Louisiana Archaeology Exhibits & Tours

  Use the interactive map to visit Louisiana Archaeology collections on display across the state (orange museum symbol) and to learn about archaeological sites in Louisiana, online (purple circle symbol).  Zoom in to see multiple options in the same area.  To see all locations and the map description, click on the rectangle on the top left of the map.

Visit Online


Visit in Person

    • Bayou Teche Museum - The New Iberia Shipwreck Exhibit at this New Iberia museum displays objects from Louisiana Division of Archaeology's collections.
    • The Cabildo - This state museum displays objects from Louisiana Division of Archaeology's collections in the "People and Power: Building History at the Cabildo" exhibition.
    • Capitol Park Museum - This state museum has two Louisiana archaeology exhibits on display.  "Portraying the Past: Perspectives on American Indian Mounds in Louisiana" showcases artistic renderings of ten American Indian Mound sites across Louisiana.  The "Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation" permanent exhibit highlights Poverty Point World Heritage Site.
    • Grand Isle Veteran's War Memorial - The Grand Isle Veteran's War Memorial just off LA-1 has a 32-pounder cannon on display from the Louisiana Division of Archaeology.  The approximately 10-foot long gun cast at the Columbia Foundry Georgetown, D.C., for the United States Navy in 1821 ended up at Fort Livingston in Jefferson Parish.
    • Hermann-Grima House - This state museum displays include objects from Louisiana Division of Archaeology's collections.
    • Los Adaes State Historic Site - This historic site was a Spanish fort built in 1721 and served as the capital of Texas from 1729 until the fort closed in 1772.  Artifacts such as projectile points recovered by archaeologists show that American Indians lived in the area long before the Spanish built the fort and that the Spanish traded with the French and the Caddo, the local American Indians.  See more options to learn about this cultural site under "Visit Online" above.
    • Maritime Museum Louisiana - This museum has two displays with artifacts from the Louisiana Division of Archaeology's collections.  The "El Nuevo Constante" exhibit showcases an eighteenth century Spanish shipwreck along the coast of Cameron Parish.  The Blomefield Cannon on display is about 5-6 feet long, weighs about 1,200 pounds, and was named after Thomas Blomefield, Britain’s Inspector of Artillery and Superintendent of the Royal Brass Foundry in the late 1700s.
    • Poverty Point World Heritage Site - In addition to its monumental earthworks, this world heritage site is best known for its trade network and owl artifacts.  Visit Poverty Point World Heritage Site for a tour of the cultural site and to see the museum exhibit on display.  See more options to learn about this cultural site under "Visit Online" above.
    • Red River National Wildlife Refuge - Red River Caddo Dugout exhibit coming soon!  See more options for this cultural site under "Visit Online" above.

  Interested in exhibiting a collection from the Louisiana Division of Archaeology?  Email us at archaeology@crt.la.gov.

 

Indian Mounds of Northeast Louisiana Book Cover

Indian Mounds of Northeast Louisiana Trail Guide
 
Indians built mounds in Louisiana for about 5,500 years.  The mounds had many different shapes, sizes, and functions. The earliest sites had mounds with rounded tops. Later sites sometimes had flat-topped mounds with temples and chiefs' houses on them.  To learn more, visit the Indian Mounds of Northeast Louisiana Trail Guide Story Map or download the  Indian Mounds of Northeast Louisiana: A Driving Trail Guide Brochure.

 

Ancient Mound Site of Louisiana Brochure Cover Image      Ancient Mound Sites of Louisiana

Louisiana has some of the oldest, most spectacular, and best preserved Indian mounds in the world.  Compared with other places, Louisiana has an unusually large number of mounds and earthworks, which span a long period of time.  To learn more about Louisiana's ancient mound sites, download the  Ancient Mound Sites of Louisiana Brochure.

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