Winnsboro (Louisiana)
Winnsboro is the largest city and parish seat of Franklin Parish in Northern Louisiana. Home to the Franklin Parish Catfish Festival, considered the largest one-day festival in all of Louisiana. It had 4,900 residents in 2020.
Get in
By car
Winnsboro is 30 miles southeast of Monroe and is only accessible by car. The three highways that run through the town are:
- US Highway 425/Louisiana Highway 15 run concurrently north to south. The highways split 10 miles north of the city, where LA 15 goes to Monroe and US 425 north to Rayville. Southbound goes to Sicily Island, Vidalia, and Natchez, Mississippi.
- Louisiana Highway 4 runs west to east, west going to/from Columbia, LA and eastbound ending at US 65 near Lake Bruin State Park in Tensas Parish.
- Louisiana Highway 17 originates in Winnsboro and runs northeast to Delhi and the Arkansas state line.
Get around
The town is most easily traversed by car, with the exception of the downtown area. The multiple blocks have sidewalks and benches to sit down and rest, while enjoying the views of the historic city center.
See
- 🌍 Old Post Office Museum, 513 Prairie Street, ☏ +1 318-435-3781. M-F 9AM-5PM. The site of the local post office for over 60 years, now host to a local history and art museum. Up until the 2000s, the post office served as a center of written communication for Winnsboro. Reveals the history of the mail system as it was in the mid to late 20th century with equipment exhibits, old post office boxes and mail slots, sorting displays, and stamps. Rotating art exhibits every several months. Free.
Do
- Attend the Franklin Parish Catfish Festival and sample different catfish plates from the various vendors
- Take in a show at the downtown Princess Theater.
Eat
- Big John's Burgers, 3946 Front St, ☏ +1 318-435-9956. M-Sa 6AM-2PM. Traditional Southern fare with po'boys, catfish plates, cheeseburgers. $10 and up.
Sleep
- 🌍 America's Best Value Inn (formerly Best Western Winnsboro), 4198 Front St. (1 mile southeast of Downtown on Highway 425/15), ☏ +1 318-435-2000. Basic accommodations for Winnsboro visitors. Amenities include cable TV, Handicap Accessibility, Pool, Wi-Fi.
Respect
While alcohol sales are allowed in Winnsboro and throughout Franklin Parish, and there are a small handful of drinking establishments, virtually this entire area is heavily religious and are practitioners of evangelical Protestant Christian traditions, and are therefore opposed to the consumption of alcohol. If you intend to drink, it is advisable to do so privately or not to discuss it openly or overly flaunt it. Such actions will likely get you stares and unwelcome looks from locals.