Louisiana's story of raising sugarcane and producing sugar is filled with tradition, disappointment, excitement, and just plain hard work. The exhibit, From Field to Factory, celebrates the industry that has had more impact on our lives and that of our ancestors than any other in the history of our Parish.
The centerpiece of the gallery is a 33-foot model of a sugar mill, originally constructed for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. After the expo, the model was nearly lost to the public eye forever. Fortunately, the Cinclare Sugar Mill in Brusly reassembled it at the West Baton Rouge Museum in 1995 to commemorate the 200th year of commercial sugar production in Louisiana. The exhibit also features sugarcane murals, which show visitors the actual height of sugarcane at harvest, as well as panels discussing planting, harvesting, and milling cane and an homage to Norbert Rillieux, who's multiple-effect evaporator revolutionized the sugar industry.