The first weekend of September is here, and Baton Rouge is kicking off the month with FREE museum fun, local history, farmers market finds, story time, sensory-friendly activities and plenty of ways to get the kids out of the house. Find Things to Do in Baton Rouge This Weekend in our Weekend Planner!
And Sunday is a particularly good day to explore Baton Rouge because it’s First Free Sunday! Several local museums and historic sites are opening their doors for free admission and special family programming.
Here are some of the best family-friendly things to do in Baton Rouge and beyond this weekend, September 4–6, 2026.
As always, schedules can change. We recommend checking with the event organizer before heading out.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
🥕 Red Stick Farmers Market
📅 Saturday, September 5 | 8 AM–12 PM
📍 Downtown Baton Rouge | 5th & Main Streets
💲 FREE admission
Start Saturday morning downtown at the Red Stick Farmers Market! Shop locally grown produce, baked goods, meats, artisan foods and other goodies directly from Louisiana farmers and producers. Plus kids activities!
It’s an easy Saturday morning outing for the whole family and a great way to support local Louisiana farmers and food producers.
Learn more about Red Stick Farmers Market
📚 Read & Create: “Roux’s First Day” with Julie Becnel
📅 Saturday, September 5
📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum | 100 South River Road, Baton Rouge
Kick off LASM’s Weekend of Literacy with local author Julie Becnel and her new children’s book, Roux’s First Day! 📖✨
Families can enjoy a special reading of this sweet story about courage, friendship and navigating the big feelings that come with trying something new.
After the story, kids can participate in a hands-on craft, and families will have an opportunity to meet Julie during a book signing. 🎨📚
A wonderful Saturday activity for little readers!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
🍂 FREE FIRST SUNDAY IN BATON ROUGE!
Sunday may be the BEST family-fun day of the weekend!
Baton Rouge’s First Free Sunday tradition gives families an opportunity to explore participating museums and cultural attractions without paying admission, and several locations have added special activities this month.
You could easily make an entire afternoon of it!
🏛️ Fall into History
📅 Sunday, September 6 | 11 AM–4 PM
📍 Old Governor’s Mansion | 502 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge
💲 FREE
Step back in time during the second annual Fall into History at Louisiana’s Old Governor’s Mansion!
Families can tour the historic mansion while discovering special exhibits from the West Baton Rouge Museum, Baton Rouge African American Museum and LSU Special Collections.
Visitors will also have a rare opportunity to see artifacts from the Mansion’s collection storage that normally aren’t on public display.
🎨 Create custom stamps and designs in the Formal Dining Room
🏛️ Explore special exhibits and historic artifacts
🎶 Enjoy music and activities throughout the day
🌮 Grab lunch or a treat from local food trucks
Admission is FREE as part of Baton Rouge’s Free First Sunday programming.
Fall into History event details
🏡 Free First Sunday at Magnolia Mound
📅 Sunday, September 6 | 1–4 PM
📍 Magnolia Mound: Museum + Historic Site | 2161 Nicholson Drive, Baton Rouge
💲 FREE
History isn’t just in the books — it’s all around us! 📖✨
Explore Magnolia Mound during First Free Sunday and uncover how communities harnessed nature’s gifts while discovering more about the people, traditions and everyday life that shaped early Baton Rouge.
Enjoy free admission from 1–4 PM and a family-friendly afternoon connecting with Baton Rouge history in a whole new way.
It’s a great choice for families who want to mix a little outdoor exploring with Louisiana history.
Magnolia Mound First Free Sunday details
🎨 Free First Sunday: Folk Art at LSU Museum of Art
📅 Sunday, September 6 | 1–4 PM
📍 LSU Museum of Art | Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette Street
💲 FREE
Explore the Folk Art Gallery and then let the kids create!
For September’s Free First Sunday, LSU Museum of Art is inviting families to make their own collage portraits inspired by works in the museum’s Folk Art Gallery.
Admission and the family activity are free and open to everyone.
🎬 FREE Mystery Kids Movie at Manship Theatre
📅 Sunday, September 6 | 1 PM & 2:40 PM
📍 Manship Theatre | 100 Lafayette Street, Baton Rouge
💲 FREE
Here’s a fun one — the movie is a surprise! 🎬🍿
Manship Theatre is hosting a FREE sensory-friendly Mystery Kids Movie for First Free Sunday.
Screening times:
1–2:30 PM
2:40–4:10 PM
The surprise movie is rated PG with a Common Sense Media recommendation of approximately ages 6+.
Both screenings are sensory-friendly, with quieter sound and the freedom for kids to move, talk and be themselves. Sensory bags are available, and families can use a nearby quiet room.
Even better: LSU Museum of Art will have arts and crafts in the lobby from 1–4 PM.
Reserve your FREE Mystery Kids Movie tickets
🔨 Behind the Barn Doors
📅 Sunday, September 6 | 2–5 PM
📍 West Baton Rouge Museum | 845 N. Jefferson Avenue, Port Allen
💲 FREE
Cross the river for something a little different!
The West Baton Rouge Museum’s quarterly Behind the Barn Doors program invites families inside the museum’s Big Red Barn for demonstrations of traditional skills and crafts.
This Sunday, resident blacksmith Ben Deshotels will demonstrate the art of forging while creating a set of barbecue tools. 🔥🔨
The program is free and open to the public.
📖 Free First Sunday: National Read-A-Book Day at LASM
📅 Sunday, September 6
📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum | 100 South River Road, Baton Rouge
💲 FREE admission for First Free Sunday
Celebrate National Read-A-Book Day with a special literacy-themed First Free Sunday at LASM! 📚✨
Local nonprofit The Dolly Diamonds will host read-alouds celebrating Dolly Parton’s love of books and reading and the joy she has brought to generations of young readers.
And there’s an extra treat for families: Line4Line will be giving away FREE BOOKS to museum visitors! ❤️📚