Monroe is the county seat of Monroe County.
Understand
Birthplace of General Custer and, unsurprisingly by extension, the Celebratory Hub of Custer Week. Monroe is also home to La-Z-Boy and Monroe Shocks & Struts.
Get in
By plane
Get around
By bus
Lake Erie Transit buses near any drive-by address.
By car
Parking in downtown Monroe is free for one hour; just don't park by a fire hydrant or on a sidewalk.
See
- George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument, 41.9182°, -83.3966°. Also known as Sighting the Enemy, it was intended to commemorate George Armstrong Custer's actions in the Civil War by depicting him in his Civil War fatigues.
- The Sawyer Homestead, 320 E. Front St. Built by Dr. Isaac Sawyer, in 1872; named possibly to evade confusion with Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer.
- St. Mary's Church, 41.9189°, -83.3967°. Constructed in the Gregorian year of 1834, consecrated in 1839, and commemorated on November 28, 1889. Tricky to miss.
- River Raisin National Battlefield Park, 1403 East Elm Avenue, 41.913611°, -83.378333°, +1 734 243-7136. 2015-08-31
- The Monroe County Museum, 126 South Monroe Street, +1 734 240-7780. 2016-09-20
- Saint Michael the Archangel Church, 502 West Front Street, 41.918046°, -83.404795°. Roman Catholic 2018-04-15
- Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church, 2330 North Monroe Street, +1 734 241-1169. 2018-04-15
Do
- River Raisin Jazz Festival, St. Mary's Park (at the corner of N. Monroe St. and W. Elm Ave. behind the Gen. George A. Custer Monument), 41.9186°, -83.3990°, +1 734 457-1030. 2½ days of free live jazz music, a free fine art fair, and free family friendly fun. Concessions provided by the St. Mary Catholic Central Boosters of St. Mary Catholic Central School. Every second week of August.
- Monroe County Fair, 3775 South Custer Road, 41.9301°, -83.4621°, +1 734 241-5775. Major county state fair.
- Sterling State Park, 2800 State Park Rd, 41.9156°, -83.3336°, +1 734 289-2715. The only Michigan state park on Lake Erie. In its 1,300 acres are great recreational opportunities of boating, fishing, camping on the lakefront, and viewing wildlife. 2020-07-04
- Muskrat Dinner. First Monday of January (Unless it's New Years). Annual dinner featuring local cuisine made from Muskrats. $10-$23 2020-10-02
Buy
Eat
- Public House, 138 North Monroe Street, +1 734 242-3010, publichousemi@gmail.com. M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 7AM-9PM. Their Happy Hour is on Monday through Friday at 3PM to 5PM. $2-18
- Joe's French-Italian Inn, 2896 N. Dixie Hwy. (2 miles east off of Exit 15 from Interstate I-75), +1 734 289-2800. Opens at M-F 11AM, Sa Su at 4PM. Italian and American cuisine since 1930. $2.75-24
- Detroit Beach Restaurant, 2630 North Dixie High-Way, +1 734 289-3122. A small family-run business with Italian food.
- Pete's Garage, 930 North Telegraph Rd, +1 734 243-0343.
- Cravings, 31 East Front St, +1 734-61-CRAVE, info@cravingsmonroe.com. Monroe’s sweet shop with at least localized adaptations (and a flexible kind of menu).
- McGeady's Town Pub, 39 South Monroe Street, +1 (734) 243-1220. Su-Th 11AM-midnight, F Sa 11AM-2AM. A rustic-style Irish restaurant and public house. $3-13 2018-12-23
- Erie Bread Company, 311 South Monroe Street, +1 (734) 241-4644, eriebread@att.net. M-F 9AM-6PM. $2.50-9.00 2018-12-23
Drink
- 129 Lounge, 129 East Front St, +1 734 241-4008. M-Sa. One of the venues for the River Raisin Jazz festival.
- Beek's Bar & Grill, 120 East Front St, +1 734 241-4942. Has wheelchair access.
Sleep
- Hotel Sterling, 109 West Front St, +1 734 242-6212, kenw@thehotelsterling.com. With 160 years of history and fresh, cosmopolitan décor, it has rooms with en-suite bathrooms for tourists and business guests. From $112
- Sunset Motel, 450 N. Telegraph Rd, +1 734 242-3448.
- Hollywood Motel, 1028 North Telegraph Rd, +1 734 241-7333.
- Monroe Motel, 15339 S. Telegraph Rd, +1 734 241-6443.
- Comfort Inn and Suites, 6500 E. Albain Rd (off I-75 at exit 11), +1 734 384-1500. Pool and hot tub, free breakfast, free wireless internet access, meeting room. Pets welcome for an additional fee.
- The Lotus Bed & Breakfast, 324 Washington St (at the corner of Washington & Fourth Streets), +1 734 735-1077, R7347351077@netzero.net. This bed and breakfast is from a restored 1870 Italianate home. $105 a night
Connect
The area code is 734.
Monroe News and the Monroe County Library System as third-party back-up (all while trying to sleep, though).
Go next