Monroe

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

• 1 Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW ^IATA). The nearest major airport. (updated Jan 2020)
• 2 Custer Airport. A General aviation airport (updated Jul 2020)

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

The Equestrian Monument

• 1 George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument (at Junction of Elm Avenue and North Monroe Street). 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. 
• 2 St. Mary's Church. Constructed in the Gregorian year of 1834, consecrated in 1839, and commemorated on November 28, 1889. Tricky to miss.  
• 3 River Raisin National Battlefield Park, 1403 East Elm Avenue, ☏ +1 734 243-7136. (updated Aug 2015)
• The Monroe County Museum, 126 South Monroe Street, ☏ +1 734 240-7780. (updated Sep 2016)
• 4 Saint Michael the Archangel Church, 502 West Front Street. Roman Catholic (updated Apr 2018)
• Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church, 2330 North Monroe Street, ☏ +1 734 241-1169. (updated Apr 2018)

Do

• 1 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), ☏ +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. 
• 2 Monroe County Fair, 3775 South Custer Road, ☏ +1 734 241-5775. Major county state fair. 
• 3 Sterling State Park, 2800 State Park Rd, ☏ +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. (updated Jul 2020)
• Muskrat Dinner (Monroe Boat Club). First Monday of January (Unless it's New Years). Annual dinner featuring local cuisine made from Muskrats. $10-$23. (updated Oct 2020)

Buy

• 1 The Mall of Monroe (Frenchtown Square Mall), 2121 N. Monroe St, ☏ +1 734 242-9150. M-Sa 10AM-9PM; Su noon-5PM. Formerly called the Frenchtown Square Mall. 
• Book Nook, 42 S. Monroe St. M-Sa 9:30AM to 5PM or 6PM. Founded in 1969. 
• Our House Games, 403 East Monroe St, ☏ +1 734 242-4263, ourhousegames@att.net. W-M. 

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 (27283), 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. (updated Dec 2018)
• Erie Bread Company, 311 South Monroe Street, ☏ +1 (734) 241-4644, eriebread@att.net. M-F 9AM-6PM. $2.50-9.00. (updated Dec 2018)

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

Routes through Monroe

Detroit ← Rockwood ← Jct N ←	N  S	→ Luna Pier → Toledo
Detroit ← Flat Rock ←	N  S	→ Toledo → Fort Wayne
Jackson ← Dundee ←	W  E	→ END