(08/25/25) BATON ROUGE, La. — As the weather cools down, Burden Museum & Gardens will be hosting a plethora of events that will bring fun for all ages. Between book talks, birding and mazes, Burden will have an event for everyone this fall.

Bring the kids to StoryTime in the Garden so they can have a blast listening to stories, making art and crafts and interacting with other children. For one Saturday morning every month, kids are welcomed to the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden to listen to storybook readings and flex their creative muscles. Every half-hour, the activity changes so young children will stay interested and engaged.

StoryTime will take place on Sept. 13, Oct. 11 and Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon. The days are best suited for children aged 3 to 8 but children of all ages are welcome. Admission is free and no registration is required.

As a part of the LSU Rural Life Museum Women’s Work: History Through Her Story series, the museum will be hosting Alecia Long for an author talk on Thursday, Sept. 18. Long will talk about her book “Southern Journeys: Tourism, History, & Culture in the Modern South” and will explore themes of gender, sexuality, activism and how they shape Southern identity and history.

Admission is free with regular museum admission and free for members. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and with the talk beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets can be found at https://bit.ly/rlmadmission. For more information, contact Haley Mason at hmason@lsu.edu.

For one Saturday every month, grab your birding gear and head to the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens bright and early to do some premium birdwatching and try to find some of the 183 species of birds that have been recorded around the gardens. During Birding at Burden, the gardens will provide a two-hour tour led by birding specialists throughout the different birding loops.

Admission to the tour is $10, and the days are Sept. 20, Oct. 18 and Nov. 8. Each tour will be from 7 to 9 a.m. Tickets can be found on Eventbrite.com. For more information, contact botanicgardens@agcenter.lsu.edu.

The Red Magnolia Theatre Company will return to the LSU Rural Life Museum with a reading of the play “Girls in the Boat.” The inspiring production follows a group of smart, fiery young women as they challenge gender norms and push for a place on the U.S. Olympic rowing team. Based on true events, this powerful story of perseverance and progress will be performed by a cast of exceptional high school actors.

The event will be on Friday, Sept. 27, and Saturday, Sept. 28. For more information, contact Haley Mason at hmason@lsu.edu.

On Oct. 7, Kodi Roberts will be giving an author talk about her book “Voodoo & Power: The Politics of Religion in New Orleans 1881–1940.” The book explores the world of Marie Laveau, voodoo traditions and Cajun folklore. After the talk, visitors can participate in a Q&A session with Roberts and meet the author during a book signing.

Tickets can be bought at https://bit.ly/rlmadmission. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the talk starts at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Haley Mason at hmason@lsu.edu.

Step back in time at the LSU Rural Life Museum during Harvest Days, a family-friendly event featuring live demonstrations of 19th century rural Louisiana activities as experts show open-hearth cooking, basket weaving, wood carving, leather working and more.

Harvest Days will take place on Oct. 4 and 5 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for ages 12 and up, $10 for children 4 to 11 and free for children 3 and under. Tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/HarvestDays25.

Get lost in fun at the Corn Maze at Burden this fall. Every Saturday in October, the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens will host three two-hour sessions of the maze. The event will be full of other fun activities, like a hayride through sunflowers, a petting farm, a pumpkin patch and more.

Local vendors also will be present with festival foods. The morning session will be from 9 to 11 a.m.; the afternoon session will be from noon to 2 p.m.; and the evening session will be from 3 to 5 p.m.

There also will be two additional maze days on Oct. 12 and 19 with two two-hour sessions. The first session will be from noon to 2 p.m. and the second from 3 to 5 p.m.

Tickets for ages 13 and up are $17.50 and $15 for children 3 to 12. Children 2 and under are free. To purchase tickets, go to https://LSUAgCenter.com/CornMaze.

Explore the Corn Maze by moonlight during the Night Maze event. On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 25, guests can enjoy a stroll through the maze, listen to live music with the band T’ Monde, roast marshmallows and play games.

Local vendors also will be present, and visitors can bring lawn chairs and instruments if they’d like to jam with the band. The event will be from 6 to 8 p.m., and tickets are $20. For children 2 and below, tickets are free. To purchase tickets, go to https://bit.ly/CornMaze25.

For information on any of the Corn Maze events, contact botanicgardens@agcenter.lsu.edu or 225-763-3990.

The Rural Life Museum will host Haints, Haunts & Halloween, a spooky and safe Halloween experience for families. The afternoon will include storytelling, a cake walk, games and trick-or-treating.

The event will be on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for people 12 and up, $6 for children 4 to 11 and free for children 3 and below. To purchase tickets, go to https://bit.ly/Haints25. For more information, contact Haley Mason at hmason@lsu.edu.

Experience the magic of the season at Poinsettias & Prosecco, an exclusive event hosted by the Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens for those 21 and up. This special evening will take place at Windrush Gardens at Burden on Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a preview of Louisiana Lights.

Wander through the stunningly lit Windrush Gardens while enjoying delectable small bites and perfectly paired drinks from local restaurants. Delight in live music on the porch of the Burden family home and enjoy delicious desserts while looking at the vibrant light displays.

Tickets are $100 and will be available at https://fobgburden.com. For more information, contact Malorey Uzee at muzee@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Returning this holiday season, Louisiana Lights will captivate visitors 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 right 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 tickets are 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.

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.

A young pirate plays a game featuring a jack-o-lantern at Haints, Haunts and Halloween at LSU Rural Life Museum at Burden. This spooky event will be Sunday, Oct. 26 this year. Photo by Sean Gasser

The Prismatic Parterre lights up the night with an ever-changing array of color and music at Louisiana Lights. This year, Louisiana Lights will take place Wednesdays through Sundays from Nov. 28 to Dec. 30, with a few extra dates in December. Photo by Darlene Aguillard