(11/27/24) BATON ROUGE, La. — A chill is in the air, and the smell of hot apple cider is wafting from the kitchen, which can mean only one thing — winter has arrived at Burden Museum & Gardens, and with it comes a bevy of events for the entire family.
It began as a simple wish to make Baton Rouge a holiday tourist destination for families and friends to make memories that would last a lifetime. Now, as Louisiana Lights: Where the Holidays Shine is set to debut in November, that wish is coming true.
The immersive, multi-night lightshow will illuminate the historic Windrush Gardens at Burden Museum & Gardens. The natural beauty of the gardens will dazzle the senses through artistic uses of light to create a winter wonderland that will need to be seen to be believed.
Louisiana Lights will be held every Thursday through Sunday from Nov. 29 to Dec. 29. Each night’s first session will begin at 5:30 p.m., and the last will start at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets for the event are $20 for adults and children ages 4 and up. They can be purchased at DiscoverBurden.com/LaLights. Children 3 and under will be admitted for free. Onsite parking will be available for $10.
Experience the magic of the season at Poinsettias & Prosecco, an exclusive 21-and-up event hosted by the Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens.
This special evening will take place at Louisiana Lights on Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Wander through the stunningly lit Windrush Gardens while enjoying delectable small bites and perfectly paired drinks from local restaurants. Activities will include a silent auction, holiday wine and live music provided by Opera Louisiane.
Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased at https://lsuagcenterbg.ticketspice.com/louisiana-lights.
A Rural Life Christmas, the annual 19th-century Louisiana Christmas celebration, will be a day filled with traditional festivities including music, artisans, storytellers and costumed reenactors, where families can take memorable photos with Papa Noel and become immersed in the festive atmosphere.
The event will be held at the LSU Rural Life Museum on Dec. 8, beginning at 10 a.m. and culminating with the enchanting Louisiana Lights display at 5:30 p.m., brightening the evening with holiday cheer.
With more than 320 species of birds — including common species such as northern mockingbirds, ruby-throated hummingbirds, seven woodpeckers, waterfowl, wading birds and a variety of resident migratory songbirds — Birding at Burden is a bird watcher’s dream come true.
Beginning in September and continuing one Saturday per month between 7 and 9 a.m., attendees will have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of some of these species on a two-hour guided tour led by birding specialists through the birding loops at Burden.
Admission is $10 with a maximum capacity of 15 guests for each excursion.
The event will be held on Dec. 14. Those interested can register at Eventbrite.com.
Parents and children alike will cherish the memories made at StoryTime at Burden, held one Saturday per month from 9 a.m. until noon. Youngsters will enjoy arts and crafts, listening to stories and meeting other kids. They also will receive a book to take home with them.
Switching between stories and crafts every half hour will keep young children interested and engaged.
StoryTime at Burden is best suited for children ages 3 to 8 years of age, but all ages are welcome.
Admission is free, and no registration is required. This season’s dates are Dec. 14, Jan. 18 and Feb. 8.
The annual Arbor Day celebration and tree giveaway is always a crowd favorite! This year, the event will be held Saturday, Jan. 18, at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at the Barton Arboretum from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Baton Rouge Green will host its annual tree giveaway, offering one free tree per household while supplies last.
In addition to taking home your tree, you’ll have the chance to plant a tree in Burden Woods, track its growth with GPS coordinates and contribute to reforesting native trees lost to hurricanes and drought.
Enjoy a family-friendly day with activities like a scavenger hunt, educational exhibits on native trees and a visit from Smokey Bear!
Come make a lasting impact and learn how you can help our local environment thrive for generations.
Join us for a powerful gathering at the LSU Rural Life Museum’s Annual Ione E. Burden Symposium, as we celebrate Women’s Work: History Through Her Story with a special focus on African American women and their resilience, contributions and legacies in Louisiana.
In alignment with Black History Month, this year’s symposium, Her Journey, Her Strength, will explore the lives, struggles and triumphs of women who forged their own paths amid the challenges of history, from the Civil War and Reconstruction to the civil rights era and beyond.
The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. and speaker presentations starting at 8:30 a.m.
General admission tickets will be $45 and $30 for Friends of the LSU Rural Life Museum, docents, faculty and students of Louisiana universities (ID required). Lunch will be included with the price of the ticket.
Tickets will be available through BonTempsTix.com and at the door on the day of the event, but pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
Continuing activities
The birding loops at Burden trail system consists of six loops that wind through Burden’s formal and informal gardens, grasslands, croplands, wetlands and forest. The loops are designed for both beginners and advanced bird enthusiasts. Kiosks about the birding loops can be found at the Rural Life Museum Visitors Center and the Ione Burden Conference Center.
Trees and Trails, a 3-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 Mosaic Boardwalk at Black Swamp guides visitors through a hardwood swamp more than 200 years old. The trail system is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
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 outdoors, focusing on vegetable, herb and butterfly garden plantings.
The Rose Garden is part of the American Garden Rose Selections program, a nationwide network of approved public gardens, and the American Rose Trials for Sustainability program, maintaining an inventory of 1,100 plants representing 150 varieties. Starting each April, the Rose Garden offers an exclusive preview of the coming year’s outstanding new varieties.
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.
About Burden Museum & Gardens
Located at 4560 Essen Lane just off Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge, Burden Museum & Gardens is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and includes the LSU Rural Life Museum, the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden and Windrush Gardens.
The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden is an expansive collection of specialty gardens, woodlands, wetlands and arboreta. Trees and Trails offer 3 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. No admission is charged to tour the gardens.
The LSU Rural Life Museum focuses on the ways of life of rural Louisiana during 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. Adjacent to the Rural Life Museum, the historic Windrush Gardens comprises 5 acres of semiformal gardens of the Burden family.
Admission to the Botanic Gardens and Trees and Trails is free of charge and open daily 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Rural Life Museum, including Windrush Gardens, is $12 for adults 12 to 61; $11 for seniors ages 62 and over; $10 for children 4 to 11; free for kids under 3; $10 for LSU faculty, staff and students with ID; and $10 for members of the military with ID. The LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens are open daily 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except on major holidays.
Louisiana Lights presents a spectacular display of majestic oaks and crape myrtles wrapped in festive hues and adorned with twinkling Moravian stars. Photo by Darlene Aguillard
Burden Museum & Gardens will present multiple events to ring in the holiday season this winter, including Louisiana Lights, Poinsettias & Prosecco and A Rural Life Christmas. Photo by Sean Gasser
The annual Arbor Day celebration and tree giveaway will be held at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens and, as always, families will have the opportunity to plant a tree in Burden Woods in addition to taking home a free tree courtesy of Baton Rouge Green. Photo by Reagan Power