Louisiana State Exhibit Museum

Completed in 1939 as one of the New Deal’s Public Works projects, the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum is an architectural jewel, in the ultra modern style of the times. Layered inside and out with costly marble, granite and polished aluminum, the circular building surrounds a landscaped courtyard and features hand-cut limestone. Without a doubt, this is one of the most impressive buildings in the state. The original artworks include a monumental fresco on the front portico executed by famed muralist Conrad Albrizio that introduces the public to the beautifully rendered scale dioramas that portray a snapshot of Louisiana life in the 1930s. A topographical map by sculptor Duncan Ferguson illustrates the cultural geography of Louisiana. Within the Rotunda, numerous Louisiana artists contributed murals that portray Louisiana landscapes and historical events.