Looking for things to do on Memorial Day in Baton Rouge? How about honoring our veterans by visiting Louisiana’s Veterans Memorial Park? Located within Old Arsenal Park on Capitol Access Road just minutes from the Louisiana State Capitol, the memorial is the first of its kind on state property. It’s also the first such memorial in the country to sit on the grounds of a state capitol.

History and Meaning of Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park

Upon the passage of SCR60, the park grounds surrounding the Old Arsenal Museum, located on the then-new grounds of the Louisiana State Capitol, were designated as Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park.

From its ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 10, 2017, Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park has provided the public with a place to honor and remember those who risked their lives to protect the freedoms Americans today enjoy. Some have died, some were wounded, but all who served in the US Military are honored and remembered here every day by hundreds from around Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the country, and the world. They come to pay their respects to all the nation's proud and dedicated veterans, not the least being the 332,000 veterans from Louisiana itself who served during World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Old Arsenal Park and Museum

Built circa 1838, the Old Arsenal Powder Magazine sits on the site of a former Federal Military Posh occupied by Louisiana militia prior to the start of the Civil War. Later, during the Battle of Baton Rouge in 1862, the federal troops occupied it. Later still, when Louisiana State University, aka the "Ole War Skule", was still located in downtown Baton Rouge, the cadets there made use of it. Today, after having been entrusted to the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, it’s now the site of the Old Arsenal Museum, established to honor and preserve that rich history and the military men and women who were a part of it.

Populating the site are military memorabilia preserving and sharing the stories of the valiant and courageous women and men who served their compatriots with distinction and dignity. Join the military families who gather there to remember, reflect and connect with one another in honor and Memoriam of their loved ones.

To schedule an individual or group tour of the Old Arsenal Museum, call (225) 219-3700.

Gold Star Families Memorial Monument

Also sitting in Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park is the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, erected to honor Gold Star Families and their fallen loved ones. The creation of Medal of Honor Recipient Hershel “Woody" Williams and dedicated on September 30, 2018, the monument bears four panels, each recognizing a different aspect of a military member’s service:

• The Homeland panel

• The Family panel

• The Patriot panel

• The Sacrifice panel