The northwest corner of Louisiana, around Shreveport-Bossier, is a mixture of spicy Cajun attitude and wide-open Texas spirit. It's where Elvis Presley got his start.

And there are alligators and the Cypress Black Bayou as well as 12 fun, free and family-friendly things to do on your next family vacation.

1. Chimp Haven. The retirement sanctuary for chimpanzees is home to nationally recognized chimps. Each year the facility hosts Chimpanzee Discovery Days. http://www.chimphaven.org/

2. The Duck Pond. The official name is East Kings Highway Park, but this wonderful play area along Old River is known to locals as "the duck pond." Lots of play structures, swings, slides, picnic tables, a waterfront location and, of course, the ducks, make this soft-surfaced playground a great place to spend an afternoon! Open dawn to dusk. http://www.ci.shreveport.la.us/DEPT/spar/Parks/sparparks.asp?facility_id=29

3. Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park. Features interpretive exhibits, hiking trails and picnic area. Trails are well marked, identifying natural features and animal habitats.
http://www.caddoparks.com/memorial.cfm

4. Barnwell Garden & Art Center. One of the few combined art and garden centers in the Southwest, the Barnwell has a domed botanical garden conservatory and fragrance garden for the visually impaired.
http://www.barnwellcenter.com/

5.Eighth Air Force Museum. This military museum features military aircraft, dioramas, a gift shop and more. http://www.8afmuseum.net/ 

6. Elvis Presley Statue. Check out the bigger-than-life bronze statue of Elvis Presley in front of the Municipal Auditorium, where the king of rock `n' roll performed on the Louisiana Hayride for the first time in October, 1954. http://www.stageofstars.com/

7. J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Regional Visitor Center. Explore the history of the Red River, navigation and the start of Shreveport-Bossier.
http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/lakes/la/JBennettVistorCenter/

8. Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum of Champions. Located inside the Shreveport Convention Center, it's an exhibit dedicated to each of the more than 100 athletes recognized from the area. http://www.shreveport-bossier.org/
 
9. Once in a Millennium Moon Mega Mural. On two sides of the AT&T building, the nation's largest public arts mural covers 30,000 square feet. Visible from I-20, the mural is a unique and monumental time capsule capturing the people of Shreveport, their treasures, tragedies and triumphs in vivid color and poignant portraiture.
http://www.shrevearts.org/Pages/Millennium.html

10. RiverView Park. The public park features an interactive water fountain with lights and music, a 300-foot-long floating boat dock, a magnificent waterfall that incorporates natural stone and plantings, an arbor and viewing area at the summit of a waterfall. 
http://www.ci.shreveport.la.us/dept/spar/Parks/sparparks.asp?facility_id=50 

11. Southern University Museum of Art. This museum features more than 300 original pieces of African-American and African art, and is a part of Louisiana's statewide African-American Heritage Trail.
http://www.susla.edu/sumas 

12. Spring Street Historical Museum. At the Spring Street Historical Museum, antiques and artifacts are exhibited in Shreveport's oldest building, circa 1865. The museum is listed in National Register of Historic Places and features an original vault, Victorian cast-iron grillwork gallery, Civil War artifacts and much more.
http://www.springstreetmuseum.com/

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