The city of Alexandria is on the banks of the Red River and is one of the most promising states in the entire United States. It is the ninth largest city in all of Louisiana and an exciting place where having a few days off can lead you to discover endless activities that make you want to return one day.
If you want to know the best things to do in Alexandria, LA, don’t worry because we will give you the keys to taking a tour that will make you fall in love with the city. In Alexandria, there are options for everyone, whatever your tastes: you can enjoy nature, visit art exhibitions, eat delicious Creole food and learn a little about the history of this city, and of Louisiana in general. We will tell you the five best things to do in Alexandria so that you can enjoy a full day.
Top 5 things to do in Alexandria, LA, so you don’t get bored
A weekend morning or afternoon in Alexandria, Louisiana, has plenty of fun. It is a city to which many families move precisely because of the possibility of making different plans for all members and all tastes.
Here we tell you the five goals best considered by Alexandria tourism according to statistics from World Data, although, in reality, there are many other places to go if you are going to stay longer:
Alexandria Zoo, LA
The Alexandria Zoo is one of the most special places in the entire city. And in fact, almost 200,000 people visit each year according to the data, which is impressive considering that the town has less than half that population and is also not the most visited place in Louisiana.
The Alexandria Zoo is not only very visited because there are more than 500 species of exotic animals. All the natural space is impressive, and you can see a place where the main concern is the welfare of all animals.
From bears, giraffes, and all kinds of exotic monkeys, jaguars, and a part specialized in insects such as tarantulas, this is the perfect plan to spend a pleasant day with the family. It is open every day until half past four in the afternoon, leaving you time to explore the rest of the city.
La Kent Plantation House
The Kent Plantation House is another essential point to learn about the history of the city of Alexandria. It is a French colonial building from the 18th century, one of the few places that preserve that aspect of other times that we like to see so much to learn about the history of each city.
Although it has undergone some modifications over the centuries, the truth is that it is possible to see both the facade and the interior decoration of an entire era and how the nobles lived in the state of Louisiana at that time.
Museum of Art of Alexandria
If you are a lover of painting and art, and you are visiting the city, you should know that this is one of the things to do in Alexandria for an afternoon there. Also if you go with your family and want them to know a little about how artistic movements developed throughout history.
And it is that the Alexandria art museum has works by both local and international artists from different eras. Knowing it inside can also help us to understand how history has developed in this small town in Louisiana.
If you want to know more about Alexandria museums, we recommend you go to the Tree House children’s museum right in front of the art museum. And, to complete the collection, you can visit the Louisiana Museum of History, whose building is from the early years of the 20th century and is beautiful.
Mardi Gras
Although Alexandria is a fairly quiet city throughout the year, the truth is that massive event has been held there since 1994. It is called Mardy Gras, a parade where everyone dresses up, drinks, and eats delicacies clubs while dancing to the rhythm of good music for hours.
Experiencing Mardi Gras consists of experiencing the true essence of a city like Alexandria and a state like Louisiana, where music is a fundamental component of its history.
The parade is usually scheduled between January and April, so if you travel there on these dates… You should not miss it!
St Francis Xavier Cathedral
And last but not least, we recommend you visit the famous San Francis Xavier Cathedral inside and out. Although it was built in the 19th century, it was destroyed and rebuilt the last year before the turn of the century: in 1899.