“Only in Louisiana” Museums 35 Elsewhere Around the State • The Abita Mystery House in Abita Springs is a folk art masterpiece, filled with handmade creatures including the half-dog, half-alligator known as Darrel the Dogigator, and such displays as a mysterious UFO crash site. Hard to describe and even harder to forget, the Abita Mystery House offers one of the most only-in-Louisiana experiences you’ll find. • Visit the Kentwood Museum in Kentwood, which celebrates the life of hometown superstar Britney Spears, and also has an exhibit on military history that honors local veterans. • Spend an afternoon at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum in Natchitoches. These combined museums offer visitors an inside look at the contributions Louisiana natives have made to the sports world, as well as the lives of area residents, from ancient times to the present. • Cash in on a good history lesson at the Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans, the only facility in the U.S. to ever create currency for two different countries—the United States and the former Confederacy. The museum is housed inside another unique attraction: The New Orleans Jazz Museum. Abita Mystery House Take a walk through the whimsical, weird House of Shards. ©Louisiana Northshore gas pump and typewriters. (Remember those ancient relics?) Better yet, it’s still a working hardware store where you can pick up hard-to-find items you can’t find at those big-box chains. mysterious spiritual figures and a towering lighthouse, all rendered in sculpted concrete, were made by this one self-taught artist. He moved away from Chauvin in 2000, leaving behind one of the most remarkable, memorable assemblages of art you’ll find anywhere in Louisiana. Kenny Hill Sculpture Garden, Chauvin In the early 1990s, bricklayer Kenny Hill constructed a wondrous sculpture garden and outdoor museum in the fishing village of Chauvin. Over the course of a decade, Hill built visionary artworks on a tiny plot of rented land overlooking Bayou Petit Caillou. Fantastical creatures, angels, Ready to Explore More? Discover other fascinating museums at LouisianaTravel.com/ attractions/museums #OnlyLouisiana @LouisianaTravel
Louisiana Travel Guide Louisiana Sunshine Magazine 2021: Page 35
