New Orleans Lakefront Airport is a Time Capsule of Art Deco Architecture | SWI | 6/12/26

Opening in 1934, New Orleans' Lakefront Airport was widely celebrated as the “Air Terminal of Tomorrow,” with an original art deco terminal costing nearly four million dollars. Over the years, the airport was repurposed as a nuclear fallout shelter, hiding the historic artwork behind walls of concrete. Then the buildings were badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Now, Lakefront Airport is returning to its glory days with the artwork and architecture uncovered and preserved for all to enjoy. LPB’s Johnny Atkinson takes us on a tour of the historic airport and architectural time capsule, uncovering another unique part of Louisiana history. Louisiana: The State We're In (SWI) SWI is Louisiana's only statewide news magazine. The program airs Fridays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 4:30 p.m. on the six-station LPB network that includes stations in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, and Shreveport. This award-winning show combines in-depth coverage about the important issues in the state along with expert analysis. https://www.lpb.org/swi