The J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Visitor Center in Shreveport, LA - A 5-Minute Trip from Interstate 20

 

The J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Visitor Center in Shreveport, Louisiana is a place you need to visit when you are traveling along Interstate-20 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Jackson, Mississippi; Birmingham Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia or Columbia, South Carolina.

We became interested in visiting the visitor center a few months ago when we visited the area a few months prior and we saw the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sign posted outside. We had to stop to see what awaited us inside.

Are you looking for things to do in Shreveport for the weekend or things to do with your children? Check out our experience.

Weekend Trip Along Interstate-20

While taking a day trip from the Carthage, Texas area (an 45-minute drive to Shre Interstate-20), we decided to take a day-trip to the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Visitor Center.

Time Needed for Your Visit: 

30-40 minutes

Location/Address:

700 Clyde Fant Parkway; Shreveport, LA 71101

Minutes from Interstate 20:

5-10 Minutes

The I-20 Stop: The J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Visitor Center in Shreveport

This visitor’s center is an amazing opportunity to learn about the history and the future of the Red River which runs through the following states: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico. The visitor’s center features a reception area, theater with a great film about the Red River, exhibition hall, and interactive exhibits.

For the children, it is a great combination of science and social studies. For parents and adults, it is a great reminder about the importance of rivers such as the Red River and how impacts the east Texas and western Louisiana areas.

Check out our experience at the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Visitor Center

“Fun Day at the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Visitor Center in Shreveport, LA”

Parking and Additional Tips:

Parking is free!

Contact Information:

J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Visitor Center  in Shreveport, LA  - (318) 677-2673

https://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/J-Bennett-Johnston-Visitor-Center/

Hours of Operation:

Wednesday to Saturday - 10:00 am – 4:00 pm 

What did you like the most about the Shreveport Water Works Museum? Did we miss anything?

Sincerely,

Weekends Count Magazine & The Weekends Count Family

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Visit the Starr Family Home in Marshall, Texas!

Looking for a fun, family activity in East Texas? Then head over to Marshall, Texas to visit the Starr Family Home! This is a Texas Historic Site!  We visited the property during its annual Victorian Fair.  

The property includes one large home, several smaller homes, and a schoolhouse.  Multiple generations of the Starr Family lived on the property.  At the time, the property was considered to be in a very rural area, but has now been surrounded by development in the city.

Outside the different buildings, you and your family will find markers describing the buildings and the people who lived there.

On this day there were also arts and crafts stations where kids could make toys common during the time when the property was occupied like dolls made of straw.

There were performers dressed in historic clothes playing dulcimers and other instruments at the Victorian Fair.

Because the property is now maintained by the Texas Historic Commission, the buildings are preserved to look like they would have when they were occupied.

The Victorian Fair also featured a photo station inspired by that period of history.  Our daughter really enjoyed that station!

Outside the schoolhouse, there were historic games and a person making balloon animals.

Texas Parks and Wildlife brought some animal furs and bones for kids to observe and identify so students could learn about science and history.

While the Victorian Fair is an annual event, the home is available for tours throughout the year.  The kitchen was actually on the side of the home next to the servant quarters.  The stove actually works and was used to make lunch for the staff.  As an African American family, we appreciate the Texas Historical Commission for preserving the servant quarters to honor their contributions to the home and also to help our daughter the opportunities she has today.

The Starr Family Home is actually three stories and includes a huge and extravagant mother in law suite that has been preserved.

We highly encourage you to visit Marshall, Texas and tour the Starr Family Home.

What are your favorite historic places to visit?

Let us know in the comments!

Have a great week and plan for the weekend!

Sincerely,

The @WeekendsCount Family!

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About Weekends Count - Weekends Count is a Millennial Family Travel, Fun, Food and Activities blog based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. We review hotels, travel and household items, and millennial family experiences!

Authors - Jennifer and Tony Edwards

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Think with IBM at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Grownups and kids will enjoy this tribute to IBM's contributions to the world.

Saddle Up at the Cattle Raisers Museum in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Enjoy rodeos and westerns? Then take your family to visit the Cattle Raisers Museum in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History!

Explore America at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History!

If you enjoy breathtaking views of lands across the United States, then you should definitely visit the Exploring America Exhibit at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.  Homeschool parents and social studies teachers will be glad to know that each picture includes a description and QR code young minds can use to learn more about the photos and the associated lands on the US Department of Agriculture website.  Make sure you download a QR code reader before visiting the exhibit.

Don't miss this exhibit!

9 Ways to Teach Your Kids About the MLK Holiday

Here's a list of ways you and your family can honor Dr. King and celebrate MLK holiday.

1. Show them the Dr. King's message or holiday is for all people, not just people of color.

Heard of the Poor People's Campaign? Dr. King fought to help all kinds of people break the chains of poverty.

2. Find and join a MLK march or parade in your area.

If you live in a suburb that doesn't have a MLK march or parade, you can help start one for next year.  You can also participate in the march or parade in the nearest metropolitan area.

3. Participate in Day of Service activities.

Use VolunteerMatch to find an opportunity to serve on MLK day or anytime during the year.

4. Watch a documentary or movie about the civil rights movement with your kids.

You can watch movies like Selma or the Great Debaters or documentaries like Eyes on the Prize or African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross.

5. Take a civil rights tour.

You can find a civil rights tour group or visit the National Parks Service list of Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement.

6. Visit a civil rights museum.

You can visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee; the Birmingham (Alabama) Civil Rights Institute; or the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

7. Take a campus tour of a historically black college or university (HBCU) or Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

HBCUs in Texas include Prairie View A&M University, Texas Southern University, Huston-Tillotson University, Texas College, Wiley College, Jarvis Christian College, and Paul Quinn College.  Other HBCUs include Morehouse College and Spelman College in Georgia, Tuskegee University in Alabama, Xavier University in Louisiana, and Howard University in Washington, DC.  HSIs in Texas include Texas A&M University - San Antonio, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

8. Encourage your child's school or parent teacher organization to participate in Day of Service or diversity program.

Some school districts operate on MLK day.  Others don't.  In either case, your kid's school can still honor Dr. King by focusing on service and social justice.

9. Create or find a homeschool curriculum unit in Dr. Martin Luther King or diversity.

The Homeschool Mom offers a MLK unit on her website.

Have any other ideas! Let us know in the comments.

We hope you are having a great week!

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Make this week a great week and plan for the weekend!

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