Rent a Bus to Hirsch Memorial Coliseum: Shreveport Mudbugs & Concert Guide

If you're coordinating group travel to George's Pond at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, the question that shapes your whole night is deceptively simple: where does the bus actually drop us off, and where does it go while we're inside? Get that wrong, and your group is hiking across the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in the dark, trying to regroup in a crowded lot after the final buzzer. Get it right, and your crew walks straight in from the curb while the rest of the parking lot sorts itself out.

This guide covers everything a Shreveport group organizer needs to know before a Mudbugs game, a Rouxgaroux home date, or a concert at the Hirsch — the real drop-off logistics, which vehicle fits your headcount, what the ride costs, and why the Fairgrounds address is a very specific animal on game nights. Party Bus Shreveport coordinates these runs regularly. The information below comes from doing it, not from a venue brochure.

What Is Hirsch Memorial Coliseum?

Hirsch Memorial Coliseum sits on the Louisiana State Fairgrounds off Pershing Boulevard, right next to Independence Stadium and across Hearne Avenue from Fair Park High School. The building opened in 1954, designed by Shreveport architect Edward F. Neild Jr., and it holds 10,300 for concerts — dropping to roughly 4,500 in hockey configuration when George's Pond is iced over. It is the home of the Shreveport Mudbugs of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), who have played here since 2016, and of the Shreveport Rouxgaroux, the National Arena League team that debuted at the Coliseum in February 2025.

The venue is also one of the more historically loaded buildings in Louisiana. Elvis Presley performed here in 1975 and 1976, and it is widely cited as the birthplace of the phrase "Elvis has left the building" — first announced here in 1957 to move lingering crowds along. For large-group travel, what matters more than the history is the Fairgrounds geography: the coliseum, the stadium, and the fairgrounds parking lots share the same sprawling campus, which means navigating it on a busy night takes a little planning.

Charter Bus Drop-Off & Parking at Hirsch Coliseum

Here is the part that most transportation guides skip. The coliseum's own venue page notes that drop-off and pick-up areas are positioned at the front entrance on the east side of the building, and that Gate 1 on the east end of the property is the primary access point. That's the right anchor for your group — bus pulls to the east-side entrance on Pershing Blvd, passengers step off, and they walk straight in to the box office level.

Wheelchair access is at the North entrance, so ADA-specific groups should let us know in advance and we route accordingly.

Free public parking surrounds the venue, and on a quiet Tuesday night Mudbugs game, finding a spot is rarely a problem. The situation changes fast when the Fairgrounds campus is busy. During the State Fair of Louisiana — which runs from late October through mid-November, overlapping directly with the early Mudbugs season — the fairgrounds parking fills from multiple directions simultaneously.

The same campus hosts the State Fair carnival, livestock shows, and the LRCA Finals Rodeo at the Coliseum in early November, all while Mudbugs home games are on the schedule. On those shared weekends, the surface lots fill by early evening, and late arrivals end up parking well away from the Coliseum entrance.

For oversized vehicle staging during the event, the Fairgrounds campus has plenty of surface lot space around the perimeter. Bus groups typically set a post-event pickup time and a specific staging area before the group splits up — we confirm those details when you book so there's no hunting for the bus after the final whistle. We always recommend contacting the venue at (318) 636-7094 before large-group visits to confirm any event-specific access instructions, particularly during State Fair weeks when the grounds have additional traffic management in place.

The official George's Pond venue page is the right source for current entry and accessibility policies.

Getting to Hirsch Coliseum: Routes, Traffic & the I-20 Approach

The standard approach to Hirsch Memorial Coliseum is I-20 to Exit 16A at Hearne Avenue, heading north on Hearne to Kings Highway, then west into the Fairgrounds campus. That route works smoothly on a normal weeknight. On State Fair weekends, on Mudbugs playoff nights, or on any date when the Coliseum and Independence Stadium share the same calendar, the Hearne Avenue corridor backs up from the I-20 on-ramp westward.

The single surface road in means one bottleneck handles every vehicle arriving from the highway at the same time.

Common pickup points and approximate drive times to the Fairgrounds, before event traffic:

Those numbers swell on game nights, particularly on the Hearne Avenue stretch between I-20 and Kings Highway. Build in an extra 20–30 minutes on any Mudbugs Friday or Saturday home date, and double that buffer if the State Fair is running concurrently. The upside of booking a Shreveport bus rental for the trip: that headache is on the bus, not on you.

