(11/19/25) BATON ROUGE, La. — Mark the holidays with Burden Museum & Gardens as it hosts several cozy events that will lift everyone’s spirts. Beautiful light displays, Christmas celebrations and seasonal birding will provide enjoyment for everyone.

For another holiday season, Louisiana Lights will engage guests of all ages and take them on a journey through illuminated garden rooms, past a sparkling lake and a shimmering tunnel of light on the grounds of the former Burden family home. A dazzling orchard, scintillating stream, Moravian stars and other stunning surprises will light the way against a backdrop of brilliant, majestic oaks, twinkling crape myrtles and the luminous landscapes of Windrush Gardens at Burden.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the show at various locations courtesy of Crowne Plaza.

The lights will be on Wednesdays through Sundays from Nov. 28 to Dec. 30, with additional openings on Dec. 22, 23, 29 and 30. Timed entry sessions will begin every 30 minutes from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Once inside, guests can explore the show at their own pace.

There will be a few specialty nights, like Mistletoe & Moss on Dec. 3, when local vendors will set up inside the light show. Dec. 10 will be Barks & Bright Night, when dogs are welcome for an additional $5 fee. On University Night, Dec. 17, 10% will be taken off two tickets when you use a university email address.

Tickets are $22 for adults and free for children 3 and under. Parking is free. Tickets will be available in early September and can be found at https://DiscoverBurden.com/LaLights. For more information, contact Malorey Uzee at muzee@agcenter.lsu.edu.

For one Saturday a month in the winter, the gardens will host Birding at Burden, a two-hour guided tour led by different birding specialists throughout the loops at Burden. There are 183 species of birds that have been found around the grounds.

Admission is $10. The capacity for each excursion is limited to 15 guests. Register at Eventbrite.com. For more information, contact botanicgardens@agcenter.lsu.edu.

With Christmas right around the corner, celebrate the season at the LSU Rural Life Museum’s 19th-century Louisiana Christmas event, A Rural Life Christmas. Enjoy live music, skilled artisans, storytellers and costumed reenactors bringing holiday traditions to life. Families can meet Papa Noël, explore festive activities and immerse themselves in the joyful spirit of the season.

The festivities will be Sunday, Dec. 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the food tent is open from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Admission is free for children younger than 4; $6 for children between the ages of 4 and 11; and $12 for children 12 and up. Tickets are available at https://tinyurl.com/RLMChristmas2025.

Also on Dec. 7, the Rural Life Museum will be hosting Wassailing in Windrush, an enchanting evening of old-world charm in the Windrush Gardens. The event, which will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m., will have fireside gatherings, seasonal food and drink inspired by centuries-old holiday customs and in the soothing sounds of live traditional and seasonal music.

Tickets are $65 for general admission and $60 for Friends and Docents. Tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/WIW25.

StoryTime in the Garden offers children the opportunity to listen to storybook readings and get creative while at Burden. Young children will have a blast interacting with other kids, making arts and crafts and listening to stories. Little ones also receive a book to take home with them. Every half hour, stories and crafts will switch to keep young children interested and engaged.

StoryTime is best suited for children aged 3 to 8, but all ages are welcome. Admission is free, and no registration is required.

In the winter, StoryTime will be held on Dec. 13, Jan. 17 and Feb. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon.

To celebrate 15 years of Arbor Day at Burden, the gardens will be partnering with Baton Rouge Green as the group hosts its annual tree giveaway. At the event on Jan. 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., they will give out one free tree per household. Participants will have the chance to plant a tree, 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.

Registration is not required. For more information, contact Malorey Uzee, communications coordinator, muzee@agcenter.lsu.edu.

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 a 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 and Windrush Gardens.

The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens 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 semi-formal gardens of the Burden family.

Admission to the Botanic Gardens and Trees and Trails is free of charge and open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Rural Life Museum is $10 for adults 12 to 61, $9 for seniors and $8 for children 6 to 11. Admission to Windrush Gardens is $3 per person. Both are free for kids under 6. The LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens are open daily 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on major holidays.

The Radiant Rondelle and other dazzling displays light up the holiday spirit at Louisiana Lights at Burden Museum & Gardens, open Wednesdays through Sundays, Nov. 28 to Dec. 30, with additional openings on Dec. 22, 23, 29 and 30. Photo by Darlene Aguillard