Special to the American Press

Special to the American Press

BATON ROUGE — A new permanent exhibit has opened at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol. The exhibit’s opening commemorates 25 years since the restoration of the building. The new display also comes on the heels of the former statehouse being re-accredited through the American Alliance of Museums.

The exhibit, “Castle on the River: The Evolution of Louisiana’s Old State Capitol,” chronicles the Capitol from its inception to its current function as a museum. The exhibit was designed by HW Exhibits and funded by the Old State Capitol Foundation, the Charles Lamar Family Foundation and the Friends of the Old State Capitol.

The Old State Capitol originally opened in 1852 and was destroyed by fire during the Civil War. In 1880, the building was restored and the grand stained glass rotunda was added to the building. It served as the capitol until 1932 when the new State Capitol opened.

The building was used for various offices, but fell into a state of disrepair thereafter. In 1991, it was transferred to the Secretary of State’s Office. The late Secretary of State Fox McKeithen led a three-year, $6 million restoration effort, and the building re-opened in 1994.

Today, the Old State Capitol’s mission is to educate the public on Louisiana’s rich history and the democratic process through exhibits, programming and the arts.

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For more information about the Old State Capitol, contact Press Secretary Tyler Brey at 225.362.5086 or tyler.brey@sos.la.gov.