Burden Welcomes You

A new welcome center will soon usher visitors into the layered landscapes of one of Baton Rouge’s most iconic properties

by

Knowing Nature

Burden Museum & Gardens, an Edenic expanse of pastures and plantings nestled in the teeming heart of Baton Rouge, has long drawn visitors of all ages to peruse its abundant offerings. Soon, visitors will be greeted by a new welcome center that will serve as a gateway to the lush 440-acre property. 

With construction on the new facility officially completed as of early 2026, Burden staff, along with volunteers, have begun the process of extensive landscaping “to bring the surrounding grounds to life and create a warm, inviting arrival experience,” said Malorey Uzee, communications coordinator for the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. 

[Read in more detail about the Master Plan behind the new Welcome Center in this story from our 2022 Design Issue.]

Funded by private donations, the center has been in the works for Burden since 2009 as part of its master plan. Before its construction, Burden had no central building to inform and direct visitors across the vast estate, which includes the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, the LSU Rural Life Museum, and Windrush Gardens.

With a subtle, modern design, the new welcome center incorporates components that reference the historical buildings on the property, with information to aid visitors in interpreting the surrounding landscape and Burden family legacy. Beyond aesthetics and historical value, the center will also operate as an educational tool for managing stormwater runoff; when it rains, water will fall down through scuppers on the side of the building into a detention basin, then flow into a rain garden, and into Ward Creek, according to Jeff Kuehny, director of the AgCenter Botanic Gardens.  “It’s a way to manage both the quantity and quality of stormwater,” he said.

When it officially opens later this year, the welcome center will act as a central hub to the fascinating property, and it will also be available for rentals for educational programs, meetings, events, and receptions. 

 discoverburden.com.