(03/25/25) BATON ROUGE, La. — Visitors to Burden Museum & Gardens will soon be greeted by a new welcome center that will provide information, host events, offer educational programs and even serve as a model for stormwater management.

LSU and LSU AgCenter officials, members of the Burden Foundation, donors and supporters held a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility on a sunny spring morning March 25.

The welcome center will serve as a gateway to Burden Museum & Gardens, a 440-acre property in the heart of Baton Rouge near Interstate 10 and Essen Lane. A popular event venue and destination for lovers of nature and history, the complex consists of the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, the LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens.

“This is considered a crown jewel for the Baton Rouge area, and it’s something that we are very, very proud of,” Matt Lee, LSU vice president for agriculture, said at the ceremony.

LSU President William F. Tate IV described Burden as “one of the distinctive places within the LSU portfolio” whose research and educational efforts play a role in all five priority areas in his Scholarship First Agenda: agriculture, biomedical, coast, defense and energy.

“For me, as president of LSU, if I ever wanted to point to a place that captures what we’re about as an institution, it’s right here,” Tate said. “It’s extremely powerful for me to be here with you today.”

The much-needed facility has been in the works since Burden adopted a master plan in 2009. Currently, there is no central location to welcome guests and provide them information for their visit.

“We’re such a big property,” said Jeff Kuehny, director of the AgCenter Botanic Gardens. “People come to visit and they don’t know where to go or what to do.”

“There is a great variety of experiences at Burden. Often, visitors come for one activity on the property only to discover there is much more to see and do,” added Bill Stark, director of the Rural Life Museum. “This gateway will let our regional repeat visitors know what is best to experience seasonally and serve as a property overview for our many thousands of national and international guests.”

Once the welcome center is complete, visitors will drive down a recently constructed road, passing trees and native plantings to reach the building. There, staff members will be able to direct them to various attractions at Burden and answer questions.

The facility will be available for rentals for educational programs, meetings, events and receptions. It also will feature displays that highlight the Burden family and the property’s storied history.

The new facility will sport a subtle, modern design with components that speak to the historical buildings on the property.

“The architecture and vernacular are meant to help interpret the surrounding landscape,” Kuehny said. “You can see through the building almost anywhere you are to a different part of our landscape, whether it’s a designed landscape or a natural landscape.”

It also will function as a demonstration and educational tool for managing stormwater that runs off impermeable surfaces like the roof.

“The water that comes off the roof will come down through a scupper built on the side of the building and into a detention basin,” Kuehny said. “From there, it will flow into a rain garden and then slowly into Ward Creek. It’s a way to manage both the quantity and quality of stormwater.”

The parking lot will be made of a semi-permeable material to aid in stormwater management, and landscaping in the area will include plants that are ideal for these types of systems.

Lee applauded these initiatives at the ceremony, noting that much of Louisiana lies in a flood zone.

“We live in an environment where we have to navigate a daily relationship — not only in terms of our homes, but our critical infrastructure — with water,” he said. “This is a cutting-edge facility that helps develop new knowledge and insights related to the way Louisianians live with water.”

Burden leaders and supporters are looking forward to the new facility and how it will improve the visitor experience.

“I believe this welcome center will advance a new era for this property,” said Charles Lamar III, board member of the Burden Foundation and principal individual donor.

Kuehny noted that Burden recently finished updating its master plan and strategic plan.

“This building is a key part of a major transformation that we are currently going through,” he said.

The welcome center will open to the public in spring 2026. Private donations — not state dollars — are funding the project.

A groundbreaking ceremony for a new welcome center at the Burden Museum & Gardens was held March 25. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

LSU President William F. Tate IV speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for a new welcome center at the Burden Museum & Gardens. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Matt Lee, LSU vice president for agriculture, speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for a new welcome center at the Burden Museum & Gardens. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Jeff Kuehny, left, director of the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, speaks with guests following a groundbreaking ceremony for a new welcome center. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

People attending the groundbreaking ceremony for a new welcome center at the Burden Museum & Gardens were able to sign their names on souvenir hard hats. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter