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| Capitol Park |
| DNR in Capitol Park |
Capitol Park South Campus (mouseover Buildings for Descriptions and Occupants)
Visiting DNR in Capitol Park
The Department of Natural Resources is located in downtown Baton Rouge in the LaSalle Office Building, part of the Capitol Park.
Visitors to DNR may have business in other parts of the Capitol Park, or may want to visit historical resources in other sites such as the new Louisiana State Museum.
For these visitors to DNR, we have created this overview of other Capitol Park sites.
Capitol Park Interpretive Plan
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| Capitol Park Visitors Center 225.219.1200 |
The Capitol Park Interpretive Plan is designed to turn the park area into a tourist-friendly campus of governmental buildings, cultural exhibits and educational activities.
Under the plan, the Park includes a Visitors Center, a state history museum, a walking tour and art exhibits in state buildings and historic sites highlighting Louisiana culture.
All new Capitol Park buildings are compatible with the existing Art Deco State Capitol. The new buildings are not an exact copy of the State Capitol, but instead use the flavor of that architectural style and transpose it into contemporary architecture while maintaining a respect for the original design. Individual buildings reflect the requirements of each location.
The State Capitol...and the Allegorical Figures
The architects of the State Capitol used symbolism throughout the design of this towering building. As the square tower rises, it is cut away to an octagon at the 22nd floor. At this point four allegorical winged figures guard the corners, representing Law, Science, Philosophy and Art. Each figure is different, as are the views of the Capitol from differing angles.
 From the south, near Huey Long's statue |
 From the northeast, near the Arsenal |
 From the northeast, near the Arsenal |
 From the southeast, near the Barracks |
Existing Buildings
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The New Louisiana State Capitol was completed in March, 1932, in a mere 14 months and stands on a 27-acre tract. As the tallest state capitol in the United States, the building is 450 feet high with 34 floors. Twenty-five hundred rail cars were needed to bring in the limestone used on the exterior and the interior marbles which came from distant places, including Vermont and Italy. The cost to complete the building was a modest $5 million. Read more about the State Capitol One of the best vantage points from which to visit Baton Rouge is the top of the State Capitol. Watch "A View from the Top" virtual tour now compliments of the Louisiana Legislature (requires Real Player). |
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 The Education Building (demolished, 2003) |
 Capitol Annex |
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This imposing powder magazine, constructed in 1835 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is an exceptional Baton Rouge landmark. The site was of particular military importance because of its location on the Mississippi River for early settlements, and later as the main defensive position of the southwestern United States.
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 The Historic Pentagon Barracks |
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LaSalle Building The 12 story, 367,000 sq. ft. office building was built to house a total of 1,050 employees. The new office building is named after Robert Cavalier, Sieur de la Salle, the French trader who discovered the mouth of the Mississippi River and named the territory Louisiana. |
The LaSalle Building is only one part of a major project to consolidate much of Louisiana State government into Capitol Park in downtown Baton Rouge. The Claiborne Building is named after William Charles Cole Claiborne, appointed by Thomas Jefferson as Territorial governor, and elected Governor of the state in 1812. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on December 13, 1999 on the $54 million, 475,000-square-foot building. A ribbon-cutting ceremony occurred on May 9, 2002. A $10 million parking garage for 1,400 vehicles also is included in the project. |
Claiborne
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Another major building in Capitol Park is the 12-story Galvez Building. The Department of Environmental Quality is housed on Floors 1-10 while the Public Service Commission is on Floors 11-12. It features a one-story Conference Center and an area for vending machines, breaks and dining. Groundbreaking occurred on Thursday, February 15, 2001 on the Galvez Building, which houses 950 state employees. The cost was $35.7 million, with construction time just over two years. The new building is named for Spaniard Bernardo de Galvez, one of Louisiana's most colorful governors. When Spain owned most of Louisiana, Galvez drove the British from Baton Rouge in 1779. The 6-story Galvez Garage includes 1,900 parking spaces plus the Main Street Market, with 22 retail spaces for restaurants, produce, food, and other goods. The cost of this structure was $15.6 million. Occupancy occurred in the spring of 2003. |
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State Museum
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The new $13.4 million, 71,000-square-foot Louisiana State Museum is located at the corner of Spanish Town Road and Fourth Street. Groundbreaking occurred on March 21, 2002, and the museum was completed in mid-2004. |
| This 100,000 square foot building, named after Julian Poydras (1740-1824) president of Louisiana’s first constitutional convention, houses the Department of Insurance. The Department opened for business in its new building on February 17, 2003 at the site on the lake north of the State Capitol. |
Julian Poydras Building
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The Iberville Building is being built on the site previously occupied by the State Land and Natural Resources Building, and will house employees of the Department of Social Services. It was designed by Holly & Smith Architects, and is being constructed by Milton J. Womack & Co. more pictures courtesy of Holly & Smith Architects Conceived as one of the brother buildings by the Capitol Park Interpretive Master Plan, the Iberville Building forms one-half of the new Capitol Park gateway. The 270,000 s.f., 9-story office building is designed in cooperation with its adjacent gateway brother, the Bienville building, to complete a group of four buildings (along with LaSalle and Galvez) facing the Louisiana state capitol. The gateway concept draws from history in that the exploring brothers, Iberville and Bienville, discovered a Gulf route to the mouth of the Mississippi River, the gate to Louisiana. The buildings both incorporate a third floor roof terrace facing the capitol and a nine story linear tower element. The elevator shafts are positioned so that exiting the cab provides a profound direct view of the W.P.A. art deco design of the Louisiana state capitol and its expansive formal gardens. The majority of the buildings (including Iberville) within Capitol Park reference the forms and details of the WPA/art deco influence. Primary materials include precast concrete panels, glass curtain walls and aluminum wall panels. To contribute in the marking of the gateway, the tower is detailed with seven protruding curtain elements, serving as illuminated lanterns. Across Fourth Street, on the site previously occupied by the Education Building, will be the Bienville Building, the new home of the Department of Health and Hospitals. The prime contractor is the Ratcliff Construction Company. |
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