Burden Museum & Gardens set fall activities

BATON ROUGE — Burden Museum & Gardens have scheduled a fall lineup of fun activities.
Special fall dates to remember
For those who have a love for birding activities, grab your birding gear and catch a glimpse of some of the 320 species of birds at the new birding loops at Burden.
The two-hour guided tour, 7 to 9 a.m. on Sept. 16, Oct. 21 and Nov. 11, will be led by different birding specialists. Bird species commonly seen at Burden include seven different woodpeckers, northern mockingbirds and ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Tickets are $10 with a limit of 15 guests. Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/BirdingBurden 2023.
StoryTime in the Garden is the place to be on Sept. 9, Oct. 14 and Nov. 4. Children ages 3 to 8 will spend their morning listening to storybook readings and flexing their creative muscles.
Young children will have a blast from 9 until noon interacting with other kids, making arts and crafts, and listening to stories. The children will switch between stories and crafts every half hour to keep them interested and engaged. Children of all ages are welcome.
Admission is free, and no registration is required.
If you love to kick back and enjoy some mellow tunes, then be one of the first to experience Music in the Gardens, which bills itself as a treat for the senses.
On Sept. 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. soak up the sounds of local up-and-coming bands while basking in the beauty of the Botanic Gardens. Start packing your coolest picnic setup and get your dancing shoes.
Admission ranges from $5 to $25. Friends of Burden members will receive a discount on all ticket levels. Purchase your tickets at https://bit.ly/MusicGardens23.
The Corn Maze is back each Saturday in October, and on Sunday, Oct. 8. Fun activities for the entire family will include: the Corn Maze, sunflower fields (weather dependent), the pumpkin patch, a petting farm, gargantuan games, a corn crib, a spook-tacular playground, a temporary tattoo parlor, a hayride, satsuma picking, antique tractors, a hay mountain and a picnic area with local snack vendors.
The dates for the event are Oct. 7, 8, 14, 21 and 28. There will be a morning, a midday and afternoon sessions. Session times are from 9 to 11 a.m., noon to 2 p.m., and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 per person, and free for children two and younger. Tickets are pre-sale only and will not be offered at the gate. All ages must have a ticket to enter, and tickets are limited, but are still available at https://bit.ly/CornMaze 23.
Members of the Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens with a family or dual membership or above, receive four discounted Corn Maze tickets. Sign into the member portal to register for your tickets.
Learn about Louisiana history during Harvest Days at the LSU Rural Life Museum on Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Living history demonstrations will interpret activities that took place on Louisiana farms during harvest time in the 1800s. Artisans will demonstrate skills related to harvesting, hunting, fieldwork and other 19th-century duties. Activities will include open-hearth cooking, soap making, wagon rides and much more.
Advance tickets are available at https://bit.ly/RLMHarvestDays. At the door, ticket prices are free for all under three years old, $10 for ages 4-11, and $12 for those 12 and above.
On Oct. 28, from 6 to 9 p.m., you’ll need to grab your costumes, glow sticks and flashlights and head on over to the Night Maze & Bonfire.
At our family-friendly Night Maze, you can take a stroll through the corn maze, roast marshmallows by the bonfire, climb the hay mountain, go for a “swim” in the corn crib, play awesome games and dance to live music.
Admission is $15 per person and tickets are available at https://bit.ly/NightMaze23.
On Sunday, Oct. 29, from 2 to 4:30 p.m., pack up the kids and come out to enjoy the sights, sounds and activities of an old-fashioned country fair.
The staff and volunteers of the Rural Life Museum are providing a safe and fun Halloween event for the entire family. There will be a full lineup of fun activities like storytelling, cake walks, games and trick-or-treating. These are just some of the events kids can participate in while on the museum grounds.
Advance tickets $12 for those 12 and above and are available at https://bit.ly/RLMHaints.
Come out to the gardens on Nov. 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. for the annual Wine and Roses Rambler.
The Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden invite you to stroll through the gardens as you savor gourmet hors d’oeuvres from some of your favorite local restaurants, sip fine wine especially selected for each small bite and engage your senses in an aromatic wine tasting. Guests will also enjoy live music, a wine toss, a silent auction and a raffle.
Tickets are $100 per person. All food and drinks are included in the cost of your ticket. Tickets available at https://bit.ly/WineRoses 23.
On Thursday, Nov. 16, the place that you want to be is the Red Rooster Bash at the LSU Rural Life Museum. Cocktail hour begins at 6:30 p.m.
This annual barbeque event for the Friends of the LSU Rural Life Museum offers fun and a chance to win some fantastic door prizes. All while listening to lively music and enjoying delicious barbecue fare. Red roosters will be immersed throughout the decor.
Advance registration is required, with registration and ticket information becoming available in September.
From 9 a.m. to noon on Nov. 25, enjoy a Poinsettia Sale & Show like no other.
More than 20 varieties of locally grown poinsettias will be on display and available for sale at the Botanic Gardens greenhouse. The Botanic Gardens staff evaluates poinsettia varieties developed by breeders worldwide, and they will be exclusively sold at the annual show and sale. A limited quantity of each variety is available. Arrive on time so you don’t miss out on these rare varieties of poinsettias.
Continuing activities
The Birding 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. 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 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 I10 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 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 major holidays.