shreveport water works museum

Great tour. We loved it. Excellent for a child with a curious mind who wants to see how things work. Primitive models help explain the working principles behind the big machinery. All that was missing was the heat off the boilers and the noise. Machinery is in excellent shape. We were greated at the gate and received at least an hour guided tour. We asked plenty of questions and our guide knew his stuff. This place is a must see in my book!

Loved seeing how things work and watching all the displays. We walked all over the area and were envious that our town had nothing to compare.

If you are a die-hard train enthusiast or railfan, the smaller Railroad Museum located next to the Water Works Museum is not worth your time. There are a few artifacts but the small room will take you about 5 minutes to walk around and read what literature there is.Next door however is a great piece of Shreveport history with the distinction of being a National Historic Landmark as well as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The facility is still operational today with modern equipment but the mechanized pumps from the 1800's and early 1900's are still on site with the high volume Allis-Chalmers pumps still in perfect working condition, which my guide fired up for me to demonstrate.I was greeted and escorted by a great tour guide named Kevin, who was very enthusiastic in recalling the history of the property and answering any questions I had. It was great to see the mechanical engineering that is both complex in operation yet simplistic in design.You will go through the workshop, with original equipment that is still being used by a local blacksmithing group and into the Boiler Room, followed by the pumping room, filter room, and outside to the on-site lab that was used to test the water prior to being sent to the city.This is a great educational tour for not only how water was treated and sent to the city of Shreveport but also a hands on look at the great engineering that went into the pumps.

This place is amazing! Everyone should check them out! The machinery used in this old water works plant is still in amazing condition and should be seen by all history buffs!!

Great fun for the kids. They love water and I love to see them happy. This is a good place to plan a party.

Maybe I missed something but when we arrived last week, the gate was closed and we were unable to take this tour. I was really looking forward to this piece of history while we were in Shreveport. The hours were posted on the gate and according to that, they should have been open when we arrived.

Spent most of a Sunday afternoon with a most knowledgeable volunteer touring this attraction. He shared a myriad of facts, so I apologize as I have forgotten the his name.Shreveport's first water plant opened in 1887 and was in operation until 1980. Filtration began in 1890, and chlorine treatment was initiated in 1914. May be wrong, but I believe some of the equipment on display is thought to be the last of its kind to have survived. The water works is a national historic landmark, and well worth a visit. There is no charge, but donations are appreciated.

The Shreveport Water Works Museum was built in 1887 and closed in 1980 - almost a hundred years later. It was very fascinating to see that the water was sucked in from the nearby bayou, passed through a cistern type system, then several filter systems, and finally put in a holding tank where chlorine was added before sending the water to the final dispersion tanks. You could see every step of the process in this old facility, which also included old equipment and tools to look at. It was quite a fascinating facility - and it was free of cost. Mobility limited visitors can see most of the plant - there are steps to the filtration tanks and into the labroatory testing facility.

Get away from the casinos and visit this site. Wonderful bit of engineering history and a great guide. Highly recommended.

Bring your listening ears, a desire to learn and a camera. The personal tour was outstanding, friendly and informative. My preteen/teens loved it too.

We all enjoyed this very much and found it to be a great surprise. Kevin was a great source of history and information and the museum was interesting to the adults and children alike. There are many aspects of the place I never would have imagined. I highly recommend this place to people who enjoy history or those that don't know how water is delivered to homes and businesses.

I found this museum, tucked away just north of downtown, on a stormy day while the car was being serviced. Housed in a pre 1900 building and former home to the Shreveport water works it explains the process of water purification during the late 1800s till the mid 1900s. Any fan of things old and mechanical will enjoy the large pieces of machinery on display and the large old buildings which housed it. Another plus is the small railroad museum housed on the property. While it isn't an attraction you'd visit every time you're in Shreveport, it is well worth more than one visit.

We took a break from our casino junket and found this museum to be an interesting diversion. I would highly recommend it. Easy to find great history

I like going to places like this. I has a lot of history behind it. It is a good place for familys. Great teaching children the history and what it took to build the citys water system. One of the few or only place to see old steam pumps used to pump the water still in the orginal state.

Went on Saturday morning at 10 and had a personal tour through all parts of the facility. GREAT attention was given to ensure our questions were answered; clearly the young man there had a working knowledge of both the history and mechanics of the site. Fabulous tour, hope it stays open for decades to come.