Monroe (Louisiana) - parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States

Monroe is the third-largest city in Northern Louisiana, largest city in Northeast Louisiana, and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish. It is also home to the University of Louisiana at Monroe and their sports team, the ULM Warhawks. Founded as Fort Miro, it took on the name of Monroe after the paddle-wheeler James Monroe that came to town in the early 19th century, and, by extrapolation, the former president James Monroe. An interesting bit of trivia is that Monroe was once the headquarters of Delta Airlines, which got its start as the crop dusting operation Delta Dusters in nearby Tallulah.

Slathered down with religious views and the effects of years of racial inequality, Monroe can have a rather gritty appearance imbued with a fragrant aroma from its paper mill, but, well, take heart, Wikivoyage traveler.

Get in

By plane

• Monroe Regional Airport (IATA: MLU), 32.510864°, -92.037689°. Has nonstop flights on American to Dallas/Fort Worth, Delta to Atlanta, and United to Houston.

By car

Monroe is located on Interstate 20, about 100 miles east of Shreveport and 75 miles west of Vicksburg.

Get around

Monroe Transit has several routes to get you around the metro area.

See

• St Matthews Catholic Church, 121 Jackson St, 32.50128°, -92.11538°, +1 318 323-8878.
• Masur Museum of Art, 1400 S Grand St, 32.48728°, -92.11123°, +1 318 329 2237. Tu-F 9AM-5PM, Sa noon-5PM. A local art space. 2021-08-27
• Chennault Aviation & Military Museum, 701 Kansas Ln, 32.51150°, -92.05485°, +1 318 362 5540. Tu-Sa 9AM-4PM. Learn about this military personality named General Claire Chennault and WWII stories and visit a vintage plane out in the yard. 2021-08-27
• Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Heritage Museum, 1051 Chennault Park Dr, 32.49863°, -92.01720°, +1 318 342 8889. This museum focuses on Black art and history. 2021-08-27
• Biedenharn Museum & Garden, 2006 Riverside Dr, 32.51961°, -92.13134°, +1 318 387 5281. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. Take a guided tour of this aristocrat's mansion and English garden and Coca-Cola museum if you're okay with fussy things like that. 2021-08-27
• Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum, 323 Walnut St, 32.50413°, -92.11999°, +1 318 361 9611. Tu-Sa 9AM-4PM. This is really quite passable, unless you have a kid in tow. 2021-08-27

Do

• Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo, 1405 Bernstein Park Rd, 32.4663°, -92.0937°, +1 318 329-2400. 10AM-5PM daily. The zoo can look a bit shabby, but the animals may be happy to see you. Adults $6, Seniors (65+) and Children (3-12) $4.50, Children (2 and under) free 2021-12-05 Try a Warhawk game at the University of Louisiana Monroe 📍

Explore an intriguing forested parkland with pond, covered and suspension bridges, and nature trails at Kiroli Park 📍 at 820 Kiroli Rd in West Monroe, or check out Restoration Park 📍 with its impressive swampy boardwalk at 700 Downing Pines Rd nearby.

Or for a real treat, try Black Bayou Lake 📍 or D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge 📍. You'll be able to capture some eerie shots of bald cypresses rising out of a swamp that is quintessential Louisiana, along trails or at various viewpoints, but actually the experience might be enhanced with a boat or at least mosquito spray.

Buy

• Pecanland Mall, 4700 Millhaven Rd, 32.49818°, -92.05931°. M-Th 11AM-7PM, F Sa 11AM-8PM, Su 11AM-6PM. Located near Monroe Regional Airport, and anchored by Belk, Burlington Coat Factory, Dillard's, JCPenney, Sears, and a 10-screen movie theatre.

Eat

• Char 19, 1301 N 19th St, 32.523356°, -92.109753°, +1 318-807-2427. Upscale Cajun/Creole cuisine.
• Trapp's, 113 S Riverfront St, 32.49978°, -92.1211°, +1 318 855 6428. Tu-Sa 11AM-10PM-ish. Cajun restaurant on the Ouachita River with dock dining. 2021-08-27
• Warehouse No 1 Restaurant, 1 Olive St, 32.50425°, -92.12202°, +1 318 322 1340. More upscale restaurant overlooking the Ouachita River. 2021-08-27
• Little India Restaurant & Bar, 903 N 4th St, 32.51037°, -92.12065°, +1 318 717 1111. Everyone loves an Indian lunch buffet (usually). 2021-08-27

Drink

• Enoch's Pub and Grill, 507 Louisville Ave, 32.51044°, -92.11791°. M-Th 11AM-midnight, F Sa 11AM-2AM. Irish pub with occasional live music. 2021-08-27

Sleep

• Americas Best Value Inn, 310 Thomas Road (I-20 at Exit 114 North Thomas Rd), 32.508761°, -92.158340°, +1 318-325-5780. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Air conditioning, restaurants nearby, smoking and non-smoking rooms, pets in some rooms, outdoor pool, cable TV, free fax/copy service, truck and bus park, Internet access, free breakfast, microwaves and refrigerators, hair dryers, in-room coffee in all rooms 2016-03-14
• Comfort Suites Monroe, 1401 Martin Luther King Dr, 32.493345°, -92.082044°, +1 318-410-1005. 2016-03-14
• Hamilton House Inn, 318 Trenton St, 32.502328°, -92.124514°, +1 318-366-2412. 2016-03-14
• Quality Inn, 1407 Martin Luther King Junior Drive, Monroe, LA 71202 (I-20 at Exit 118A), 32.49297°, -92.08204°, +1 318 361 9944. Not a whole lot of character but it does have a continental breakfast and outdoor pool. 2016-03-14

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