Your group is already inside with your seats and your first round of nachos while the parking lot is still sorting itself out on Hearne.

The Shreveport Mudbugs at George's Pond: A Group Planner's Guide

The Shreveport Mudbugs play in the South Division of the North American Hockey League, a Tier II junior hockey circuit one rung below the USHL. The Mudbugs have been one of the more competitive programs in the NAHL South since rejoining the league in 2016, making George's Pond a legitimate regional hockey destination. Home games run from October through late February or early March, with the NAHL Robertson Cup playoffs extending into April for teams that qualify.

The official NAHL team page carries the full schedule, and tickets are available directly through the George's Pond ticket portal.

For group planning, the season breaks into three distinct windows with very different transportation considerations:

• October – early November (State Fair overlap): The Mudbugs' early-season home schedule runs alongside the State Fair of Louisiana, which occupies the fairgrounds from late October through mid-November. Any home game during fair weeks means shared parking demand on the campus. This is the single highest-friction window of the Mudbugs calendar — book your Shreveport party bus rental early and plan to arrive before the fair closes for the evening.
• Mid-November – January (core season): The fair wraps up and the fairgrounds return to normal capacity. Friday and Saturday home games are reliably popular, often with themed nights — fireworks nights, college nights, Military Appreciation — that push attendance toward sellout range.
• February – March (playoff push): If the Mudbugs are in playoff contention, late-season home games draw strong crowds. Bus rentals in Shreveport for these games book up faster than most people expect — call as soon as you have a date locked in.

A 30-person fan group heading to a weekend Mudbugs game in a minibus or charter bus spends the ride building the pregame buzz instead of navigating the Hearne Avenue crawl. The bus drops the group at the east entrance, and the same bus is staged and ready when the Mudbugs skate off after the final horn. That ride home — win or lose — is a lot more fun than waiting in the parking lot for everyone to find their cars.

Call 318-908-2390 to lock in your group's game-night transportation.

The Shreveport Rouxgaroux at Hirsch Coliseum

Indoor football returned to the Hirsch in February 2025 when the Shreveport Rouxgaroux debuted in the National Arena League, converting George's Pond into a 50-yard arena football surface for home dates. The Rouxgaroux play a compact home schedule of seven or eight games, typically running from February through May on weekend nights. For group transportation, indoor football at the Hirsch has the same Fairgrounds logistics as a Mudbugs game — east-side drop on Pershing, the same parking surface lots, the same Hearne Avenue approach from I-20.

The difference is that Rouxgaroux home games do not overlap with the State Fair calendar, so parking pressure is lower than early-season Mudbugs dates. That said, a competitive home opener or a playoff game at the Hirsch can still pull a significant crowd for a 4,500-seat configuration. A party bus in Shreveport handles the after-game pickup cleanly — no one's waiting in a dark surface lot wondering where the carpool is.

Check the official Rouxgaroux site for the current season schedule before booking.

Concerts & Events at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum

Beyond hockey and arena football, Hirsch Memorial Coliseum carries a varied event calendar that includes concerts, stand-up comedy, rodeos, wrestling events, college basketball tournaments, and graduation ceremonies. The building's 10,300-seat concert configuration makes it the largest indoor venue in Shreveport-Bossier, which means it draws touring acts that skip smaller markets. Concert nights at the Hirsch are the one scenario where every parking lot on the Fairgrounds fills completely, because the coliseum is pulling from the entire metro instead of a dedicated fan base with predictable patterns.

On a major concert night, Pershing Boulevard backs up from the Fairgrounds entrance back to Kings Highway, and the I-20 Exit 16A offramp can queue onto the interstate itself for large shows. Rideshare surge pricing on those nights is real — post-show demand spikes when 10,000 people hit the app at once. A Shreveport charter bus rental for a concert group solves both ends of that problem: the bus is there on Pershing Blvd when doors open, and it's staged and ready for a pre-arranged post-show pickup so no one's standing in a surge-priced queue at midnight.

For event-specific information and to check the current concert calendar, Ticketmaster's Hirsch Coliseum page carries the full upcoming schedule. Major show dates at the Hirsch book out local transportation fast — call 318-908-2390 as soon as you have tickets in hand.

