Biedenharn Museum & Garden
4.7(384)google
4.7(17)yelp
History
Overview
The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens is a home museum and botanical garden located beside the Ouachita River at 2006 Riverside Drive in Monroe in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. It has three exhibits: the historic home and botanical gardens, Coca-Cola museum, and Bible museum. The Coca-Cola Museum opened in 2008 and holds Coca-Cola memorabilia and historical items.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration1.5-2.5 hours
Best TimeSpring (March to April) in the morning (10:00 AM - 12:30 PM) is the golden window. This is when the English-style 'ELsong Gardens'—built by the first bottler of Coca-Cola—bursts into full bloom with thousands of azaleas and roses around stone fountains. Morning light illuminates the brick paths perfectly before enjoying a 5-cent vintage Coke machine experience.
Getting ThereLocated at 2006 Riverside Drive in northern Monroe. By car, exit I-20 at Exit 116D (Monroe), drive north along Highway 185 (N 18th St), turn left onto Forsythe Avenue until it hits the river, then turn right onto Riverside Drive; the museum is 200 meters ahead with a free visitor lot. Public transit options are scarce.
Travel Tips
- The historic Coca-Cola memorabilia and vintage vending machines are strictly no-touch items; backpacks must be checked into ground-floor lockers.
- The ELsong English gardens shut down all fountains and feature protective tarping during severe summer droughts or hard winter freezes.
- Closed Sundays and Mondays; the compact lot on Riverside Drive features tight turning radiuses, prohibiting large RVs or pulled trailers.
Reviews
Positive
- A paradise for Coca-Cola fans! The museum vividly showcases the history of the first Coke bottler, and you can even buy a classic bottle for just a nickel from a vintage machine.
- The ELsong Gardens in the back are beautiful, resembling an English manor with terraced fountains, finely crafted sculptures, and year-round blooming flowers.
- The museum houses a rare collection of precious historic Bible manuscripts, and the docents are incredibly knowledgeable, making the guided tour a true cultural feast.
- Admission is very budget-friendly, parking is ample and completely free, and the property is kept spotlessly clean, making it a peaceful, charming historic gem.
Heads up
- The Coca-Cola pavilion is quite small, consisting mostly of vintage posters and bottles; non-history buffs can breeze through it in about 15 minutes.
- During continuous rainy weather, the outdoor gardens get slick, and some gravel paths flood, making it difficult for strollers or wheelchairs to navigate.
- There is no on-site cafe or refreshment lounge; when tired from the gardens, you only have hard wooden benches, and finding a proper meal requires driving downtown.
- Most signs and labels are strictly in English without multi-language translations, making it a bit taxing for foreign tourists to understand the complex biblical history.