Always Coca-Cola

We have wanted to check out the Biedenharn museum since we have moved here and felt that Christmas was the best time to do so since the garden club comes in to decorate the whole house.  It was beautiful and smelled SO good!!

We loved the natural cross “wreath” on the gate when walking into the house.

Our tour began next door though with the coke musuem.  We have been to the Coke museum in Atlanta, and while in Vicksburg, Mississippi we stopped into the Biedenharn confectioners shop that was a distributor as well (we did not take the tour there however).  So, even though we aren’t big coke drinkers, we know a lot about coke  :)

This museum was very educational and well done!  We were quite impressed.  The tour guide was very enthusiastic and great with the kids too!  I am glad that we did this tour on our own and not in a group though as  it would be difficult to get as much in a larger group and I don’t know that it would have held the kids attention as well. 

Biedenharn was the first person to ever bottle coke.  Of course, the impact of that has been huge and changed manufacturing globally.  Very cool that he lived right here in Monroe, LA.  He also was the first to distribute bottles to other stores, and the truck above was his method of doing so (a modified Model T).

His house is what is so beautifully decorated for Christmas.  Apparently each year a different theme is chosen and this year was Buckingham Palace.  One room had the theme of the royal wedding from this year and was decorated with outrageous hat replicas  :)

The gardens are gorgeous!  It was a rainy day, but it let up enough for us to be able to walk around some.  We drive by this place all the time and now we know how fabulous it is behind the gates.

There is a very large green house in the garden area.  The “tree” of poinsettias was beautiful!

Also on the grounds is a Bible Museum.  A sister that lived in the house began a collection of Bibles (some full, but mostly pages from older, more famous ones).  For instance, they have a page from a Gutenberg Bible.  We have only seen one other this old (also Gutenberg, but a more complete Bible) at the Holy Land in Orlando, Fla!  There was art work and artifacts from Jerusalem as well.  A very cool little gem right here in Monroe!  We are glad we went and enjoyed it very much!