State Fair of Louisiana & the Fairgrounds Calendar

The State Fair of Louisiana runs from late October through mid-November at 3701 Hudson Ave on the broader Fairgrounds campus — the same property as the Coliseum. The 2025 edition ran October 30 through November 16. General admission runs just $5, and parking is free, but "free parking" at a three-week fair drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors means the surface lots on Pershing and Hudson fill progressively earlier each weekend.

By midday on a fair Saturday, the lots closest to the Coliseum are at capacity and late arrivals are parking blocks away.

The State Fair officially runs a State Fair Express shuttle service to get visitors from remote parking to the fairgrounds gates. If your group is attending the fair itself — not a Mudbugs game or a Coliseum event — that shuttle covers the last-mile gap. But for a Coliseum event during State Fair weeks, a private bus in Shreveport with a dedicated curbside drop at the east entrance is simpler than competing with fair traffic for shuttle space.

One phone call to 318-908-2390, one vehicle, one drop — the group is inside while the Hearne Avenue corridor works out its issues without you.

What Size Bus Does Your Group Need?

Hirsch Coliseum group trips range from a small fan club heading to a Mudbugs Friday game to a full company outing for a concert sellout. The right vehicle comes down to headcount and what, if anything, you're hauling. Here's how the fleet breaks down for a Fairgrounds run:

For Mudbugs games, a 20- to 30-person fan group fits comfortably in a minibus — plush reclining seats, powerful A/C against the Louisiana heat, and room for a cooler in the aisle. For concerts, groups of 40 or more make the jump to a full-size charter bus worthwhile: the undercarriage bays handle the tailgate gear, the onboard restroom means no pit stops on the way home at midnight, and the per-head cost at 50 passengers is often better than a fleet of rideshares at the post-show surge rate. ADA-accessible vehicles are always available — just let us know before your event date.

We never want you paying for seats you don't actually need, so call 318-908-2390 and we'll match you to the right vehicle.

Charter Bus vs. Driving & Rideshare: The Honest Comparison

For a group heading to the Hirsch, the real competition for a charter bus or party bus rental isn't public transit — Shreveport doesn't have meaningful game-night public transit options to the Fairgrounds. The competition is the car caravan and the rideshare fleet. Here's the honest breakdown:

The post-game rideshare problem at the Hirsch is specific: when a concert lets out at 10:30 or 11 PM, 8,000 to 10,000 people hit Uber and Lyft at once on a campus with limited cell coverage under the Fairgrounds canopy. Wait times stretch, pricing surges, and the pickup pin ends up being an ambiguous surface lot instead of a named street address. A pre-arranged bus rental in Shreveport with a confirmed post-show pickup spot takes every one of those variables off the table.

Your group agrees on a spot before you go in, and the bus is there when you walk out. Call 318-908-2390 and we'll build the pickup plan into your booking.

What It Costs to Rent a Bus to Hirsch Coliseum

A Shreveport bus rental to the Hirsch is priced by vehicle size, the number of hours the bus is reserved, the date, and your pickup location. Because the Fairgrounds is 4–14 miles from most Shreveport-Bossier neighborhoods, most Coliseum runs are compact city trips — which keeps the rate reasonable when split across the group. You will never be surprised by hidden costs with Party Bus Shreveport; you know the all-inclusive price before you book.

General ranges to anchor your estimate: Sprinter limos and vans run $170–$344/hour; 15–20 passenger party buses run $204–$378/hour; 20–30 passenger party buses run $244–$414/hour; minibuses and 35–50 passenger party buses run $294–$490/hour; and 40–56 passenger charter buses run $150–$300/hour. A typical 4-hour Mudbugs game-night run for a 25-person group in a minibus — pickup, drop at the Coliseum, staging during the game, post-game pickup — lands in a range that splits into a very manageable per-head figure across the group. Compare that to the car-by-car math: multiple vehicles, multiple designated drivers, post-game rideshare surge, and someone always getting separated at the Hearne Avenue exit.

Call 318-908-2390 for an all-inclusive quote built around your specific headcount and date.

