Shreveport
Introduction
Shreveport sits in the northwest corner of Louisiana, stretched along the west bank of the Red River and reaching across into neighboring Bossier Parish. It is the parish seat of Caddo Parish, and the river shapes much of how the city is laid out and how you move through it.
This is one of Louisiana's larger cities, and it anchors a metropolitan area together with Bossier City on the opposite bank. If you are traveling through the region, expect a city with the scale and amenities of a major Louisiana hub rather than a small river town.
Before you go
Shreveport has a regional reputation as a gambling center, thanks to the casinos and racetracks that operate in the area. But gaming is only one side of the city: you'll also find museums, art galleries, symphonies, colleges and universities, and a dining scene that mixes regional Louisiana cooking with international cuisine. One piece of local history that often goes unnoticed is that Shreveport served as the capital of Louisiana during the Civil War.
Before you go, it's worth knowing that Shreveport has a higher crime rate than the national average across every category, so common sense is advised. Some neighborhoods are more dangerous than others: areas west of Downtown and Interstate 49, and south of Interstate 220, tend to be riskier than the rest of the city. Stay aware of your surroundings, and if a neighborhood looks like it's going downhill, turn around rather than drive through. After dark in the downtown district, avoid walking alone or in small groups unless you stick to the well-populated areas near the casinos and bars.
Getting there
Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV) is the main gateway to the region, located west of downtown at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 220 and Louisiana State Route 3132. Allegiant Air flies nonstop from Las Vegas and seasonally from Orlando-Sanford, while Delta connects from Atlanta, American from Charlotte and Dallas/Fort Worth, and United from Denver and Houston. For smaller personal aircraft and charters, Shreveport Downtown Airport sits about a mile north of downtown. SPORTRAN, the area's public bus system, stops directly outside the baggage claim doors; Routes 7 and 13 run to the Downtown Transfer Station, where you can pick up Route 20 for hotels, casinos, and other downtown points, and buses in Shreveport are free of charge. Many hotels near the airport and west of the Inner Loop offer free shuttle service, though you'll often need to contact them directly to arrange a pickup, since flights here are less frequent than at larger airports. Taxis wait outside the terminal, usually two to four vehicles, and can reach more of the Shreveport-Bossier City area than public transit at a considerably higher price. Rideshares like Uber and Lyft also operate here and can often arrive within minutes; after requesting a ride, walk right when exiting the terminal to the designated pickup area at the edge of the building and wait near the signs on the curb. By bus, Greyhound serves Shreveport from cities along the Interstate 20 corridor between Dallas and Atlanta, plus Houston, Texarkana, Alexandria, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. By car, Interstate 20 crosses east-west between Dallas and Jackson, Mississippi, and Interstate 49 runs north-south between Texarkana and Alexandria; because the downtown portion of I-49 is still under construction, use Interstate 220 and Louisiana 3132, the Shreveport Inner Loop, to connect between the two sections.Getting around
Shreveport is primarily car-oriented, and driving is the easiest way to get around. Interstates 20 and 49 cross the city, and an Inner Loop made up of I-220 and LA-3132 forms a semi-loop around downtown. Clyde Fant Parkway follows the riverfront, linking downtown with the southeastern part of the city around LSU Shreveport and the shopping areas along South Youree Drive. Taxis reach more destinations than the buses, though at a higher cost, and ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft also operate here. If you are arriving at Shreveport Regional Airport, taxis wait outside the terminal, ride-hailing drivers usually arrive within a few minutes and pick up at designated curb areas to the right as you exit, and many hotels near the airport and west of the Inner Loop run free airport shuttles that you should arrange with your hotel in advance.
Public transit is provided by SporTran, whose buses serve most of Shreveport as well as parts of Bossier City, and rides on the system are free. Most hotels have a bus stop nearby. Routes connect at two transfer points: the Downtown Transfer Hub at Texas Avenue and Murphy Street, and the Southwest Transfer Hub at W. 68th Street and St. Vincent Avenue. Travel between downtown and the southern half of the city will likely mean using both hubs. SporTran buses also stop directly outside the baggage claim doors at Shreveport Regional Airport, with routes 7 and 13 running to the Downtown Transfer Station, where Route 20 continues to hotels, casinos, and other downtown points. There is no rail, metro, or tram network, so without a car you should plan on the buses or ride-hailing for most trips; downtown and some neighborhoods are walkable, but the city as a whole is not especially pedestrian-friendly.
Where to stay
You'll find the greatest concentration of places to stay in downtown Shreveport, where hotels cluster around the downtown area and along I-20 east, alongside the casinos' own hotels. For a classic Shreveport stay, the Fairfield Place Bed and Breakfast occupies a late 19th-century home with six rooms furnished in period style but equipped with modern amenities such as TV, Wi-Fi and private bathrooms, plus a hot breakfast each morning. Downtown also has larger options, including the Hilton Shreveport on Market Street and the Holiday Inn Shreveport Downtown on Lake Street.
If you're arriving by air or want to stay near the airport, there are numerous hotels around Shreveport Regional Airport, among them the Wingate by Wyndham and the Hilton Garden Inn, the latter offering plush beds, spacious desks and high-tech amenities. A further selection of mid-range and upscale hotels can be found in the southeastern part of the city.
