Places to Paint

Alexandria

Alexandria Museum of Art

933 Second St Alexandria, LA 71301

The façade of the museum that faces second street is part of the Old Rapides Bank Building (ca. 1898), a registered landmark. The front of the museum was designed in 1998 by a local architecture firm.

Louisiana History Museum and Genealogical Library

411 Washington St, Alexandria, LA 71301

Historic building – designed in 1907 in the Beaux Arts style by Crosby & Henkel of New Orleans and built by Caldwell Brothers.

Arna Wendell Bontemps African American Museum and Cultural Arts Center

1327 3rd St, Alexandria, LA 71301

Historic building – The museum is housed in the restored childhood home of Arna Bontemps, a poet, author, anthologist and librarian considered the leading authority on the Harlem Renaissance. The home was rescued, relocated, restored and established as the first African American Museum in Louisiana.

Hotel Bentley

200 Desoto St, Alexandria, LA 71301

Historic building – The Hotel Bentley was constructed in 1907 by Joseph Bentley, a Pennsylvania native who became wealthy in the lumber industry in Central Louisiana. During World War II, the hotel housed Dwight Eisenhower and George S. Patton while they planned the historic Louisiana Maneuvers.

Bland House

330 Saint James St, Alexandria, LA 71301

Historic Building – Bland House is a two-story frame Colonial Revival style house located in Downtown Alexandria.

Coughlin Saunders Performing Arts Center

1202 3rd St. Alexandria, LA 71301

Architecture - Central Louisiana’s premiere performance venue sits on the former site of Wellan’s Department Store, the land being donated by McCormick and Company, then owners of the Alexandria Daily Town Talk. The tri-arched beautifully-lighted marquis above the Third Street entrance is a tribute to the longstanding downtown department store. The Rasco Company of Little Rock, created the original conceptual design, while the local firm of Ashe, Broussard and Weinzettle worked with design and construction planning. Ratcliff Construction of Alexandria served as the general contractor for construction.

River Oaks Square Arts Center

1330 2nd St. Alexandria, LA 71301

Historic building – River Oaks Square Art Center is a contemporary visual arts and fine crafts center comprised of three galleries and artists’ studios. It sits on the site of the James Wade Bolton house, a wood frame clapboard house in the Louisiana Queen Anne style built in 1899 that served as the home for prominent local banker, James Wade Bolton.

St. Francis Xavier Cathedral

626 4th St. Alexandria, LA 71301

Church/Architecture – The old parish church of St. Francis Xavier was constructed in 1817 and was the only building in Alexandria spared during the Civil War. This original building burnt down in 1895 and a new church was built in the Gothic Revival style by Nicholas J. Clayton in 1899. It was the first brick church in the city. The cathedral complex includes the cathedral building, St. Francis Academy (erected in 1897) and the rectory (erected in 1896 and renovated 1930).

Alexandria Zoological Park

3016 Masonic Dr Alexandria, LA 71301

Wildlife – Alexandria Zoo has been in operation since 1922. It sits within a canopy of mighty oaks, towering cypress trees and bamboo and is home to more than 160 species of animals.

Riverfront Amphitheater

100 Johnston St, Alexandria, LA 71301

Kent Plantation House

3601 Bayou Rapides Rd, Alexandria, LA

Historic building – Kent Plantation House is an authentic Creole plantation house built circa 1796 prior to the Louisiana Purchase. It is one of the oldest standing structures in the state of Louisiana. The structure is a classic example of French Colonial Architecture.

England AirPark

1100 Frank Andrews Blvd. Alexandria, LA 71303

Local landmarks/Aviation - England AirPark traces its beginnings back to 1939, when it served as an emergency airstrip for Esler Field, the regional airport serving the Central Louisiana Area. In the 1950s it became an air force base and was officially named England Air Force Base until its closure in 1992, when it began its transition to a civilian reuse as an Airpark and Community. The site is home to Alexandria’s airport, a senior living community, a golf course and numerous office and warehouse facilities. At its entrance is Heritage Park, where several historic planes are on display – a great spot to paint!

Pineville

Old Rapides Cemetery

201 Hattie Street, Pineville, LA 71360

Historic places – Established circa 1780, the Old Rapides Cemetery is tightly intertwined with the settlement history of central Louisiana. Go to https://www.thehacl.org/orc-guide to see some of the fascinating graves in the cemetery.

Historic places/Cemetery – Authorized by an Act of Congress on February 22, 1867, the Alexandria National Cemetery is a military cemetery operated by the Veterans Administration.

Central Louisiana State Hospital Dairy Barn

US-165, Pineville, LA 71360

Local landmarks - The Dairy Barn was built in 1923 on the grounds of Central State Hospital in Pineville to provide dairy products for the hospital. It was designed by Joseph Carlin, an architect who previously had been treated at Central State Hospital.

Forts Randolph and Buhlow

135 Riverfront St, Pineville, LA 71360

Forts Randolph and Buhlow were constructed on the Red River at Alexandria by Confederates in order to repel future Union attacks through Northwest Louisiana. Construction, completed by March 1865, was under the command of Cpt. Christopher M. Randolph and supervised by a military engineer, Lt. Alphonse Buhlow, for whom the forts are named.

Mt. Olivet Episcopal Church and Cemetery

335 Main St, Pineville, LA 71360

Mt. Olivet Chapel is the oldest standing structure in Pineville. During the Civil War, the chapel was used as headquarters for the Union Army, and was therefore spared from the burning of Alexandria. The Cemetery is the second oldest in the area. The names of early pioneers and prominent citizens of the area can be found on the tombstones.

Old LSU Site

801-999 Maryhill Rd, Pineville, LA 71360

The ruins of the original site of Louisiana State University sit in this walking interpretive trail in Pineville. The original building was built in 1859 with Major William Tecumseh Sherman as its first superintendent.

Lake Buhlow

200 Lake Buhlow Rd Pineville, LA 71360

A great spot for boating, racing, fishing, and recreational activities. The City of Pineville and local organizations host several events at this site. Locals also enjoy taking sunset photos here.

The lake is a popular motorboat racing site. It is home to several world outboard speed records and because of that it is often referred to as “The Fastest Lake in the USA”.

The area is bounded by US Highway 165 to the south, Red River tot he north, Forts Randolph and Buhlow to the west and the airport to the east

The Fort Randolph & Buhlow State HIstoric Site in Pineville, Louisiana.

Fort Buhlow Recreation Area

Recreation Road, Pineville, LA 71360

The Fort Buhlow Recreation area is nestled between Buhlow Lake and the Red River and can be accessed via the Lake Buhlow Road past Pineville Airport. It has a short nature trail, a disc gold course, pinic tables, views of the river and of the old railroad bridge.