College Visit Guides

Drive guide · 3 days, 4 campuses

Louisiana Tech, Grambling, ULM and Northwestern State in 3 Days: A North Louisiana College Road Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing Louisiana Tech, Grambling State, the University of Louisiana Monroe and Northwestern State in three days: how each visit works, where to park, five hotels from budget to upscale, drive times, things for siblings and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 28, 2026.

Alumni Walk at Louisiana Tech, a wide brick-paved walkway lined with trees and lampposts leading west toward a brick clock tower, with Aswell Suites on the left and Howard Auditorium on the right
Alumni Walk and the Clock Tower, Louisiana Tech (Oct 2019). Photo: UpAheadDesign · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools
Louisiana Tech University (Ruston, LA) · Grambling State University (Grambling, LA) · University of Louisiana Monroe (Monroe, LA) · Northwestern State University (Natchitoches, LA)
Days
3 days: ULM on day 1, Louisiana Tech and Grambling on day 2 (about 11 minutes apart), then about 1 hr 50 min south to Northwestern State on day 3. Arrive the evening before.
Fly into
Monroe Regional (MLU), about 45 minutes from the Ruston base with no traffic. Fly home from Shreveport Regional (SHV), about 1 hr 28 min from Northwestern State.
Best base
Courtyard by Marriott Ruston for all three nights: about 6 minutes by car from Louisiana Tech and 11 minutes from Grambling.
Car or transit
Rent a car: Ruston is about 36 miles from ULM and about 72 miles from Northwestern State.
Registration
All four schools take tour sign-ups online or by phone. Northwestern State's tours are private and given by NSU vehicle, and ULM's tours are one-on-one and must be booked in advance.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare four north Louisiana universities in one trip: Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Grambling State five miles west, the University of Louisiana Monroe, and Northwestern State in Natchitoches.

ULM says it's the only college in the nation with a bayou running through the heart of campus, and Louisiana Tech organizes its weekday visits by academic college.

Why this order

  • Day 1: ULM offers personalized one-on-one tours year-round that include faculty and residence halls; golf carts are available for accessibility.
  • Day 2: Louisiana Tech's weekday visits pair a campus tour and residential life tour with an admissions conversation and a department visit, and Grambling State is about 11 minutes away for an afternoon tour.
  • Day 3: Northwestern State gives private campus tours by NSU vehicle with a recruiter or Presidential Ambassador, and historic Natchitoches is right there.
Plan ahead: book each tour
  • Louisiana Tech: pick the weekday visit for your student's academic college (morning or afternoon session), or a Saturday visit if weekdays don't work.
  • ULM: tours must be booked in advance and run on the hour 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 9 a.m. on Fridays; if nothing fits, call 318.342.3806.
  • Northwestern State: tours run Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday 9 to 11 a.m.; Saturday tours are by phone appointment only at (318) 357-4503.
  • Grambling State: choose a tour slot on its campus tour portal; group tours have a separate request form.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • ULM's Browse on the Bayou is a select-Saturday visit day with a welcome from the President, talks from the deans, a campus and residence hall tour and lunch.
  • Louisiana Tech's Saturday visits include a campus tour, residential life tour, admission conversation and a conversation about your major, alongside other visiting families.
  • Northwestern State holds Preview Days for prospective students; see its Preview Days page for dates.

2. The suggested 3-day drive

  • Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Leave extra time at rush hour and in summer storms.

Arrival evening: fly into Monroe and drive to Ruston

  1. Monroe Regional Airport (MLU) → Courtyard by Marriott Ruston (1309 Maxwell Blvd.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~45 min, 36.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • If you'd rather stay in Monroe the first night, The Hotel Monroe downtown is about 10 minutes by car from ULM.

Day 1: University of Louisiana Monroe

  1. Courtyard Ruston → University of Louisiana Monroe (700 University Ave.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~46 min, 36.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  2. ULM → University Police, Filhiol Hall (3811 DeSiard St.) for a visitor parking pass

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~4 min, 0.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  3. ULM → Biedenharn Museum & Gardens (2006 Riverside Dr.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~11 min, 5.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  4. ULM → Courtyard Ruston

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~44 min, 35.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • Your one-on-one tour includes a guided walking portion; note any accommodation needs in the comment box when you book, and golf carts are available.
  • For lunch, ULM's Schulze Dining Hall is at 100 Northeast Drive, and Flip Kitchen and Starbucks are at 800 University Ave., per ULM Dining.
  • Biedenharn Museum & Gardens is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its collections include a Coca-Cola bottle collection.

