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Huey Long Bullet Hole.
Plaque and display case mark the assassination spot. Holes in the wall may or may not be bullet holes.

Huey Long Shot Here: See the Bullet Hole

Field review by the editors.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

At the time of his death Huey Long was a United States Senator from Louisiana. He had no business being in the Louisiana state capitol, running the state like a dictator, but that's what he was doing on the night of September 8, 1935.

Huey Long Bullet Hole.

And that's when he was shot by a bespectacled young doctor, Carl Weiss, whose father-in-law Huey had just gerrymandered out of a judgeship.

The spot on the floor where Huey was shot has the tile design of a sunburst and concentric circles, creating an unintended bullseye. When we asked directions to the spot, a helpful guard reminded us to "see the bullet hole." This hole was not made by the bullet that killed Huey Long (it was fired in another direction) -- and some naysayers have suggested that it isn't even a bullet hole, just an imperfection in a granite column. But Dr. Weiss was shot over 60 times by Huey's bodyguards, a fusillade of bullets in a relatively confined space, so odds are that at least one of them left a bullet hole.

Louisiana State Capitol.
Louisiana State Capitol. Huey was shot in a ground floor hallway.

A showcase at the shooting site displays visual aids, such as photos of Huey, Weiss, the gun, and Huey's bloodstained clothing; news headlines of the time, and two best-guess illustrations of what the assassination looked like. A plaque on the wall, next to the column, is at the spot where the doctor hid. You can stand there, too, and imagine that Huey would've welcomed the current airport-style screening at the capitol's front door.

The statehouse itself is an attraction. Huey had it built to be the most jaw-dropping state capitol in the country and the tallest building in Louisiana (You can still visit its observation deck). He had an apartment on the 24th floor and a private "For Governor Only" elevator for his personal use, even though he was no longer governor when the building opened.

Unfortunately for Huey, these happy building attractions are a distant second to the shooting spot and the bullet hole, probably the second-most famous bullet hole in America after this one.

Roadside Presidents
Roadside Presidents App for iPhone. Find this attraction and more: museums, birthplaces, graves of the Chief Execs, first ladies, pets, assassins and wannabes. Prez bios and oddball trivia. Available on the App Store.

Also see: Huey Long Death Gun, Speechifying Statue | Huey Long's Towering Tombstone

Huey Long Shot Here: See the Bullet Hole

Louisiana State Capitol

Address:
State Capitol Drive, Baton Rouge, LA
Directions:
Louisiana State Capitol. I-110 exit onto North St. West to 3rd St, then north to the towering Capitol building. Free parking in front when the legislature is not in session.
Hours:
Daily 8-4:30 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
225-342-7317
Admission:
Free
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Huey Long's Towering TombstoneHuey Long's Towering Tombstone, Baton Rouge, LA - < 1 mi.
Large Head of George WashingtonLarge Head of George Washington, Baton Rouge, LA - < 1 mi.
Monument to Inventor of the Dollar SignMonument to Inventor of the Dollar Sign, Baton Rouge, LA - < 1 mi.
In the region:
Giant Crawfish Sculpture, Breaux Bridge, LA - 45 mi.

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