Baton Rouge is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish and is known as the second largest city in Louisiana. The city is located along the southeast part of the Mississippi River and is known for being the site of the first bluff upriver (Istrouma Bluff) from the Mississippi delta.

History states that when the French explorer Sieur d´Iberville led an exploration party up the river, they saw a reddish cypress pole that had bloody animals and fish on it. The pole served as a boundary mark for the hunting grounds between Bayou Goula and Houma. d´Iberville and company called the tree “le baton rouge” or red stick, although the site´s native name is Istrouma.

Baton Rouge has a number of attractions including the Baton Rouge Gallery, Baton Rouge River Center, Baton Rouge Little Theater, Shaw Center for the Arts, Houey Long Field House, Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge Zoo, Perkins Rowe, Mount Hope Plantation, USS Kidd, and many others. Festivals and events that are held at the city include the Festival of Lights, Sunday in the Park, Ice Skating at the River Centre, Mardi Gras season, Red Stick International Animation Festival and Baton Rouge Art Car Festival.