8 Free Things To Do in Monroe, LA

Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge

A 5,300-acre national wildlife refuge sitting inside Monroe city limits. The wooden boardwalk extends over the lake where alligators surface in the early morning and great blue herons stand still in the cypress. Thirteen trails range from a paved 0.6-mile accessible loop to a 5.6-mile run-friendly path along the water. The Conservation Learning Center has live snakes and small alligators that staff will sometimes let visitors hold. Call ahead if the Learning Center is your main reason for going, as staffing is limited and the building may be closed during posted hours. The refuge grounds are always open.

Chennault Aviation and Military Museum

The most visited attraction in Monroe, and it is free. The building looks modest from the outside. Inside: more than 12,000 artifacts across 10,000 square feet. Flying Tigers memorabilia, WWII uniforms and letters, a Vietnam-era helicopter, and seven restored aircraft in the outdoor Aviation Park. The building itself is the last remaining classroom of Selman Field Navigation School, the largest in the U.S. during WWII. Volunteers give informal tours and will occasionally take artifacts out of display cases so you can handle them. There is also a moon rock you can hold.

Masur Museum of Art

The largest visual arts museum in Northeast Louisiana, and it is free. Housed in a historic home on the National Register of Historic Places on South Grand Street. Exhibits rotate every couple of months: sculptural work, textiles, and shows from local and regional artists. The ground floor is fully accessible (no elevator to upper floors). Drop-in activity days for kids happen regularly.

Forsythe Park

Monroe's biggest city park. Large oak trees provide deep shade over a playground, tennis courts, a baseball diamond, volleyball, soccer fields, and picnic tables. Open almost all day, every day. Works well for a morning run or an afternoon with kids who need to burn energy.

Restoration Park

Built on a rehabilitated site in West Monroe, Restoration Park is now one of the better walking parks in the metro area. The trails wind through actual woods, crossing multiple bridges and passing gazebos overlooking a pond. The turtles in the pond approach people without hesitation. Deer are common along the edges of the trails in the early morning. Stroller-friendly and dog-friendly.

African American Museum

Located in Chennault Park, this museum features rotating exhibits of local artists' work alongside cultural programming including Juneteenth celebrations and conferences. It is quieter and less trafficked than the other museums on this list, which makes a weekday morning visit feel unhurried.

The Heron Hunt

Monroe has a self-guided public art trail built around decorated Great Blue Heron sculptures placed at locations around the city. Each sculpture is different. The trail is a good excuse to walk parts of Monroe you would not otherwise visit, and the sculptures are large enough to spot without difficulty once you have the map. The map and current sculpture locations are available through the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Antique Alley and Ouachita Live

Trenton Street in West Monroe is a walkable block of antique stores, boutiques, and specialty shops. Browsing the stores costs nothing. On select Fridays from March through October, Ouachita Live brings free outdoor music to the street, with local and regional acts performing in the open air. Check their social media for the current schedule before you go, since dates and lineups are posted as they are confirmed.

More things to do in Monroe worth your time.