Budget cuts hit Louisiana state parks, museums

In the heart of the summer tourism and vacation season, Louisiana’s state-run recreational areas, parks and educational pastimes are shrinking visitors’ hours and cutting staff to cope with reduced funding in the new budget year, begun July 1. Military history enthusiasts and fans of football great Eddie Robinson can explore museums celebrating their interests only three days each week. Children on summer vacation will have less time to splash and swim in state-run pools. Visitors to Louisiana’s historic sites and a trail of small museums crisscrossing the state will find trimmed-down schedules. With the start of the 2011-12 fiscal year, limitations to operating hours at state parks and pools were announced, and a dozen small museums around north and central Louisiana slashed their hours. The Louisiana State Museum, Old State Capitol and the Old Arsenal Museum did not have their operating hours affected.