LSU Rural Life Museum

How would you like to be buried in a wrought iron box?
The staff here at the LSU Rural Life Museum have handpicked some spooky, scary, and downright dreadful artifacts from our collection to share with you as we count down to the 31st. Today, let’s talk caskets! ... or coffins?
The most distinct characteristic between caskets and coffins is their shape; coffins are tapered hexagonal boxes, while caskets are rectangular containers.
Almond Fisk patented this airtight coffin design in 1848 with the goal of avoiding the spread of disease. These unsettling artifacts resemble shrouded corpses, but their facial windows are the coffin’s most distinguishing characteristic. The high cost and 10-year production window of these coffins make them a rare sight to behold.
Come see how many Fisk coffins you can count at the LSU Rural Life Museum!

Have you considered what goes into preserving our material history?
The staff here at the LSU Rural Life Museum have handpicked some spooky, scary, and downright dreadful artifacts from our collection to share with you as we count down to the 31st. This time, we’re highlighting the conservation work of an LSU student!
This horse-drawn hearse dates to the latter half of the nineteenth century. Its composition of wood, metal, leather, and glass made it a challenging project for an independent study. After careful research and consultation with experts, the conservation student documented the process of cleaning and stabilizing vulnerable components of the hearse.
You can see the hard work of many conservation students on display in the LSU Rural Life Museum’s visitor’s center!

Do you think dolls are creepy? 🪱🪳🦇🪾
The staff here at the LSU Rural Life Museum has handpicked some spooky, scary, and downright dreadful artifacts from our collection to share with you as we count down to the 31st!
When missing textual evidence, museums often use stylistic clues to date objects. This doll arrived at the LSU Rural Life Museum missing a maker’s mark, requiring the curatorial team to investigate other clues to its age. The most substantial of these clues is the doll’s “highbrow” hairstyle, common to dolls of the mid-nineteenth century.

Did you know that South Louisiana is home to 12 species of bats? 🦇🦇🦇
One way these nocturnal critters contribute to our local ecosystem is by feasting on pests like mosquitos! 🦟 Bat boxes like this one pictured in Windrush Gardens are safe places for bats to roost. As the days get shorter, keep an eye out at dusk for common species such as the Hoary Bat, the Big Brown Bat, the Little Brown Bat, the Eastern Red Bat, and the Evening Bat.

Join us THIS SUNDAY for some old-fashioned Halloween fun!! Gather your ghouls and come to the LSU Rural Life Museum for games, crafts, sweets, and a ghastly good time.