Experience Culture with a Bus Rental in Baton Rouge!

If you are raring to go to an amusement park, you do not have to look far. There is BREC's Liberty Lagoon (Baton Rouge, LA 70806) and Dixie Landin' Blue Bayou Water Park (Baton Rouge, LA 70806) for you and your entire family.

Baton Rouge is a city with rich cultural heritage. Here, you can get intimate with both Spanish and French cultures, evident in the cuisine, the arts, and the entertainment scene. It is imperative that you include museums, cultural attractions, and, yes, live music in your itinerary and list of things to do while in Louisiana.

Art. In downtown Baton Rouge, you could go to the Shaw Center for the Arts (Baton Rouge, LA 70801), which also features the Manship Theatre and the LSU Museum of Art, along with a variety of restaurants. The LSU Museum of Art alone has at least 17,000 square feet of exhibits, while the Manship Theatre offers audiences a unique theater experience.

The Louisiana Art and Science Museum (Baton Rouge, LA 70802) displays fine art from its permanent collection. There are interactive science and art displays here and there's the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, too.

The Baton Rouge Gallery (Baton Rouge, LA 70808) also has exhibits focusing on contemporary art. During the fall season, you could come here and enjoy a silent film accompanied by live music. Bring a blanket and a picnic basket as you will be experiencing this outdoors!

There are three art festivals in Baton Rouge that you may want to see: FestforAll, Oak Alley Art Festival, and Houmas House Art Festival.

The city also gives you the chance to get out of boring museums or crowded festival grounds with its many venues that mix art and a fun night out together. Go to Corks n Canvas (Baton Rouge, LA 70806) or Mid City Merchants (Baton Rouge, LA 70806) for this.

If you are looking to buy art for your home, check out shops and galleries along Government Street.

Music. The Blues Festival is held every year in Baton Rouge. If you happen to visit the city outside of the festival dates, do not fret as there are a few alternatives, such as Phil Brady's Bar and Grill (Baton Rouge, LA 70806) and Teddy's Juke Joint in nearby Zachary.

Other live music venues in the city, include:

• Boudreaux And Thibodeaux's (Baton Rouge, LA 70801)
• Green Frog Music (Baton Rouge, LA 70801)
• Rick N Robins Night Club (Baton Rouge, LA 70827)
• The Office (Baton Rouge, LA 70802)
• The Texas Club (Baton Rouge, LA 70806)

When it comes to food, you can rely on the city's flourishing food and culinary industry. You can go to one of the best restaurants in the entire state or just along the side of the road as you enjoy some great food truck fare.

The locals love the food trucks here. Not only can these satisfy your craving, but they are also delicious and affordable. If you just want to experience the best, then look for these: Dolce Vita, Curbside and Taco de Paco. Otherwise, Fresh Junkie gives you wraps and healthy salads, while Chicken Shack Express offers great fried chicken. Pullin' Pork, on the other hand, gives you the chance to chow on an assortment of pork dishes, and Three Bones BBQ has great barbaCajun.

However, if you would like to savor your food and sit at a table inside a warm, cozy and beautiful restaurant, here are the best options for you:

• Galatoire's Bistro (Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
• George's (Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
• Head and Tails (Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
• Serop's Cafe (Baton Rouge, LA 70809)

If you are in the city during the Baton Rouge Restaurant Week, then you are in luck. Restaurant Week allows you to sample the city's best restaurants at discounted prices. Imagine being able to taste the specials of a couple of food places for only $15 to $35 per person!

While Louisiana's food can be very varied and diverse, one of the most beloved fares is seafood. Check out the oysters at Beausoleil Restaurant and Bar (Baton Rouge, LA 70809), Acme Oyster House (Baton Rouge, LA 70808), or Stroubes Seafood and Steaks (Baton Rouge, LA 70801). Sample fresh fish of all kinds at the Louisiana Lagniappe (Baton Rouge, LA 70810), or Mansurs on the Boulevard (Baton Rouge, LA 70808). Other seafood restaurants you should not miss are Mike Anderson's Seafood Restaurant (Baton Rouge, LA 70809), Le Creolé (Baton Rouge, LA 70809) and Juban's Restaurant (Baton Rouge, LA 70808).

