Performing Arts in Monroe/West Monroe Louisiana

Performing arts are an integral part of Louisiana's culture. From theater and drama to dance and visual arts, you will find performance art showcased around the state. Starting at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport all the way to the Manship Theater in Baton Rouge and universities and theaters in between, you will find dance and theatrical productions galore. And while in the New Orleans area, don't miss the opportunity to catch a show at the recently renovated Mahalia Jackson Theater and the historic Saenger Theatre.

Two giant names of American business are deeply ingrained in the history of Monroe, and its neighbor across the Ouachita River, West Monroe: Delta Air Lines got its start here in 1926 as a crop dusting service, and Coca-Cola opened its first bottling plant here. Today, those legacies provide unique attractions for visitors. Biedenharn Home and Gardens, the estate of that first Coke bottler, is open to the public as a museum and sculpture garden. The Chennault Aviation and Military Museum of Louisiana has exhibits on Delta Air Lines, the local World War II flight school at Selman Field and the volunteer combat unit called the Flying Tigers commanded by one-time Monroe resident, General Chennault. The 1,800-acre, cypress-studded waters and trails of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge puts sportsmen's paradise at Monroe's doorstep, while a trip to the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo offers up-close encounters with animals from around the world.