The U.S. Interior Department has announced that Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium has been declared a national historic landmark in the US. It is one of 16 locations to become national landmarks this year for it's importance in American history and culture.

The auditorium is city owned. It was built in the 1920's with an art deco design. It was dedicated to the World War I veterans. It is most famously known as the site of the Louisiana Hayride hosted by local radio station, KWKH from 1948 to 1958. It was noted as country music's most innovative radio show.

"It's a wonderful designation that, hopefully, will allow us to go out and find grant money and other additional funding to do the things we need to do to make that a functional place," said Shreveport Councilman Michael Long, a musician who is active with The Foundation for Arts, Music and Entertainment of Shreveport-Bossier.

As we all know, Elvis played the hayride while he was becoming a rising star. Pictured above is tourists visiting the auditorium today. It now hosts all kinds of events. It is nice to see an Elvis related site not being torn down as many have been. The hayride is a very important piece of not only Elvis history but music history. And it is wonderful generations of music fans will be able to visit the auditorium where so much great music was played and heard in a very important period of music history, the begining of Rock and Roll.

2008/10/15 The Times - " target="_blank">www.elvisunlimited.com