Top Things to do in Mississippi
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What to do and see in Mississippi, United States: The Best Things to do Good for Kids
From 24-hour casinos, upscale shopping and luxurious spas in Tunica to the Civil War sites in Vicksburg to the lush golf courses, beaches and upscale casinos in Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi offers visitors a wide range of vacation experiences. Vacationers to Mississippi can choose from a diverse group of destinations and activities. On the Gulf Coast in Biloxi and Gulfport, casino gaming, big name entertainment shows, deep-sea fishing and golf, are popular pastimes. In Vicksburg, the Vicksburg National Cemetery and Civil War sites draw many visitors. In historic Natchez, you can take a scenic drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway or visit Frogmore Plantation, one of eight plantations originally owned by a wealthy Natchez planter. For an urban experience, Jackson, dubbed the “City with Soul” has over 50 nightclubs featuring Soul, Jazz, Blues, Rock and other musical genres. Tunica offers great casinos, golf and big name entertainers such as Bonnie Rait, Smokey Robinson and George Jones. Golfers, rejoice! Mississippi has more than 150 golf courses. Among the high-profile courses on everybody’s must play list are The Links at Cottonwoods and Tunica National Golf Tennis Club in Tunica and Grand Bear Golf Club in Saucier and The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino. Families visiting Mississippi fall in love with the heaping portions of Southern hospitality. Family-oriented activities are plentiful in Mississippi whether it’s enjoying the beaches on the Gulf Coast, visiting the home of Elvis Presley in Tupelo or riding a huge paddlewheeler on the Mississippi River.
Restaurants in Mississippi
1. U.S.S. Cairo Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,481 reviews
Tour the first boat to be sunk by a torpedo.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
My wife and I have visited Vicksburg National Military Park on other occasions so we weren't terribly disappointed when we realized on our most recent trip that the USS Cairo Museum was closed because of the COVID pandemic. Of course, visitors can park in the parking lot and stroll around one of the first American ironclad warships built at the beginning of the Civil War. Inside or outside, the Cairo is an impressive site. After participating in the capture of Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River in June 1862, it was sunk in December 1862 while clearing mines for the attack on Haines Bluff on the Yazoo River. It was the first ship ever to be sunk by a mine remotely detonated by hand. Over the years, the ship was forgotten and slowed covered by silt and sand. It was found in 1956 and salvaged from the bottom of the river in 1965. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, the Cairo was opened as a museum in a shelter on the tour road near the Vicksburg National Cemetery in the Vicksburg National Military Park in November 1980. The recovery of artifacts from the ship revealed a treasure trove of weapons, ammunition, naval stores and personal gear of the sailors who served on board. Externally, visitors can see one of the cannons on the side of the Cairo and the framework for the paddlewheels.
2. Mississippi Armed Forces Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 90 reviews
The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum is proud to serve as the military history museum for the state of Mississippi. The museum aims to educate the public about Mississippi’s role in military history, while honoring the service of both Mississippi veterans and those who have trained in Mississippi during times of war. Visit us today, located approximately 10 miles south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center.
Reviewed By 722barryl - New Orleans, United States
I had no idea this museum existed but what a gem. Even though it was free, clearly there was plenty of money spent in the creation and curation of the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum. The presentation is top rated and compares favorably to famous institutions such the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. The fact that the museum is located on Camp Shelby, the training location of the highly decorated Japanese American 442nd Infantry Regiment, was a bonus. Oh, German POWs were kept on Camp Shelby during WWII as well. So much history!
3. Mississippi State University
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 177 reviews
Reviewed By 42bettyh - Clinton, United States
My daughter and I visited the MSU campus and loved the architecture of the various buildings around campus. Students were coming and going to classes, dorms, and campus events. The event we attended was very well organized and everyone was so helpful with information about the various programs, activities, and locations on campus. A great visit!
