Conrad Rice Mill

Subject: Industry

307 Ann St. (PO Box 10640)
New Iberia, LA 70562

(800) 551-3245 | General Information
(800) 551-3245 | Reservations
(337) 365-5806 | Fax

What you need to know!

General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Saturday, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $4.00 Adults, $3.50 Seniors, $2.25 Children 3 to 11 years old

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Saturday, 9:00am – 3:00pm; $4.00 Adults, $3.50 Seniors, $2.25 Children 3 to 11 years old; Group discount on groups 25 or more

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1
Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks
Number of Students per Visit: Up to 40
Suggested Length of Time for Visit: One hour
Handicapped Accessible: Yes for store; Few steps in mill
Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th
Lunch Facilities: Picnic areas, fast food and restaurants are all in the area.
Gift Shop: Yes
Bus parking available

Tell Us About It!

Rice first appeared in Louisiana as early as 1719. This crop grew well in the area’s subtropical climate. Rice quickly became a staple, making its way into colonial Spanish and French cuisine. Today, students may well recognize the taste of rice, but may not be familiar with the variety of processes used to prepare the grain for market. Conrad Rice Mill has been in continuous operation since 1912. The factory was built from cypress by a local rice farmer named Philip Conrad. In 1975, the Conrad family sold the mill and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mill is a rare surviving example of a factory which still uses a belt-driven power transmission system. A substantial portion of the mill’s original equipment is in use today. Still a vibrant working rice mill, Conrad Rice Mill offers a line of rice, beans, and spice products available nationwide. The Company Store, next door, is filled to the brim with Cajun foods and crafts.

What Can We See and Do There?

Guided tours of the mill begin in the Company Store, a replica of an early plantation company store from the area. Complimentary samples of one of the Mill’s rice mixes and hot Cajun coffee are always available for tasting. After a 20-minute slide presentation about the history of Cajun culture, tour guides explain how rice is grown and harvested. Then visitors walk to the Mill to view the actual production in the Mill that day. Production can range from milling rice to packaging seasonings to making rice crackers. The guided tour of the mill takes 20 minutes.

How Do We Get There?

From U.S. 90, exit at Hwy. 14. Turn right at St. Peter St. (Hwy.182 E.). Travel three blocks and turn right on Ann St. The mill is on the left.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?

Most of this field trip is indoors.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards

K-4th grades: LS-E-A1, 3-4, 6; LS-E-B1-3; LS-E-C1-3; SE-E-A1-5; G-1A-E1; G-1B-E2; E-1A-E1-9; H-1C-E1
5th-8th grades: LS-M-C1-4; LS-M-D1-2; SE-M-A1-10; G-1A-M1-3; G-1B-M1-2; G-1C-M1-2, 6; G-1D-M1-4; E-1A-M1-7; H-1D-M4-5
9th-12th grades: LS-H-B4; LS-H-D4; SE-H-A1-10; G-1B-H1; G-1C-H2, 5; G-1D-H1-5; E-1A-H1-2

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?

Teachers can call or email requests for pre-visit materials. The Mill will send a brochure called, Facts About USA Rice, and a news article about the history of Conrad Rice Mill. The Mill’s website offers views of the site and their products.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits

The Mill will give teachers a set of five sample packets to use in the classroom. The set contains rough rice, rice bran, rice hulls, long grain brown rice, and medium grain white rice. After a class discussion about rice production, make a bulletin-board using these samples and use pictures made by students to tell the story of rice production.