Day 2: Louisiana Tech in the morning, Grambling State in the afternoon

  1. Courtyard Ruston → Louisiana Tech University (201 Mayfield Ave.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~6 min, 2.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  2. Louisiana Tech → Grambling State University (Grambling Hall, 403 Main St.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~11 min, 5.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  3. Grambling State → Courtyard Ruston

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~11 min, 7.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • Book Louisiana Tech's morning session for your student's college; each weekday visit includes a campus tour, residential life tour, admissions conversation and a major or department visit.
  • Louisiana Tech's Tech Table is all-you-care-to-eat, and its food court at 100 Wisteria Street includes Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Moe's Southwest Grill and Subway.
  • At Grambling, McCall Dining Center (100 Founder Street) serves lunch weekdays 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Day 3: Northwestern State, then fly home from Shreveport

  1. Courtyard Ruston → Northwestern State University (Roy Hall, Natchitoches)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 50 min, 72.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  2. NSU → Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site (155 Rue Jefferson)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~2 min, 0.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    ~12 min walk, 0.5 mi

  3. NSU → Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 28 min, 74.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • Leave Ruston early: a Monday-through-Thursday tour between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. leaves room for the drive. NSU visits last about 90 minutes, or about 2 hours if you add department visits.
  • Want a slower day? Spend night 3 at Church Street Inn in downtown Natchitoches, about 4 minutes by car or a 24-minute walk from NSU, and fly out the next morning.

3. Campus by campus

The University of Louisiana Monroe library, a brick-and-cream building topped by a clock tower
The library at the University of Louisiana Monroe (Oct 2020). Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

University of Louisiana Monroe (Monroe, LA)

Where visits start
  • ULM welcomes prospective students year-round for personalized one-on-one tours, booked in advance. On your visit you tour campus, can meet faculty and see residence halls.
  • Tours run on the hour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 9 a.m. on Fridays. If no time fits, call 318.342.3806 and ULM will arrange one.
  • Part of the tour is a guided walk; list any accommodation needs when you book, and golf carts are available for accessibility.
Visitor parking
  • Get a temporary visitor pass from University Police in Filhiol Hall, 3811 DeSiard St.; passes are available at any time. Visitors may then park in any area except reserved spaces.
  • For Browse on the Bayou, ULM says to park near Strauss Hall and check in at Warhawk Circle on Bayou Drive.
Getting there
  • ULM is about 46 minutes by car from the Courtyard Ruston, about 10 minutes from The Hotel Monroe and about 11 minutes from John Thomas Bed and Bath with no traffic.
What to know
  • The ULM photo in this guide shows the university library with its clock tower.
  • ULM says it's the only college in the nation with a bayou running through the heart of campus.
Contact
University of Louisiana Monroe, 700 University Ave., Monroe, LA 71209. Campus tour line: 318.342.3806; group tours: 318.342.3697.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: ULM: Campus Tours · ULM: Browse on the Bayou · ULM: Visitor Information (parking)

Alumni Walk at Louisiana Tech, a wide brick-paved walkway lined with trees and lampposts leading west toward a brick clock tower, with Aswell Suites on the left and Howard Auditorium on the right
Alumni Walk and the Clock Tower, Louisiana Tech (Oct 2019). Photo: UpAheadDesign · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Louisiana Tech University (Ruston, LA)