You can also shop at the Red Stick Farmers Market (Baton Rouge, LA 70802) or Tony's Seafood Market (Baton Rouge, LA 70805) where you could buy the ingredients you need for a nice home-cooked meal.

Speaking of shopping, Baton Rouge offers you a world of retail options as well. Check out:

• Baton Rouge Arts Market (Baton Rouge, LA 70802)
• Bon Carre Mall (Baton Rouge, LA 70806)
• Main Street Market (Baton Rouge, LA 70801)
• Mall at Cortana (Baton Rouge, LA 70815)
• Mall of Louisiana (Baton Rouge, LA 70836)
• Montage Marketplace (Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
• Perkins Rowe (Baton Rouge, LA 70810)
• Towne Center at Cedar Lodge (Baton Rouge, LA 70809)

Aside from these outlets, you can check out the craft tents at the many festivals that happen in the city. Or you can just drop into any of the boutiques you see all around Baton Rouge.

Looking for a great place to tee off? Then check out the following golf courses:

• Baton Rouge Country Club (Baton Rouge, LA 70809),
• Country Club of Louisiana (Baton Rouge, LA 70810),
• Santa Maria Golf Club (Baton Rouge, LA 70810), and
• University Club of Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge, LA 70810)

Aside from these Baton Rouge courses, there are also highly recommended ones in nearby cities.

Tennis aficionados also love the city for its tennis courses. Play tennis at:

• Capital One Tennis Center (Baton Rouge, LA 70806)
• Forest Community Park Tennis Center (Baton Rouge, LA 70816)
• Highland Road Community Park Tennis Center (Baton Rouge, LA 70810)
• Independence Community Park Tennis Center (Baton Rouge, LA 70806)

Other sports venues in the city include:

• Ace W. Mumford Stadium (Baton Rouge, LA 70813)
• Baton Rouge River Center Arena (Baton Rouge, LA 70802)
• BREC Memorial Stadium (Baton Rouge, LA 70802)
• City Park Golf Course (Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
• F. G. Clark Center (Baton Rouge, LA 70813)
• Lee–Hines Field (Baton Rouge, LA 70813)

As a center for state government and politics, you will want to know about the city's political history. And there is no better place to do this than at the Old State Capitol (Baton Rouge, LA 70801), where you can see the Ghost of the Castle presentation. Or better yet, visit the Southern University's Museum of Art (Baton Rouge, LA 70807) and the Louisiana State Museum (Baton Rouge, LA 70802) for more in-depth look into the city's and the state's history.

However, if looking at exhibits is not enough for you, you can travel back in time when you visit the LSU Rural Life Museum (Baton Rouge, LA 70898) or the Magnolia Mound Plantation House (Baton Rouge, LA 70802).

Then there's USS KIDD Veterans Memorial & Museum (Baton Rouge, LA 70802), which offers you a look into some interesting military history.

The best place to jog, stroll or bike is along the Mississippi River Levee Path, where you could stop at the Town Square and enjoy live entertainment.

Baton Rouge has more than 180 parks to choose from, helping it get a top sixth ranking in NerdWallet.com's list of best cities for recreation.

At these parks, you can go camping, biking, canoeing, fishing, and hiking, among other outdoor activities. Check out some of the best parks, including:

• BREC Comite River Park (Baton Rouge, LA 70818)
• BREC Perkins Road Community Park (Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
• Burbank Dog Park (Baton Rouge, LA 70820)
• Raising Cane's Dog Park (Baton Rouge, LA 70809)
• Waddill Outdoor Education Center (Baton Rouge, LA 70814)