Free admission offered at Wildflower Center

Photo courtesy Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center/Bob DaemmrichPhoto courtesy Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center/John ChristensenPhoto courtesy Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center/Jules Buck Jones

Admission to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is free throughout January.

The center has waived its admission fees at the beginning of each year to draw more visitors to its gardens, trails and art exhibits during colder months, spokeswoman Barbra Rodriguez said.

"We try to provide people with a different experience throughout the year. Nature evolves through the seasons," she said.

The center is adding a few new exhibits and features. In January, it will debut "Primordial Patterns," an indoor art exhibit featuring paintings by Austin artist Jules Buck Jones, whose works focus on patterns found in nature such as feathers, fur and scales, Rodriguez said. On Jan. 11, the center will unveil 10 nature-inspired sculptures by artist John Christensen on its grounds.

Rodriguez said a small exhibit about the center's namesake, former first lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, has been on tour and will return to the center in mid-January.

Most trails are open, but the Savanna Meadow and Woodland trails are closed because of construction on the new Luci and Ian Family Garden, which is slated to open in 2014.

Located at 4801 La Crosse Ave., the center is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Tue.–Sat. and noon–5 p.m. Sunday. More information is available at www.wildflower.org.