Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, Historical garden and museum complex in Monroe, Louisiana.
The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens is a property along the Ouachita River with three distinct areas: a historic residence, botanical gardens, and exhibition spaces. The complex preserves both the family home and various specialized collections within its grounds.
The house was built in 1913 as a private home by Joseph A. Biedenharn, who had first bottled Coca-Cola in the summer of 1894 in his native Vicksburg, Mississippi. It is now a museum, furnished as it was when his daughter Emma Louise "Emy-Lou" Biedenharn lived there; she died in 1984. The Coca-Cola Museum opened on the site in 2008.
The garden's name, ELsong, short for "Emy-Lou's song", honours Joseph Biedenharn's daughter Emy-Lou, who died in 1984. Its settings are the Four Seasons Garden, the Oriental Garden and the Musical Grotto. Emy-Lou's own collecting of bibles and religious artwork led to the Bible museum.
The grounds feature well-maintained paths through the different garden sections that are easy to navigate on foot. Plan time for both the interior of the home and the outdoor areas.
The garden's name, ELsong, is short for "Emy-Lou's song", after Emma Louise "Emy-Lou" Biedenharn, Joseph Biedenharn's daughter, who died in 1984. Its settings include the Four Seasons Garden, the Oriental Garden and the Musical Grotto.
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