Tips for Your Hirsch Coliseum Visit

A few things every group organizer should know before a game or concert at the Hirsch:

• Doors open 60 minutes before event time. Plan your bus drop accordingly — arriving 45 to 60 minutes before doors means your group gets first pick of concessions and seats without the concourse rush.
• State Fair overlap (late October – mid-November): If there's a Mudbugs game during the fair's run, budget extra travel time from I-20 and confirm your bus pickup plan before the night of the event. The campus has more traffic management staff during fair weeks, which can redirect vehicles from their usual routes.
• ADA and wheelchair access is at the North entrance. If anyone in your group needs accessible entry, tell us at booking — we'll note the routing so your bus delivers the group to the right door instead of the main east entrance.
• Handicap parking is on Pershing Blvd near the entrances and is clearly marked. For ADA group members arriving by bus, the North entrance remains the coordinated ADA point regardless.
• Tickets for Mudbugs games are sold through the George's Pond ticket portal. Have them in hand — digital or print — before the bus arrives.
• For sellout dates and concerts, we recommend verifying bus access in advance by calling the venue at (318) 636-7094. Major show nights sometimes have event-specific traffic management that affects the Pershing Blvd approach.

Types of Groups That Rent a Bus to the Hirsch

Different groups, same destination — George's Pond at Hirsch Coliseum pulls a specific kind of fan, and a few recurring trip types stand out in Shreveport bus rentals to this venue:

• Hockey fan groups. The Mudbugs faithful are loyal and loud. A group of 20–40 fans heading to a South Division rivalry game — Corpus Christi, Lone Star Brahmas, Odessa Jackalopes — fills a minibus perfectly. The pregame energy starts on the bus, not in the parking lot.
• Corporate and company outings. Shreveport companies that book a block of George's Pond seats for a Mudbugs or Rouxgaroux game regularly use a charter bus to move their employees or clients from an office park in south Shreveport or a hotel on the Bossier Strip to the east-side entrance without asking anyone to navigate the Fairgrounds on their own.
• Concert groups. A 30-person group heading to a major act at the Hirsch — especially a late-night show that wraps after 11 PM — is exactly the scenario where a party bus with a pre-arranged post-show pickup makes the most sense. No one's calling an Uber in a crowded parking lot at midnight.
• Birthday and celebration groups. A milestone birthday tied to a Mudbugs game or a concert is a natural fit for a party bus rental in Shreveport. The bus with the built-in bar, LED lighting, and sound system becomes part of the event.
• Out-of-town fan groups. When the Mudbugs host a high-stakes playoff game, fans drive in from Bossier City, Texarkana, and across northwest Louisiana. A single charter bus from a hotel on the Bossier Strip handles the whole out-of-town contingent in one organized trip.

Whatever brings your group through the Fairgrounds gates, the booking is the same. Call 318-908-2390 and tell us your headcount, your date, and where you're starting from — we'll handle the rest.

What's On at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in 2025–2026

The Hirsch runs a year-round calendar across its multi-purpose configuration. The events that most commonly drive Shreveport charter bus inquiries:

• Shreveport Mudbugs home schedule (October–March/April): The NAHL regular season runs from October through late February. Home games are mostly Friday and Saturday nights at George's Pond, with themed nights — Military Appreciation, fireworks nights, college nights — scattered across the calendar. Check the NAHL official schedule or the OurSports Central Mudbugs schedule for the complete home game listing.
• State Fair of Louisiana (late October – mid-November): Runs concurrently with the early Mudbugs season. The LRCA Finals Rodeo inside the Coliseum typically falls in early November, adding a second draw to the fairgrounds campus during the same weekend window.
• Shreveport Rouxgaroux home games (February–May): The National Arena League season. Home games follow the end of the Mudbugs' core schedule and run into spring.
• Concerts and touring acts: The Hirsch is the only 10,000-seat indoor venue in the Shreveport-Bossier market, so it draws touring acts that skip smaller venues. Check Songkick's Hirsch Coliseum page for the current concert lineup.
• College basketball tournaments, graduation ceremonies, wrestling events: These fill the off-season calendar and occasionally run on short booking windows. If you're coordinating group transportation for a one-off event, call as soon as the date is confirmed.

For peak dates — major concerts, Mudbugs playoff games, State Fair weekends — Shreveport-area bus rentals fill faster than most organizers expect. The earlier you call, the better your vehicle options. Call 318-908-2390 now to hold your date.

