Community
University of Louisiana-Monroe
A public university that's part of the University of Louisiana system, ULM enrolls over 9,000 students on its 238-acre campus, which is bisected by the Bayou DeSiard. Its 15 varsity sports teams play in the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference.
City of Monroe
The City of Monroe is an economic, cultural, and medical hub for Northeast Louisiana and was the original home of Delta Airlines. Together with its twin city of West Monroe and nearby parishes, the metropolitan area has a population of more than 200,000.
Downtown Monroe
The central business and cultural district of Monroe, it has a collection of shops, restaurants and bars, museums, and art galleries. Downtown Monroe is home to the Monroe Farmers Market and Downtown RiverMarket along the Ouachita River.
Pecanland Mall
The largest shopping mall in the North Louisiana region, Pecanland Mall has over 100 stores and restaurants, movie theaters, a food court, and indoor entertainment center.
Outdoor Recreation
Bayou DeSiard
The Bayou DeSiard is a 28-mile river basin and wetland that flows through Monroe and provides opportunities for kayaking, water skiing, duck hunting, fishing, boating, and a walking path, as well as a source of water for the city.
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Black Bayou Lake provides habitat for waterfowl, alligators, turtles, and endangered wildlife. Its 5,300 acres include a cypress swamp and bottomland hardwood forests where you can fish, hunt, canoe and kayak, or see the nature exhibits at the visitor's center.
Arts and Culture
The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens
Tour the historic home of Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola. The property houses the Coke Museum, a Bible museum, and the beautiful ELSong Gardens, an English-style garden with fountains, sculptures, and greenhouses.
Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo
This 80-acre facility features 200+ species of animals from around the world, with walking and boat tours, 27 acres of landscaped grounds and greenhouses, and a children's playscape and splash pad.