One of Baton Rouge’s most iconic landmarks along River Road celebrates a big milestone

Overlooking the Mississippi River, the historic train station housing the Louisiana Art & Science Museum turns 100 this year.

Built in 1925, the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Co. depot served as a passenger hub along the route from Memphis to New Orleans until the 1960s. Today, the red-bricked building still welcomes more than 60,000 visitors each year, including 22,000 students exploring the museum.

LASM was founded as the Baton Rouge Art and Science Center in 1962. It first opened in the basement of Louisiana’s Old State Capitol and later moved across River Road into the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Co. building in 1976.

LASM is now home to more than 4,000 artifacts and sculptures from around the world. Its collection includes paintings from the 1700s to the present, as well as a selection of Native American baskets. It also holds one of the largest collections of sculptures by Croatian artist Ivan Meštrović and a 300 B.C. mummy resting in a reconstructed Ptolemaic-era tomb.

To honor the centennial anniversary of the building, the museum is hosting a celebration of transportation this year, entitled “Crossroads & Connections: A Century of the Railroad in Baton Rouge,” with exhibits and events focused on the railroad.

Karen Soniat, LASM’s executive director, says there will be models on display from local collectors as well as a hands-on gallery called “STEAM in Motion” allowing visitors to examine transportation-inspired items.

This summer, LASM opened its “Threads of Evolution” exhibit detailing Queen of Sparkles founder Jamie Glas Odom’s journey from engineer to designer, on view through Nov. 9.

The gala celebration will include a 1920s-inspired outfit designed by Odom.

The look will honor LASM’s historic train station home, which was named to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1990s.

In November, the museum will spotlight its first director, Adalié Brent, who designed the stained glass fixtures in its auditorium. Her pieces can be found scattered throughout the community, but LASM also has six on display.

As part of the celebration, LASM is collecting memories from those who recall the train station’s early days—including the story of the first female worker at the Illinois Central Railroad, who volunteered at the depot before being hired.

“We’re going to harken back to our roots,” says Soniat, who took the helm in 2024. “We’re bringing back our cookbook in 2026, and we’ll have beautiful art on display and hands-on opportunities for students. We’re excited about it.” lasm.org

Conversation pieces

Fun facts about LASM

• The museum spans 77,000 square feet across 2 acres along the Mississippi River.

• Raising Cane’s and the Todd Graves family loaned a 65-million-year-old Triceratops skull, nicknamed Jason, to the museum. It went on view in 2016.

• Mike the Tiger I arrived in Baton Rouge through the train station on Oct. 21, 1936.

SAVE THE DATE

Oct. 10

LASM’s annual gala will feature a 1920s casino theme—”Puttin’ on the Ritz”—to celebrate the train station’s 100th anniversary. Patrons can also peek at the “Threads of Evolution” exhibit detailing Queen of Sparkles founder Jamie Glas Odom’s journey from engineer to designer.

This article was originally published in the September 2025 issue of 225 magazine.