Booking Your Hirsch Coliseum Bus: How It Works

Booking a Shreveport bus rental to George's Pond at Hirsch Coliseum is straightforward. Have these details ready:

1. Your group size. This determines the right vehicle. You never pay for seats you don't need.
2. Your pickup location. A hotel on the Bossier Strip, a parking lot in south Shreveport, a private address — wherever the group is gathering first.
3. Your event date and time. Doors open 60 minutes before event time; plan to arrive at the Coliseum 45–60 minutes before that.
4. Your post-event pickup window. We stage the bus and confirm a pickup spot and time before you ever head inside — no hunting for the vehicle after the game.

Call 318-908-2390 any time — our reservation team is available around the clock — or use our online quote tool for instant pricing in under 30 seconds. The bus is there when you need it, and your whole group gets home together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does a charter bus drop off at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum?

Drop-off is at the front entrance on the east side of the building, accessed via Pershing Blvd on the Louisiana State Fairgrounds. Gate 1 on the east end of the property is the primary access point. ADA and wheelchair-accessible entry is at the North entrance — let us know at booking if your group needs that routing.

Is parking free at Hirsch Coliseum?

Yes — free public parking surrounds the venue. The important caveat is that on State Fair weekends (late October through mid-November), the fairgrounds campus parking fills quickly because the Mudbugs schedule overlaps with the fair. On major concert nights, the lots fill from multiple directions.

A bus rental drops your group at the entrance regardless of lot conditions, which is the practical advantage.

How much does it cost to rent a bus to Hirsch Coliseum from Shreveport?

Pricing depends on vehicle size, total hours, your pickup location, and the date. General ranges: Sprinter limos and vans run $170–$344/hour; party buses run $204–$490/hour depending on size; charter buses run $150–$300/hour. Because the Fairgrounds is a relatively short trip from most Shreveport-Bossier neighborhoods, a 4-hour game-night booking splits into a very manageable per-head cost across a group.

Call 318-908-2390 for an all-inclusive quote with no hidden costs.

When should I book a bus for a Mudbugs game or concert?

For regular-season Mudbugs games, 2–3 weeks of lead time is workable. For State Fair weekends, major concerts, and Mudbugs playoff games, book as soon as your date is confirmed — those windows fill fast. For large groups (30 or more), more lead time is always better to secure the right vehicle.

Can the bus stay during the game and pick us up after?

Yes. The bus is booked as a block of hours, so it waits on the Fairgrounds campus during the event and is in place for the agreed post-game pickup. We set that pickup window and location before your group goes inside so there's no regrouping confusion after the final buzzer.

Do you have ADA-accessible buses?

Yes — ADA-accessible vehicles are always available. Let us know your needs when you book, and we'll arrange the right vehicle and route your drop-off to the North entrance at the Coliseum where accessible entry is located.

What is George's Pond?

George's Pond is the name for Hirsch Memorial Coliseum when it's configured as a hockey or arena football venue. The ice surface — named George's Pond — measures 200 by 85 feet to NHL regulation. The Shreveport Mudbugs and the Shreveport Rouxgaroux both play home games here.

In concert configuration, the same building holds 10,300. The address is the same: 3207 Pershing Blvd, Shreveport, LA 71109.

How far is Hirsch Coliseum from downtown Shreveport?

About 4 miles from the Shreveport Riverfront area, roughly 10–15 minutes in normal traffic via I-20 west to Exit 16A at Hearne Avenue. From Bossier City, add 2–4 miles and about 5–10 minutes. On State Fair weekends or major game nights, budget an additional 20–30 minutes for the Hearne Avenue approach from I-20.

Book Your Group's Ride to George's Pond Today

The Shreveport Mudbugs are one of Louisiana's best junior hockey experiences, the Hirsch is the largest indoor venue in the market, and George's Pond delivers a loud, close, affordable night out in a building with real history. Your group deserves to walk straight in from the curb instead of spending 25 minutes navigating the Fairgrounds parking maze. Party Bus Shreveport has access to a full fleet of Sprinter limos, party buses, minibuses, and 56-passenger charter buses across the Shreveport-Bossier area, and we've coordinated these Coliseum runs for fan groups, corporate outings, concert parties, and everything in between.

Give us a call any time at 318-908-2390 for an all-inclusive price quote — or use our online tool for instant availability and pricing in under 30 seconds.