigating a few steps, The museum exhibit galleries are accessible. The walkways between the relocated buildings are all in very good condition. All of the buildings have ramps at the rear entrances.
The parking lots are only large enough for vans and short RVs. Large RVs can be parked on North Jefferson Ave.
Museum 30.4605, -91.20692
I hope you'll had a great Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI drove thru Baton Rouge once, all I remember was rain, heavy heavy rain!
Happy holidays!
DeleteWe've been lucky on this trip west. Great weather until the cold front came through and we were able to get past that before it reached all the way south.
Great museum to visit, tho not much else to recommend for Port Allen!
ReplyDelete