LSU Rural Life Museum, Baton Rouge, LA

Baton Rouge Louisiana supplies tourists with a number of museums regarding Southern History. The LSU Rural Life Museum is a different style museum than others in the city. They have one of the largest collections of material culture relating to the 19th century period. The information is provided in a safe, outdoor rural landscape for everyone to learn from. Tourists should expect hundreds of artifacts to be on display in the Exhibit Barn, Plantation Quarters, Folk Architecture, and also to learn Country Gossip.

The museum is open from 8:30am to 5pm year round, though holiday closures do exist. The museum is set up on 25 acres of land from the Windrush Gardens which were part of the Burden Home. There is a gift shop on the property, and a fee charged for attending the museum. Admission ranges from $4 to $7 depending on age and size of groups. Photographs and videotapes are permitted for personal use.

The LSU Rural Life Museum is located downtown in Baton Rouge. Tourists can take I-10 to reach the museum. Parking is free and it is not too far from the airport. There are a number of hotels and restaurants near the museum for tourists to stay and eat at after they have visited the Rural Life Museum. There are a few partnerships with the local accommodations to make the stay even better. Tours of the museum are available for those with 10 or more in a group if an appointment is to be made. Tours can also be obtained on the day of a visit at certain times of the day.

The Exhibit Barn which was mentioned above houses many of the artifacts which date back a few hundred years to the 20th century. The various items will be things used on plantations, in regular life, and some items which tourists may never have seen before. Each artifact is explained. The plantation quarters date to the 19th century. There is the commissary, overseer's house, sick house, slave cabins, blacksmith shop, sugar house, schoolhouse, and grist mill on the property. The buildings are all typical of the era from which they were created.

The folk architecture section presents a collection of buildings such as a church, pioneers cabin, Carolina Cabin, dogtrot house, and shotgun house. These houses are more typical of other periods in Louisiana history.

The port of Baton Rouge is the ninth largest in the US, making it an important city stop for many industries. It is the current capital city of Louisiana and the second largest city. It was damaged somewhat in 2005 by the hurricane, but many buildings have been reopened. It is on the southeast section of the Mississippi River. While the LSU Rural Life Museum is an important stop for tourists in Baton Rouge the most historically important place is the Istrouma Bluff. As a petrochemical and port center Baton Rouge has several restaurants and hotels. There are also other museums for visitors to enjoy.