{{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox NRHP | name = Old Alexandria Public Library: Houses Louisiana History Museum | nrhp_type = nrhp | image = Louisiana_history_museum.jpg | caption = | location = 503 Washington<br>[[Alexandria, Louisiana]] | coordinates = {{coord|31|18|31|N|92|26|43|W|display=inline,title}} | locmapin = Louisiana#USA | area = | built = 1907 | architect = Crosby & Henkel; Caldwell Bros. | architecture = Beaux Arts | added = January 19, 1989 | refnum = 88003225<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref> }} [[Image:Scale model of Red River steamboat at Louisiana History Museum in Alexandria IMG 4321.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Scale model of the [[steamboat]] ''Red River'']]
[[Image:Artifacts at Louisiana History Museum in Alexandria MG 4333.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Artifacts in display cases]]
[[Image:Hotel owner Joseph Bentley's chair at Louisiana History Museum IMG 4328.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Chair used by Joseph Bentley, founder of the [[Bentley Hotel]], on display]]
The '''Louisiana History Museum''' is located in the historic downtown portion of [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], Louisiana, USA, near the [[Red River of the South|Red River]]. It showcases the social evolution of all of [[Louisiana]], but centers on the history of [[Central Louisiana]], [[Rapides Parish]], and Alexandria. Major exhibit areas deal with Native Americans, Louisiana geography, politics, health care, farming, and the impact of war.
==The old Alexandria Library building==
The building housing the Museum and Alexandria Genealogical Library started life as the Alexandria Public Library in 1907. The building was constructed solely for the advancement of culture and learning in by Caldwell Brothers (contractors), and Crosby & Henkel of New Orleans (architects). It replaced an earlier library that was burned by General Nathaniel Banks' federal troops on May 13, 1864. Remodeled in 1970, restored as a Bicentennial project in 1976, and again in 2003, it now houses (upstairs) one of the largest genealogical libraries in Louisiana. The structure was placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1989.<ref>{{ cite web |title=Alexandria Library Historical Marker |author=Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism |url=http://www.stoppingpoints.com/louisiana/Rapides/Alexandria+Library.html }}</ref>
==Museum history==
The Louisiana History Museum was begun in 1971 by Angelique Stafford "Gic" Kraushaar. Her vision was to establish a museum in Alexandria that would not only describe the history of Louisiana but also show the unique beginnings and background of Central Louisiana.
==Displays and exhibits==
There are more than fifty displays and exhibits, including:
*Native Americans in Louisiana *How the Alexandria town plat was laid out in 1805 by [[Alexander Fulton (Louisiana)|Alexander Fulton]] *Louisiana under the rule of Spain, France and England *Famous figures in Louisiana such as Governor [[Murphy J. Foster, Jr.]] *The [[American Revolution]] *[[American Civil War|Civil War]] *Construction of the Civil War dam on the [[Red River of the South|Red River]] by [[Joseph Bailey (general)|General Joseph Bailey]] *[[Camp Beauregard]], a [[United States Army]] facility in [[World War I]] *The [[Louisiana Maneuvers]] and [[Camp Claiborne]] in Alexandria in World War II *Politicians from the Central Louisiana area including [[Huey Long]] and [[Earl Kemp Long]] *Central Louisiana in postcards
==See also== *[[Louisiana State Museum]]{{spaced ndash}}Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and other locations
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.louisianahistorymuseum.org Louisiana History Museum website] {{Alexandria, Louisiana}} {{U.S. state history museums}}
[[Category:Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana]] [[Category:Museums in Rapides Parish, Louisiana]] [[Category:History of Louisiana]] [[Category:History museums in Louisiana]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Alexandria, Louisiana]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Alexandria, Louisiana]] [[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Rapides Parish, Louisiana]]