Shreveport, LA

Red River Entertainment District
A collection of new dining, entertainment and retail venues on the Shreveport side of the river, is modeled after Beale Street in Memphis; the district is flanked by dockside riverboat gaming, museums, convention facilities, and theaters; a multitude of dining, dancing, and live entertainment establishments are here; the district’s walkway is called the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Plaza, and is home to the Walk of Stars -- it pays tribute to some of the world's most recognized celebrities who are either from Northwest Louisiana or may have called this home at some point on the way to stardom; including legendary Grambling football coach Eddie Robinson; a highlight of the promenade are the distinctive artistic columns of the Texas Street bridge which symbolize the five major cultures of Louisiana—African American, Indian, French, Spanish and Cajun; the three contributing artists for the columns were appropriately chosen from Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport; 318-673-6500; http://www.redriverentertainment.com

Texas Street Bridge
The largest neon-lit bridge in America, the Texas Street Bridge connects Shreveport with Bossier City, situated on opposites of the Red River; but it’s the fiber optic cables that make this bridge visually stunning; Shreveport and Bossier City downtown riverfronts

Commerce Street
Blues, Cajun, Country Western, Rock and other musical genres can be found at about a dozen nightclubs and restaurants in this 3-block waterfront area, home to the city’s club scene and Downtown

Blind Tiger
Shreveport's oldest documented building dating to 1855, includes a popular restaurant named after the illegal bars during Prohibition; the most popular definition had it that small toy tigers placed on the tables of restaurants to indicate that there were back rooms where a man could get a drink or gamble, and the tigers turned a “blind eye” on this behavior; menu items include sandwiches and burgers, salads, Cajun specialties, steaks, chicken, seafood and desserts; 120 Texas Street; 318-226-8747; http://www.blindtigerrestaurant.com

R.W. Norton Art Gallery
Named in honor of Richard W. Norton, one of the discoverers of the Rodessa oil field in north Louisiana in the early 1930’s, the museum spans 40-acres and contains 20 exhibit rooms displaying paintings, drawings and sculptures by renowned western artists Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, among others, American and European art spanning four centuries, and more; 4747 Creswell Avenue; 318-865-4201;
http://www.rwnaf.org

First United Methodist Church
Originally known as the Shreveport Methodist Church in the 1800’s, the church is credited with establishing other Methodist churches in Shreveport.  It occupied its first building in 1845 as the city's first small meetinghouse on Market Street, then later moved to its present location; Head of Texas Street; 318-424-7771; http://www.fumcschreveport.org

Pioneer Heritage Center
Situated on the grounds of the Louisiana State University-Shreveport, the center has authentic 1830s-1860s buildings from the pioneer days in Northwest Louisiana; One University Place at LSU-Shreveport; 318-797-5332; http://www.lsus.edu

Strand Theatre
Built in 1925 as an opera house and movie theatre by the Saenger Brothers from Shreveport; joining forces with another Shreveport movie house owner, it became the flagship of a chain of 320 theaters throughout the South; completely renovated in the 1980s, it has hosted Little Richard, Patti LaBelle and Broadway touring companies; listed on the National Register of Historic Places; 318-226-1481; http://www.thestrandtheatre.com

J. Bennett Johnson Waterway Regional Visitor Center
Fashioned like a boat, the recently opened J. Bennett Johnson Waterway Regional Visitor Center downtown on the riverfront is an 8,300 square foot center designed to offer the visiting public, through a series of ongoing programs, exhibits, displays and other educational tools, historical information relative to the Red River Basin, the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway and the role of the Corps of Engineers in the development, preservation and enhancement of local water resources; 600 Clyde Fant Parkway

Eldorado Casino
Includes 403 luxurious suites, 1,400 slots, and 60 table games; 451 Clyde Fant Parkway; 877-602-0711; http://www.eldoradoshreveport.com

Bossier City, LA

Horseshoe Casino & Hotel
Hotel features 25 stories of 606 luxurious suites; a great venue for concerts that range from Al Green to Country Music to Shaolin Monks; 711 Horseshoe Blvd; 800-895-0711; http://www.horseshoe.com

Harrah’s Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack
Horse races are held Thursday thru Sunday, while the casino is 24/7; the casino occasionally features national concert acts; 8000 East Texas Ave; 800-551-RACE; 318-742-5555; http://www.ladowns.com

Boomtown Casino & Hotel
300 Riverside Drive; 866-462-8696

Isle of Capri Casino and Hotel
711 Isle of Capri Blvd; 800-843-4753 and 318-747-2400; http://www.isleofcapricasino.com