Capturing Louisiana’s rich culture, layered history and all-around Southern flavor seems nearly impossible, but one Baton Rouge museum does just that. 
The Capitol Park Museum, one of several Louisiana State Museums, resides in Baton Rouge but offers stories and traditions from each corner of the state.
The Capitol Park Museum opened its doors in 2006 shortly after Hurricane Katrina and has been building its presence since. With constant care and attention, the museum’s variety of exhibits entertain and inform visitors of all ages.
William G. Stark Jr., the museum’s division director, said it represents the state’s history and culture with a floor dedicated to each subject. Even though he works at the museum, he said he still enjoys bringing his family to visit when he gets the chance. 
“It’s a way to have fun while still connecting with the past,” Stark said. “You can get up close and personal with these objects that are straight out of history.” 
The museum’s first floor exhibition, “Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation,” focuses on the state’s history. Stark said the exhibits are more commonly organized by theme, rather than the traditional timeline format. They feature both props and artifacts, but it’s a matter of how you put the two together to tell the story. 
Upon entering, visitors may be drawn to a large shrimp boat the Coca-J, which Stark said was one of the last wooden shrimp boats constructed. The boat’s captain pays a visit during the museum’s annual fundraiser to interact with visitors and tell the tales of life on a shrimp boat. Stark said the Mississippi River was essential to the development of Louisiana, so it was an easy decision to place it in the middle of the exhibit space. 
During their first-floor exploration, visitors will also discover Andrew Jackson’s Battle of New Orleans battle flag, Zachary Taylor’s sombrero and a Civil War-era submarine. Stark said he has yet to find a Navy man willing to volunteer for service in the small submarine. 
Another history display features some of the state’s biggest personalities — Huey P. Long and Louis Armstrong. Long’s original headstone and Armstrong’s bugle are on display alongside several other artifacts and a video of one of Long’s colorful speeches. 
“This is a great little video that gives you a good example of [Long’s] personality, as well as what people thought of him at the time,” Stark said. “He’s definitely someone who has left his mark.”
The first floor closes out with the history of slavery in the South complete with a first edition of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and an original calaboose — or prison — door, which led to a place for punishment. Stark said this is one of the museum’s more powerful sections and gives visitors a sense of the brutality of the era.
 The museum’s third floor is full of Louisiana culture with its exhibition “The Louisiana Experience: Discovering the Soul of America.” Visitors will find everything from a replica of a Lucky Dogs cart to self-taught painter, Clementine Hunter’s, works as they wind through the state’s eclectic traditions. 
Stark said the music section is his favorite cultural display, and it’s rich with artifacts, including Fats Domino’s jacket. The music section is well-rounded but has a major focus on jazz because of the local collecting base. Here visitors can sample the sounds of the South in a listening booth with songs from musicians like Lead Belly and Buddy Guy. 
Even though the music section is one of the museum’s deeper collections, Stark said its Mardi Gras section is popular with tourists. Different styles and celebrations of the holiday are represented through masks and a broad costumes and textiles collection, including Baton Rouge’s Spanish Town parade complete with a signature pink flamingo. 
“By coming from the history downstairs and looking at the culture up here, you realize how many of these things are still going on,” Stark said. “It’s a living and changing culture. That’s something that’s so special and unique about particular parts of Louisiana and Louisiana as a whole.” 
Aside from the museum’s two major exhibitions, it also
offers changing exhibits throughout the year. Later this month, the museum will welcome the Pictures of the Year International winners’ photographs to its gallery. Stark said the museum will be one of the first stops for the 2015 winners’ powerful images. 
The museum is a popular field trip destination, but through its different programming and galleries, Stark said the museum strives to reach all ages. It used to offer interactive opportunities to the University’s students before the school’s cutbacks went into effect. 
The museum’s director of marketing and public relations Marvin McGraw said the museum is much more than its educational components and offers diversity to anyone wanting to visit. 
“There’s something here for everyone, and the way it’s displayed is very 21st century,” McGraw said. “It’s a unique window into the culture of the past of Louisiana, so I think it’s just a marvelous place. Let history entertain you.” 
You can reach Greta Jines on Twitter @TheGretaJines.
 

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Huey P. Long gravestone MarkJSindlerLSMPhoto_20141003_MG_5050R.jpg