4. St. Mary Basilica
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 453 reviews
Recognized as an architectural masterpiece among Catholic churches in the south, it is the spiritual home of a vibrant St. Mary Catholic community today. The construction of this place of worship was begun in 1842 as the Cathedral of the newly established Diocese of Natchez. The St. Mary congregation takes pride in the basilica's colorful and prayerful setting, and welcomes visitors from near and distant places. The city of Natchez, on the Mississippi River and the birthplace of Mississippi, is a tourist destination because of its historic ante-bellum homes. St. Mary Basilica, also ante-bellum, is the city's central landmark.
Reviewed By stephaniemW5432WT
On a recent trip with our 11 year old grandson, we stopped in and where so amazed at the beauty of this old church. The grounds are beautiful also. Pictures do not do it justice.
5. Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 194 reviews
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum shares the stories of a Mississippi movement that changed the nation. The museum promotes a greater understanding of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and its impact by highlighting the strength and sacrifices of its peoples. Visitors will witness the freedom struggle in eight interactive galleries that show the systematic oppression of black Mississippians and their fight for equality that transformed the state and nation. Seven of the galleries encircle a central space called This Little Light of Mine. There, a dramatic sculpture glows brighter and the music of the Movement swells as visitors gather.
Reviewed By grandmareviews1952
The museum is amazing. You can step into the jail cell or watch videos of what led to the civil rights movement. The museum is filled with people and events that are displayed from the floor to the ceiling. We didn't have enough time to see the upstairs, so be sure to allow enough time to see everything. It is very moving to see how men and women believed in a better world for their families and what the sad reality of it was like for them to do so.
6. Vicksburg National Military Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,023 reviews
1800 acres of now peaceful countryside, this park was once the scene of a bloody 47-day Civil War battle.
Reviewed By pamgoes
There are several tour options available: self-guided Driving tour using the included brochure and map, cell phone driving tour, an audio tour CD (purchased at the Visitor’s Center for $15), the Civil War Trust Vicksburg app (free), or the licensed park Tour Guides. We were on an excursion with the American Queen and had a licensed park tour guide, Harry McMillin. He was phenomenal! Our tour began with a viewing of a short film which gave a realistic re-enactment and review of the battle at Vicksburg during the Civil War. The tour is mostly a driving tour with stops to view impressive markers erected by the states whose soldiers fought the war and to get an idea of the strategies for the campaigns. Also on sight is the USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum where the salvaged ironclad, Cairo, can be viewed. We spent three + hours in the park and learned so much more than I thought possible. Harry is a font of knowledge with many educational and interesting stories to tell. It is clear he loves his job and we are grateful that he shares his knowledge with us so well.
7. Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 230 reviews
The Museum exhibits hundreds of one-of-a-kind artifacts and an unrivaled collection of vintage photos, which tells the story from the time of the first Indian settlement through generations of immigrants whose journey contributed to the melting-pot culture of the Gulf Coast. The Grand Hall features the "Nydia" a 30' gaff rigged cabin sloop built in Biloxi in 1898 at the Johnson Shipyard. Featured exhibits include shrimping, oystering, recreational fishing, wetlands, marine blacksmithing, net-making, boat building, hurricanes, featuring Camille and Katrina, all the while telling the tale of over 300 years of history, culture and heritage. The Museum is available for special events, meetings, weddings, etc.
Reviewed By lauried116 - Irmo, United States
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this impressive museum! The Hurricane Katrina exhibit and video were riveting! There are interesting displays of the seafood industry, boat building, hurricane history and the impact on the area, and exhibits on the delicate balance of ecosystems (bayou, marshes, and estuaries). We spent 2½ hours exploring this fascinating museum. I would highly recommend it!
8. Beauvoir
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,170 reviews
Home of Ex-Confederate President of the Confederate States of America where he lived his remaining 12 years of his life (post-war) and where he wrote "The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government." Golf Carts are now available to rent. Guided tour of the home showing how life was lived by the President and his family and self guided grounds (Varina's Garden, Cemetery, and nature trail), Museum, separated into 3 sections: Rotating Gallery, Soldier's Exhibit, and President Davis Exhibit. Research Library including reference books to accommodate most genealogy research focused on the Civil War.
