LSU Rural Life Museum
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Discover Louisiana's rich history at the LSU Rural Life Museum!
Fiddlin’ Fest 2026 was one for the books! Live performances, traditional craft demos, and good company made for an unforgettable afternoon at the Rural Life Museum.
06/12/2026
🚜 Calling All Demonstrators! ⚙️
The LSU Rural Life Museum is seeking exhibitors and demonstrators for our Antique Engines Showcase on July 25 from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM.
We're looking for:
🔹 Vintage tractors
🔹 Antique engines
🔹 Agricultural equipment
🔹 Simple machinery and tools
🔹 Hands-on demonstrations that showcase how hand tools or machinery worked in the past
Help us bring history to life and share your knowledge with visitors of all ages!
Contact us at [email protected] or (225) 765-2437 for more information.
From musket drills to cannon demonstrations, history stepped right onto our grounds. 🎖️
Reenactors from the Waldeck 3rd Regiment, German soldiers who served for the British during the American Revolution, gave our Apprentice Program students an up-close look at 18th-century military life. It’s a piece of Louisiana history and we’re bringing it to life right here at the LSU Rural Life Museum.
From raw iron to finished craft, our students are learning the art of blacksmithing firsthand.
In this session, our resident blacksmith walks a student through forging an S-hook from scratch. Skills like these have shaped history, and we’re keeping them alive right here at the LSU Rural Life Museum🔨🔥
05/27/2026
Rural Life on the Bayou 🌿
Before GPS and Google Maps, there was the hand ferry. In 19th-century Louisiana, a small wooden boat was one of the only ways to cross the bayou, carrying families, farming tools, and fresh produce to market.
The Acadian cottage was built for the Louisiana heat. It was raised off the ground, with steep roofs to shed the rain and wide galleries to catch the breeze. Indoor/outdoor living wasn't a trend; it was survival.
Cypress trees provided lumber, Spanish moss lined the swamps, and the bayou provided everything in between. This is what life looked like along the Louisiana bayou 200 years before you scrolled past it.
Now on display at the LSU Rural Life Museum. 📍 Baton Rouge, LA
05/25/2026
Some stories are best told in a single frame.
This 1870 Reconstruction-era plantation church is one of dozens still standing in Louisiana and one of the few preserved for future generations. We captured it entirely through still photography, letting 150 years of history speak for itself.
Come experience it in person at the LSU Rural Life Museum.
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Contact the museum
Telephone
Address
4560 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA
70809
Opening Hours
| Monday | 8am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 8am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 8am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 8am - 5pm |
| Friday | 8am - 5pm |
| Saturday | 8am - 5pm |
| Sunday | 8am - 5pm |