March 24, 2022

LSU RURAL LIFE MUSEUM

4560 Essen Ln, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

“The LSU Rural Life Museum is а museum of Louisiana history in Baton Rouge, US. It is located in the Burden Museum and Gardens, a 400-acre agricultural research experiment station, and is operated under the aegis of Louisiana State University.” - Wikipedia

This museum consists of 32 buildings from three different areas of the state.  Most have been moved to the 25-acre site from the original home, a couple have been reconstructed using materials salvaged from other 18th and 19th century buildings.  There is a “Working Plantation” with an overseer’s house, slave cabins, a sick house, school, and blacksmith shop.  Next buildings from the Upland South included a cypress barn, a country church, a pioneer’s cabin, and a log house.  Finally, buildings came from the Gulf Coast Region consisting of two Acadian houses, a barn, and a shotgun house. 

While the different buildings were interesting, I was amazed at the collection of materials in the Visitors Center and attached “barn.”  The Visitors Center had museum-like exhibits, with special sections about plantation life, slavery in Louisiana, and the industrial revolution.  You then enter the Exhibit Barn containing “a vast collection of artifacts and treasures dealing with everyday rural life up to the early 20th century.”  Other than makeshift aisles I saw no rhyme or reason as to where things were.  There were rows of horse-drawn carriages and/or wagons.  Then there were commode chairs, large bells, pots and pans.  If it was used in the 18th or 19th century it was probably represented in the barn.  Why call it a barn? There were few tags or description plaques.  I LOVED IT!

This museum was a great way to spend an afternoon.