Reviewed By interceptpubs - Columbus, United States
Built around 1850 by James Brown, a wealthy planter, as a summer home on the Gulf of Mexico, Brown called his new estate "Orange Grove." Brown died in 1866, but it wasn't until 1873 that the property was sold to pay back taxes and settle his estate. It quickly changed hands a couple of times, ending up in the possession of Sarah Ann Dorsey, the daughter of a wealthy planter in Natchez. She bought the house along with 600 hundred surrounding acres, renaming it "Beauvoir" or "beautiful view." Dorsey was a childhood friend of Varina Howell, Jefferson Davis' second wife, and herself had known the Davis family all her life, often visiting the Confederate president's elder brother Joseph's family at his home, Hurricane Plantation, near Vicksburg. When Jefferson Davis came to the Gulf Coast in 1877 seeking a place to write his memoirs, Dorsey offered him the use of one of the cabins on the estate. Two years later Dorsey died, leaving the entire estate to Davis. Davis, his wife, and their youngest daughter, known as Winnie, lived here until his death in 1889. The remaining two women moved to New York City in 1891, although they retained ownership of Beauvoir. The Davis family finally sold it in 1902 to the Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for use as a veterans home. It served in this role until 1953. The main house was turned into a shrine to the late Confederate president in 1941 with a museum honoring Confederate soldiers in the basement. With the closure of the veterans home, the home's hospital became the soldier's museum and a Davis' family museum took up the exhibit space in the main house's basement. In the late 90s, the Jefferson Davis Library and Museum were opened on the grounds. Unfortunately, just a few short years later, Katrina hit devastating the ocean front property. The main house survived, but has required extensive restoration that is only now in its final stages. A number of artifacts were also damaged, and the Library was effectively destroyed. Overall damage estimates exceeded $25 million dollars. Fortunately, much of the restoration is now complete, as we discovered in our recent visit to the estate. The first stop for visitors is the gift shop where tickets ($12.50 for adults) for the hourly house tours can be purchased. The tour itself last about 30 minutes and covers all the rooms in the house (although some rooms, such as Jefferson Davis' bedroom, are only looked at through the glass doors/windows). The rooms are mostly furnished with pieces from the Davis' family. The docent provides a fairly fast paced overview of the estate's history with a particular emphasis on the time that the Davis family lived here. After the house tour, we went back into the main building to look at the museum exhibits that take up much of the second floor. Items from Jefferson Davis, including correspondence, as well as an extensive collection of Civil War military material (edged weapons, rifles, flags, etc.) are on display. Some damaged items are shown to illustrate the havoc caused by Katrina. We then walked the 50 or so acres of grounds including out to the soldiers cemetery, where we found the grave of the Confederate unknown soldier, before finally hitting the gift shop to buy some interesting books on the history of the estate, the Civil War, and Mississippi. Overall, we spent about two hours here and enjoyed every minute of it.
9. Mississippi State Capitol
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 255 reviews
COVID-19 UPDATE FOR OUR VISITORS: Tours may be reserved for groups of 30 people or fewer. The unreserved, drop-in guided tours remain suspended, but guests are welcome to participate in self-guided tours. The gift shop remains closed. The building is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., should you wish to visit. We look forward to returning to a full tour schedule in the near future. Thank you. (Updated as of May 3, 2021) Patterned after the National Capitol, this has been the Capitol building for the state of Mississippi since 1903. Today it is major tourist attraction as well as the focus of Mississippi state government activities.
Reviewed By curtispat - Philadelphia, United States
The Mississippi State Capitol building is a very impressive building. The 1 hour guided tour (several times a day) is well worth your time.
10. Walter Anderson Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 262 reviews
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA), founded in 1991, is located in historic Ocean Springs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. WAMA is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of artist-philosopher Walter Anderson (1903-1965) and his family. Walter Anderson’s paintings, drawings, murals, block prints, sculpture, carvings, and writings of coastal plants, animals, landscapes, and people have placed him among the most compelling and singular artists of the 20th century.
Reviewed By phelpsusa - Orlando, United States
Awesome museum, awesome art, tragic life history, two rooms are covered in art from floor to ceiling.