Where visits start
  • Louisiana Tech's weekday visits are booked through the academic college your student is interested in (Applied & Natural Sciences, Business, Education & Human Sciences, Engineering & Science, or Liberal Arts); choose a morning or afternoon session.
  • Each weekday visit includes a campus tour, residential life tour, admissions conversation and a major or department visit, and is designed for first-time freshmen. Transfer visits are held Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
  • Aviation, Nursing, School of Design and Speech Pathology offer their own program tours, and Saturday visits are available if weekdays don't work.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors may park in any zone except at red curbs or in reserved spaces, and marked VISITOR spaces are on campus. The Visitor & 30 Minute Zone has a yellow curb.
  • Louisiana Tech says it won't knowingly accept payment of a parking fine from a visitor.
Getting there
  • Louisiana Tech is about 6 minutes by car from the Courtyard Ruston and about 5 minutes from the Hampton Inn Ruston with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Louisiana Tech photo in this guide looks west along Alumni Walk toward the Clock Tower, with Aswell Suites on the left and Howard Auditorium on the right.
Contact
Louisiana Tech University, 201 Mayfield Ave., Ruston, LA 71272; 318.257.2000.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Louisiana Tech: Saturday Visits · Louisiana Tech: Engineering & Science daily visits · Louisiana Tech: Parking Regulations

A brick entrance monument with a Grambling State University plaque and a flag flying beside it
Entrance monument, Grambling State University (Jan 2008). Photo: Clotee Pridgen Alloc… · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Grambling State University (Grambling, LA)

Where visits start
  • Pick a tour slot on Grambling State's campus tour portal; Admissions is in Grambling Hall, 403 Main Street. Group tours have a separate request form linked from the portal.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors need a temporary parking permit Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Admissions lot is for Admissions visitors only.
  • Parking is open on weekday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m. and on weekends, except residential lots with green signs. GSU Police: 318-274-2222.
Getting there
  • Grambling State is about 11 minutes by car from Louisiana Tech and from the Courtyard Ruston with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Grambling State photo in this guide shows a brick entrance monument with the university's name and a flag.
Contact
Grambling State University Admissions, Grambling Hall, 403 Main Street, Grambling, LA 71245; (318) 274-3811 or toll-free 1-800-569-4714.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Grambling State: Visitor Parking

Williamson Hall at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, a red-brick building with a Williamson Hall sign out front
Williamson Hall, Northwestern State University (Aug 2009). Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Northwestern State University (Natchitoches, LA)

Where visits start
  • Northwestern State gives private campus tours by NSU vehicle, led by a recruiter or Presidential Ambassador, on the Natchitoches campus.
  • Tours run Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday 9 to 11 a.m.; Saturday tours are by phone appointment only at (318) 357-4503. Visits last about 90 minutes, or about 2 hours with department visits.
  • Transfer students have a separate tour request form, linked from NSU's Campus Tours page.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors must get a temporary parking pass from University Police before driving on campus, except at university-hosted events. Passes are available weekdays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 315 Caspari St., (318) 357-5431.
  • The front of Roy Hall and the Student Union circle are 30-minute zones.
Getting there
  • NSU is about 1 hr 50 min by car from the Courtyard Ruston, about 4 minutes from Church Street Inn and about 1 hr 28 min from SHV with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Northwestern State photo in this guide shows Williamson Hall.
  • Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site, a replica of the 1716 French fort, is about a 12-minute walk from NSU's Roy Hall.
Contact
Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA. Tour questions and Saturday appointments: (318) 357-4503. University Police: 315 Caspari St., (318) 357-5431.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: NSU: Campus Tours · NSU: Preview Days · NSU: Parking and Driving Regulations

4. Where to stay: a Ruston base, with Monroe and Natchitoches options

Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Hotel · Our pickMid-range

Courtyard by Marriott Ruston

1309 Maxwell Blvd., Ruston, LA 71270

Why here

  • It's about 6 minutes by car from Louisiana Tech, 11 minutes from Grambling State and 45 minutes from MLU with no traffic, so one base covers three of the four schools.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 110 rooms, free self-parking, an outdoor pool, a fitness center and a restaurant and bar. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Hampton Inn Ruston

1315 N. Trenton St., Ruston, LA 71270

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about 5 minutes by car from Louisiana Tech with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists free hot breakfast and an outdoor pool, and notes it's near Louisiana Tech and Grambling State. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

The Hotel Monroe, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

120 Walnut St., Monroe, LA

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3.5-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's in downtown Monroe, about 10 minutes by car from ULM with no traffic, if you'd rather sleep near ULM on night 1.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 69 rooms and a rooftop. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

