News Release Distributed 08/14/15

BATON ROUGE, La. – The cooling temperatures of fall create an ideal time to visit Burden Museum & Gardens, located at 4560 Essen Lane, just off Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge.

Open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Burden Museum & Gardens includes the LSU Rural Life Museum, the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens and Windrush Gardens.

The LSU Rural Life Museum focuses on the life ways of rural Louisiana of the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum also provides educational and research resources that advance an understanding of the material and cultural heritage of the region. Admission is $9 for adults 12 to 61; $8 for seniors and kids 5 to 11; and free for kids under 5. The LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens are open daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. except major holidays.

The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens is an expansive collection of specialty gardens, woodlands, wetlands and arboreta. Trees and Trails offers five miles of serene walking paths through the Burden Woods. The Rose Garden, Children’s Garden and All-America Selections Display Garden showcase the beauty of plants and flowers and provide educational experiences for gardeners of all ages.

Special events this fall include:

Harvest Days at the Rural Life Museum on Sept. 26-27 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Living history demonstrations will interpret activities that took place on Louisiana farms and plantations during harvest time in the 1800s. Activities will include cooking, soap making, boat building, hands-on activities for the kids and wagon rides. Regular admission.

Corn Maze Festival at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. features a farm animal petting zoo, pumpkin painting, hay mountain climb, corn maze, hayride, giant slingshot and plenty of concessions to enjoy. Visitors may purchase corn dogs, popcorn and drinks from Burden Horticulture Society volunteers. Admission $10 per person, including concession tickets; children 3 and under free. Pumpkins for painting will be on sale for $5.

Corn Maze Saturdays at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, Oct 10, 17 and 24, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. feature hay mountain climb, corn maze, hayride, giant slingshot and plenty of concessions to enjoy. Visitors may purchase corn dogs, popcorn and drinks from Burden Horticulture Society volunteers. Admission $7 per person, including concession tickets; children 3 and under free.

Wine and Roses in the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, Oct. 14. Enjoy an elegant evening of dining under the stars and among 2,000 roses with hors d’oeuvres by Chef Eric Arceneaux of The City Club and dinner by Chef Don Bergeron. Cocktails 6-7 p.m. with music in The Pavilion; dinner 7-9 p.m. in the Rose Garden. Admission $125 per person.

Haints, Haunts & Halloween at the LSU Rural Life Museum, Oct. 25, 3:30-6 p.m. Enjoy the sights, sounds and activities of an old-fashioned country fair. While on the museum grounds, children can enjoy and participate in storytelling, cake walks, pumpkin decorating, games and trick-or-treating. Recommended for children 2 to 9 years old. Admission $5 per person. Children 2 and under free.

Night Maze and Bonfire at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. The family-oriented corn maze provides fun times for children of all ages to spend Halloween night. Come dressed in your Halloween costume. Featuring farm animal petting zoo, pumpkin painting, hay mountain climb, corn maze, hayride, giant slingshot and plenty of concessions to enjoy along with a family evening bonfire with s’mores and music. Visitors may purchase corn dogs, popcorn and drinks from Burden Horticulture Society volunteers. Admission $10 per person, including concession tickets; children 3 and under free.

Red Rooster Bash at the LSU Rural Life Museum, Nov. 5, 6:30-11 p.m. Roosters are immersed throughout the décor, and the casualness of the evening fits in with the atmosphere of the museum. Everyone is encouraged to wear red and sport their country or western attire. Guests will enjoy a cocktail hour and have the opportunity to bid on silent auction items. A live auction will follow. Admission is $65 per person or $120 per couple.

Cocktails in the Garden at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, Nov. 6, 7:30-11 p.m. (VIP early admission at 6:30 p.m.) The evening features local mixologists’ cocktail concoctions and gourmet cuisine from Baton Rouge restaurants. The Culinard Culinary Institute will sponsor the main food table with preparations from their students. The evening will include dancing in The Pavilion to the music of Ned Fasullo & the Fabulous Big Band. Admission $40 person; VIP admission $50 per person. All guests must be 21 years old or older. Tickets will be available in advance online.

Continuing activities include

Trees and Trails, a 5-mile system of pedestrian, recreational and educational trails in the Burden Woods, provides opportunities for hiking and interpretive and educational activities for youth and adults. The trail system is open from 8 a.m. to dusk every day.

The children’s garden offers a place to learn about gardening and nutrition. This model garden also provides a location for youth-related organizations and individual families to experience the outdoor, focusing on vegetable, herb and butterfly garden plantings.

Windrush Gardens comprises majestic live oaks and ancient crape myrtles to create a shady canopy over azaleas and camellias, evoking a sense of tranquility and peace. Steele Burden, who was influenced by the gardens of Europe and the surviving gardens of 19th century Louisiana plantations, designed Windrush. The winding paths are ideal for strolling and enjoying the 25 acres of landscaped spaces.

The Rose Garden is a member of the American Garden Rose Selections program, a nationwide network of approved public gardens, and the American Rose Trials for Sustainability (ARTS) program, maintaining an inventory of 1,500 plants representing 150 varieties. Starting each April, the Rose Garden offers an exclusive preview of the coming year’s outstanding new varieties.