Food & drink
Shreveport's budget eating leans on long-standing local institutions. Fertitta's Deli, the oldest continuously operated restaurant in the city and run by the same family since 1927, serves its own Muffy sandwich along with pizzas, salads, and house-made sweet mint tea. Strawn's Eat Shop is a classic Shreveport eatery known for American dishes such as chicken fried steak, cheeseburgers, and beef tips, and it's the home of the "Icebox Pie," with strawberry the most requested. For something sweet, the original Southern Maid Donuts is one of the oldest donut chains in the country, with its remaining locations clustered around Shreveport and Bossier City.
For mid-range meals, Herby K's is one of the city's most renowned institutions, known for its "Shrimp Buster" po-boy and a range of southern classics, with a full-service bar and a small dining room that can fill up quickly. Monjuni's Italian Cafe is a local Italian spot whose original location tends to be the most popular, and Superior Bar & Grill serves Mexican food in a relaxed cantina setting with live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Higher-end options include Ernest's, a New Orleans-style restaurant with a view overlooking the Red River, Bella Fresca on Line Avenue, and Superior Steakhouse, which has one of the city's best wine lists. Boiled crawfish, while popular in south Louisiana, are less common around Shreveport, though a handful of restaurants and seafood markets sell them during the season, typically late spring to mid summer. For drinks, downtown has The Blind Tiger and Noble Savage Tavern; the Highland District has Strange Brew; and near Centenary College you'll find The Cub and the Round Bar. Nightlife and dancing downtown includes clubs and lounges along Commerce, Texas, and North Spring streets.
What to see and do
Start with the mansions along Fairfield Avenue, built by families made wealthy by the oil industry in the 1920s and '30s, for a glimpse into the city's history. The R.W. Norton Art Gallery sits on Creswell Avenue in an upscale neighbourhood, with a collection and landscaped grounds that are free to view. Downtown, artspace is an art gallery with a cafe, and the Robinson Film Center shows independent, international and classic cinema, with a bistro and bar on its second floor. The Shreveport Municipal Auditorium is a historic 1929 venue associated with the Louisiana Hayride, with statues of Elvis Presley and James Burton out front; the surrounding neighbourhood is safe in daytime but best avoided after dark. The American Rose Center, a garden park dedicated to roses and home to the American Rose Society, lies west of downtown. Museums include the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, with dioramas of Louisiana life and industries such as sugar cane, salt mining and rice, the small Spring Street Historical Museum covering local history, and the Sci-Port Discovery Center on the downtown riverfront, with science, math and space exhibits, an IMAX Dome Theatre and a planetarium. You can also visit the Shreveport Aquarium and the Shreveport Water Works Museum. For something outdoors, Bickham Dickson Park offers boating and fishing on Old River Lake, walking trails, picnic areas and equestrian trails, while Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park has picnic areas, views of the Red River and an off-road bicycle trail. Golfers have public options including Querbes Park, Huntington Park and the Jerry Tim Brooks course. Two riverboat casinos, Sam's Town and Eldorado, sit on the Red River downtown, with more just across the river in Bossier City. The city's festival calendar includes Mardi Gras, with parades from the Gemini and Centaur krewes; Mudbug Madness, featuring boiled crawfish, local artwork and live music on the downtown riverfront in late May; the Red River Revel, a fall arts and crafts festival with live music and food booths; CORK and Shreveport Brew for wine and beer tasting; and the State Fair of Louisiana at the fairgrounds. West of the city, Wonder Oasis Waterpark has slides for all ages, and Gators and Friends in Greenwood lets you watch alligators being fed, see deer, kangaroos, goats, coatimundi and emu, hold a baby gator, or try go-carting and ziplining. Further out in rural Caddo Parish, the Louisiana State Oil & Gas Museum in Oil City covers the state's oil and gas industry, with derricks and equipment in the yard, and the Three Corners Marker near Rodessa shows where Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas meet.When to go
Shreveport has a humid subtropical climate, so plan around abundant rainfall, mild winters, and hot, humid summers. Spring and summer bring the risk of severe thunderstorms, with heavy rain, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes possible during those months. Summer days are hot and humid, and June is the wettest month while August is the driest.
Winters are normally mild, though freezing or below-freezing temperatures occur on a number of days each year, and ice and sleet storms are possible. If you want to avoid the most oppressive heat and the stormiest stretch of the year, aim for the milder months and keep rain gear on hand regardless of when you visit.
Three days in Shreveport
Day one: Arrive at Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV), served by Allegiant Air from Las Vegas, Orlando and Sanford; Delta from Atlanta; American from Charlotte, Dallas and Fort Worth; and United from Denver and Houston. If you fly into Shreveport Downtown Airport instead, you are already close to the centre. Settle in and get your bearings in Downtown, then take SPORTRAN Routes from the Downtown Transfer Station to reach the Red River. The river shapes the city, and the waterway is the natural place to start.
Day two: Cross into Bossier Parish and Bossier City, on the opposite bank of the Red River. This side of the metropolitan area grew up alongside Shreveport, and the two cities face each other across the water. Use Interstates and Louisiana State Route connections to move between Caddo Parish and Bossier Parish. Some of the area's history reaches back to the Civil War, and before that the river was the reason for settlement here.
Day three: Stay in Shreveport and fill your last day around Downtown and the river. One option is to trace the Red River corridor and the parishes it divides, Caddo Parish on one side and Bossier Parish on the other. For your departure, head back to Shreveport Regional Airport, or to Shreveport Downtown Airport if that suits your onward flight.