John Thomas Bed and Bath

105 N. 3rd St., West Monroe, LA 71291

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's in West Monroe, about 11 minutes by car from ULM with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists it as a guesthouse with free parking and free Wi-Fi. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

Church Street Inn

120 Church St., Natchitoches, LA 71457

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3.5-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • For an optional night 3 in downtown Natchitoches: about 4 minutes by car or a 24-minute walk from NSU with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and check-in details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Stay in Ruston: Louisiana Tech and Grambling are minutes away, ULM is about 46 minutes east, and you leave from Ruston for NSU on day 3. Add a Natchitoches night only if you want an unhurried NSU visit.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

On campus at Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech's food court at 100 Wisteria Street groups most campus restaurants in one place, per Louisiana Tech Dining.

Eat

Tech Table

100 Wisteria Street, Ruston

All-you-care-to-eat dining, per Louisiana Tech.

Details →

Eat

Moe's Southwest Grill and Chick-fil-A

100 Wisteria Street, Ruston

Two of the food court's restaurants, alongside Starbucks, Subway and Sushic.

Details →

On campus at ULM

ULM Dining lists a dining hall, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Subway and more; check location hours before you go.

Eat

Schulze Dining Hall

100 Northeast Drive, Monroe

ULM's dining hall, per ULM Dining.

Details →

Eat

Flip Kitchen

800 University Ave., Monroe

At the same address as ULM's campus Starbucks, per ULM Dining.

Details →

On campus at Grambling and NSU

Both campuses' dining is run by Sodexo; hours change by season, so check before you go.

Eat

McCall Dining Center (Grambling)

100 Founder Street, Grambling

Weekday lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and weekend lunch 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., per Grambling Dining.

Details →

Eat

Vic's (NSU)

Friedman Student Union, Natchitoches

Sandwiches, pizza and Louisiana Kitchen plates, Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; closed weekends.

Details →

Eat

Chick-fil-A (NSU)

912 University Pkwy., Natchitoches

Open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., per NSU Dining.

Details →

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo

1405 Bernstein Park Rd., Monroe, LA

Open every day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day; about 13 minutes by car from ULM.

Official page →

With siblings

Biedenharn Museum & Gardens

2006 Riverside Dr., Monroe, LA

Gardens and collections including a Coca-Cola bottle collection, open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; about 11 minutes by car from ULM.

Official page →

With siblings

Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site

155 Rue Jefferson, Natchitoches, LA 71457

A replica of the 1716 French fort on Cane River Lake, open Wednesday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; about a 12-minute walk from NSU's Roy Hall.

Official page →

With siblings

A Bulldogs, Warhawks, Tigers or Demons game

Ruston, Monroe, Grambling and Natchitoches, LA

Check the Louisiana Tech, ULM, Grambling State and Northwestern State athletics calendars for a home game on your dates.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • Get your parking pass first at ULM (University Police, Filhiol Hall) and NSU (University Police, 315 Caspari St., weekdays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.); Grambling requires a temporary permit on weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Louisiana Tech lets visitors park in any zone except at red curbs or in reserved spaces.
  • The longest drive is Ruston to Natchitoches, about 72.5 miles and 1 hr 50 min with no traffic.

Flying in and out

  • Monroe Regional (MLU) is about 45 minutes from the Courtyard Ruston with no traffic; Shreveport Regional (SHV) is about 1 hr 28 min from NSU and about 1 hr 31 min from the Courtyard Ruston.
  • Flying into MLU and home from SHV saves you from backtracking after NSU; if you need a round trip, SHV works from both ends.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Monroe Regional Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 77°F highs and 54°F lows, with about 5.8 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 93°F/73°F, with about 3.9 inches of rain, so plan walking tours for the morning and bring water.
  • Fall: October averages about 79°F/54°F, with about 5 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 57°F/37°F, with about 5.2 inches of rain; pack a rain jacket.

Parent checklist

  • Book a ULM tour for day 1, a Louisiana Tech morning visit and a Grambling afternoon tour for day 2, and an NSU tour for day 3.
  • Book a rental car, flying into MLU and home from SHV.
  • Book your Ruston base, and a Natchitoches night if you want a slower day 3.
  • Plan stops at University Police for visitor parking passes at ULM and NSU, and a temporary permit at Grambling on weekdays.
  • After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.

Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.

Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.

4 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
  • Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
  • Division I (University of Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech University, Grambling State University and Northwestern State University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
  • Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.

Planning around the season

  • Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
  • Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.

Student-athlete sources

All checked Oct 26, 2026.

  1. NCAA, 2026-27 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (pp. 3, 21–25)
  2. NCAA.org: NCAA Recruiting
  3. NCAA: Division I and II Recruiting Calendars and Guides
  4. NCAA Directory: University of Louisiana Monroe
  5. University of Louisiana Monroe Athletics (official site)
  6. University of Louisiana Monroe Athletics: Staff Directory
  7. University of Louisiana Monroe Athletics: schedule of events
  8. NCAA Directory: Louisiana Tech University
  9. Louisiana Tech University Athletics (official site)
  10. Louisiana Tech University Athletics: Compliance
  11. Louisiana Tech University Athletics: Staff Directory
  12. Louisiana Tech University Athletics: schedule of events
  13. NCAA Directory: Grambling State University
  14. Grambling State University Athletics (official site)
  15. Grambling State University Athletics: Recruiting questionnaires
  16. Grambling State University Athletics: Staff Directory
  17. Grambling State University Athletics: schedule of events
  18. NCAA Directory: Northwestern State University
  19. Northwestern State University Athletics (official site)
  20. Northwestern State University Athletics: Staff Directory
  21. Northwestern State University Athletics: schedule of events

Trip planner

Plan this trip

Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.

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Sources

All checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.

  1. Louisiana Tech University: Visit Campus
  2. Louisiana Tech University: Saturday Campus Visit (official sign-up)
  3. Louisiana Tech University: College of Engineering & Science Daily Visits (official sign-up)
  4. Louisiana Tech University Police: Parking Regulations
  5. Louisiana Tech University: Dining
  6. Louisiana Tech Dining: Locations
  7. University of Louisiana Monroe: Campus Tours (HawkSeekers)
  8. University of Louisiana Monroe: Schedule a Tour (official sign-up)
  9. University of Louisiana Monroe: Browse on the Bayou
  10. University of Louisiana Monroe Police: Visitor Information
  11. ULM Dining: Locations
  12. Northwestern State University: Campus Tours
  13. Northwestern State University: Freshman Campus Tour Request (official sign-up)
  14. Northwestern State University: Campus Parking and Driving Regulations
  15. NSU Dining: Locations (Vic's)
  16. NSU Dining: Chick-fil-A
  17. Grambling State University: Campus Tour Portal (official sign-up)
  18. Grambling State University Police: Visitor Parking
  19. Grambling State University Dining: McCall Dining Center
  20. Northwestern State University: Preview Days
  21. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  22. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  23. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  24. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Monroe Regional Airport, LA (USW00013942)
  25. Expedia listing: Courtyard by Marriott Ruston (star class, address and amenities, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Ruston-Hotels-Courtyard-By-Marriott-Ruston.h17237768.Hotel-Information)
  26. Expedia listing: Hampton Inn Ruston (star class, address and amenities, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Ruston-Hotels-Hampton-Inn-Ruston.h42581.Hotel-Information)
  27. Expedia listing: The Hotel Monroe, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Monroe-Hotels-The-Hotel-Monroe.h114252395.Hotel-Information)
  28. Expedia listing: John Thomas Bed and Bath, West Monroe (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Monroe-Hotels-John-Thomas-Bed-And-Breakfast.h19532494.Hotel-Information)
  29. Expedia listing: Church Street Inn, Natchitoches (star class and address, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Natchitoches-Hotels-Church-Street-Inn.h15250740.Hotel-Information)
  30. Biedenharn Museum & Gardens: Home and hours
  31. Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo: Hours and Pricing
  32. Louisiana State Parks: Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site
  33. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Athletics: Calendar
  34. ULM Warhawks Athletics: Calendar
  35. Grambling State Tigers Athletics: Calendar
  36. Northwestern State Demons Athletics: Calendar