To facilitate trade between Louisiana and the newly independent Republic of Texas and Mexico, the Shreve Town Company created the town of Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1836. At the time, the Red River had just been made navigable, and the Texas Trail project had just ended. Shreveport became a city in 1871. The indigenous Caddo Indians sold a piece of property to the Shreve Town Company in 1835, and that piece of land became the original limits of Shreveport. Caddo Parish (county) was formed in 1838 when Natchitoches Parish was divided, and Shreveport was chosen as the county seat. The original town was split into 64 blocks by eight streets flowing from the Red River eastward and eight streets flowing southward from Cross Bayou, a branch of the Red River, which ran through the center of town. This 64-block region, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now the city's commercial and financial heart.

The Shreveport area is in the state's northwest corner and is a great place to find some of the best southern food, casinos, culture, and music. Start planning your trip to Shreveport with these ideas of things to do.

Orlandeaux's Café
The oldest African-American family-owned restaurant in the United States, Brother's Seafood, used to be called Orlandeaux's Café. It has been serving Shreveport customers "Just the Way You Like It" since 1921.

Asian Gardens of Shreveport
If you're in Shreveport, you can visit the Asian Gardens of Shreveport, a lush oasis representing 15 different Asian countries. Visitors can walk through beautiful gardens full of plants, flowers, statues, and more on multiple levels.

The Shreveport Aquarium
It is home to more than 3,000 animals, many of which are just getting their feet wet. End of 2017 saw the grand opening of the state-of-the-art facility with much excitement. This was the start of a new phase in Shreveport's ongoing revival.

The Agora Borealis
People in Katy Larsen's family are artists. Her friends are all artists, too. She's a good artist. This makes sense because she's an entrepreneur. She built an art gallery and market in a building once used as a bank. This is northern Louisiana art at its most local. You'll find paintings, pottery, sculptures, and more here and furniture and jewelry.

Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
The Art Deco-style Shreveport Municipal Auditorium was built in the 1920s and had a lot of fancy brickwork and space. It was an army barracks before becoming an internationally famous performance hall.

Shreveport Riverview Park, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, Lakeshore Mountain Bike Trail, Columbia Park, Betty Virginia Park, Shreveport Water Works Museum, Southern University Museum-Art, Elvis Presley Statue, The Logan Mansion, Sci-Port Discovery Center, and Red River District are some of the other things to see and do in the area.