1. While all of Louisiana may be known for its crawfish, Breaux Bridge reigns as king of crustaceans. The city is called the “Crawfish Capital of the World” and has been proving it for over 50 years with its annual Crawfish Festival.
Source: Flickr user Izik
2. The first bottler of Coca-Cola, Joseph Biedenharn, lived in Monroe, where he purchased a small bottling plant to produce the drink.
3. Louisiana was named in honor of King Louis XIV, the King of France from 1643-1715.
Source: Wikimedia Commons user Web Gallery of Art
4. Until about 1890, City Park in New Orleans was a favorite dueling spot for Creole people. They would gather at the “Dueling Oaks” with a pistol, saber or colichemarde (long sword) and fight with their opponents.
5. In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million dollars, nearly doubling the size of the country.
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6. Just because it’s called the “French Quarter” doesn’t mean that being in New Orleans’ famous neighborhood is like strolling through a Parisian city. Most of the buildings today were influenced by Spanish architecture after a fire in 1794 destroyed most of the French colonial architecture.
Source: Flickr user Kimberlykv
7. Louisiana is the only state that still acts under Napoleonic code, which derives from the original French emperor’s civil code.
8. The town of Jean Lafitte was once a hideaway for pirates. It was also named after the French-born Louisiana pirate of the same name.
9. There are almost half as many alligators as there are people in Louisiana.
Source: Flickr user Mike Towber
10. The first opera in the United States was performed in New Orleans in 1796.
11. “Laissez les bon temps rouler” is a common expression that means, “Let the good times roll.” However, because it was a literal translation from English, it’s not actually grammatically correct French.
12. Louis Armstrong, one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, is from New Orleans.
Source: World Telegram staff photographer via Wikimedia Commons
13. Poverty Point in Pioneer has several large earth mounds that were built between 1650 and 700 BCE. They’re a complete archeological wonder and were constructed by people who had no access to draft animals or sophisticated tools for moving earth.
14. Mardi Gras may be the most well-known celebration in Louisiana, but the festival’s roots can be traced back to medieval Europe. It was only in 1875 that Fat Tuesday was declared an official state holiday.
Source: Flickr user Brad.Coy
15. And, speaking of Mardi Gras, each official color has an assigned meaning. Purple stands for justice, gold for power and green for faith.
16. Many of Louisiana’s historic mansions still have long, floor-level mirrors that women would use to ensure their ankles weren’t showing.
17. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, in Southern Louisiana, is the longest continuous bridge over water in the world, spanning 23.83 miles.
Source: Flickr user Glennaa
18. 2005’s Hurricane Katrina was the largest and third strongest hurricane to make landfall in the US.
19. The Louisiana Hayride radio program helped music icons like Hank Williams, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash achieve fame.
Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc via Wikimedia Commons
20. Baton Rouge is the only site of the American Revolution Battle that was fought outside the original 13 colonies.
21. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar in New Orleans is the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world. It’s been up and running for over 150 years.
Source: Flickr user The Sean & Lauren Spectacular
22. Louisiana is the only US state with a large population of Cajuns, descendants of French colonists who settled the Canadian Maritime Provinces.
23. Louisiana’s waters are home to 117,518 oyster reefs.
24. New Orleans is acclaimed as the birthplace of jazz. Locals took music from voodoo rituals and African slaves and combined it with music they heard in church and barrooms — the rest is history.
Source: Flickr user Infrogmation
25. Louisiana is the only state in the union that doesn’t have counties. Instead, its political subdivisions are called parishes.
26. At 450 feet with 34 stories, Louisiana has the tallest state capitol building in the US.
Source: Flickr user StuSeeger
27. The ramp knee staircase in the Chretien Point plantation home was copied and used in the movie “Gone with the Wind.”
28. Louisiana is full of many bayous, and the word translates from French into “slow moving river”.
29. Winnsboro calls itself the “Stars and Stripes Capital of Louisiana” and has been named one of the most patriotic cities in America. On special occasions, the city flies 350 flags along Highway 15.
30. Louisiana-made tabasco sauce holds the second oldest food trademark in the US patent office.
Source: Flickr user Fotovertigo
31. Tabasco is also still made on Avery Island today, where it was first created in the 1860s.
32. Many cemeteries in southern Louisiana are above ground, using crypts, tombs and vaults to hold the dead.
Source: Flickr user Finchlake2000
33. The origin of Louisiana’s nickname, Dixieland, has several theories. One is that the name came from ten dollar banknotes called “dixies” (named after the French word “dix” for ten) that were used throughout the state.
34. The oldest city in Louisiana is Natchitoches. It just celebrated its 300th anniversary in January, 2014.
35. The Nottoway Plantation Home in White Castle is the largest antebellum mansion in the South. It’s so stunning, that it served as the inspiration for the mansion in Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.”
Source: Facebook user Nottoway Plantation
36. Louisiana is one of the few US states that offers sales tax refunds to international visitors.
37. Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, means “red stick” in French. It was named after a bloody pole in the town that held the heads of several dead animals, marking the boundary between two tribal hunting grounds.
38. Famous authors Truman Capote & Anne Rice are both from Louisiana.
Source: Roger Higgins via Wikimedia Commons
39. Louisiana is the largest producer of alligators, crawfish and oysters in the country.
40. The Cherie Quarters cabins are two single story slave dwellings that still remain on Riverlake Plantation. They’re a rare surviving example of antebellum-type architecture.
Source: Wikimedia Commons user Z28scrambler
41. The International Cajun Joke Telling Contest is held each year in Opelousas.
42. Marie Laveau wasn’t just New Orleans’ favorite voodoo queen. She was also a popular hairdresser, cutting the locks of free women of color and white creole women.
43. Canal Street, one of New Orleans’ busiest streets, was named after a canal that was supposed to be built there. However, the waterway was never dug.
Source: Flickr user Ken Lund
44. Jungle Gardens on Avery Island is home to the world’s most complete collection of camellias.
45. The American version of craps was brought to the US via New Orleans by Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, who was a French-Creole nobleman, playboy and politician.
46. The official beverage of Louisiana isn’t a Hurricane, Sazarec or any other signature alcoholic drink. It’s milk.
Source: Flickr user USDAgov
47. Rayne calls itself the “Frog Capital of the World” and has a frog festival each year to honor its nickname. There are also several painted frog murals throughout the city
Source: Flickr user jimmywayne
48. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the largest steel constructed venue unobstructed by posts in the world.
49. The Toledo Bend Reservoir that Louisiana shares with Texas is one of the best spots in the country for bass fishing, with an enormous area of 185000 acres.
50. Louisiana has its own French dialects, the most popular being Creole French. The dialect is mainly a mix of the original French spoken by settlers and Acadian French, but it also includes words of African, Spanish, Native American and English descent.
Source: Flickr user Ken Lund
