Alexandria Sights and Landmarks Guide, Louisiana

Alexandria’s position has always made it a part of a quite active tourism sector; but now it is much more than just ‘a drive-through city’ to reach to the tourist hubs of Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette or Shreveport. The ninth largest city of Louisiana, Alexandria gets plenty of tourists during its annual cultural festivals and events like Mardi Gras. In addition, the city’s scenic beauty and its area-attractions make Alexandria a complete package.

Here is a short presentation on Alexandria sights to give you an idea about what to look for in the city, in case you plan to visit Alexandria in the near future.

Alexandria Sights – Cultural Attractions

Alexandria is quite famous for its cultural celebrations like Cenlabration and Mardi Gras. Cenlabration (held in September) is a purely social event and Mardi Gras (celebrated in January) is a religious one, but both festivals showcase parades and parties.

Alexandria’s museums are open all year round and there are four of them– Alexandria Museum of Art, Arna Bontemps African American Museum, Louisiana History Museum and Tree House Children's Museum. Alexandria Museum of Art not only displays art-works of local artists but also photographs; there is a separate children’s section. The Arna Bontemps Museum is a museum dedicated to the famous Alexandria-born African American writer, Arna Bontemps. The Louisiana History Museum has exhibits that belong to different periods of Louisiana history – from pre-historic relics to present-day exhibits. The Tree House Children’s Museum is an educational museum for children.

Alexandria Sights – Historic Attractions

Coming to Alexandria sights of historic relevance, we must mention places like Inglewood Plantation, Kent Plantation House and Masonic Home. Inglewood Plantation, one of the few pre-Civil War agricultural estates, is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The French colonial architecture of Kent House makes it a must-see. If you are not really pressed for time, you can also plan trips to the other historic attractions of the city like the former Missouri Pacific Railroad depot in downtown Alexandria historic district, Masonic House, Hotel Bentley etc. Alexandria's historic Hotel Bentley was built in 1907.

Alexandria Sights – Miscellaneous Attractions

Alexandria promises much for children in the form of its parks and recreation areas, but this does not mean that grown-ups can’t take part in child-like fun. The Alexandria Zoological Park is a major crowd-puller as here they get to see over 600 animals moving freely on its 33 acres.

There is also the Alexandria Levee Park by the Red River – with its 150-foot floating wharf, outdoor amphitheater and fully geared up picnic-spots, it is a place to be in all seasons; during local festivals, the park’s ambiance gets surely electrifying. The Alexandria Riverfront Center (a convention center) stands close by.

If you still have time to do some more sightseeing and would not mind going a few extra miles, you can take short trips to other nearby attractions like the Cotile Lake Recreation Area, Indian Creek Lake and Recreation Area and the Kisatchie National Forest.