Mississippi Travel Guide
The state of Mississippi, tucked between Alabama, Louisiana
(separated by the mighty river from which the state gets its name)
and Tennessee, with a tiny stretch of Gulf Coast right in the
south, is often overlooked by tourists seeking a taste of the
American Deep South. Those who opt for Mississippi's neighbours and
ignore her charms lose out on a memorable experience in a state
full of quaint towns, where wide-open spaces and porch swings
combine with down home hospitality to yield many rewards for
visitors.The 'Magnolia State' has plenty of scenic beauty, and rich
history, particularly associated with the Native American tribes
that pre-dated European occupation and the battles of the American
Civil War - the key battle of the war was fought at Vicksburg in
1863. Culturally the state has generated a wealth of talent,
spawning such greats as Tennessee Williams, Elvis Presley, Jimmy
Rodgers and B B King, not to mention the Blues, the music style
that was born in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. The
state also has more than its fair share of architectural treasures,
particularly the huge concentration of magnificent antebellum
mansions in Natchez.When exploring all the attractions associated with this heritage
jades, there is always the lure of the white sandy beaches of
Biloxi and Gulfport down in the south, where the lights are bright
and the pace upbeat among pulsing casinos and clubs in the Gulf
Coast's fastest growing tourist Mecca.The state's capital city is Jackson, sophisticated and
well-ordered, filling the needs of city slickers more than
adequately, while visitors yearning for the great outdoors have
more than 150 campgrounds and six national forests to choose from,
offering opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, cycling and
boating.
Mississippi Travel Guide
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Mississippi Travel Guide
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Description:
Originally called State House, the Old Capitol building has
filled three purposes in its long history. From 1839 to 1903 it
served as the state capitol, between 1917 and 1959 it housed
government offices, and from 1961 to the present it has become an
award-winning museum enshrining Mississippi's history. The exhibits
are arranged in several categories, the highlight being
'Mississippi 1500 to 1800' which depicts the era when Americans,
Europeans and Africans first encountered each other in the state,
drastically altering the lives and society of the Native Americans
who lived here. Full-scale dioramas illustrate the importance of
cotton in the state's development, and interactive audio-visual
experiences explain the profound effects of the Civil War on
Mississippi. *Note: due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina
the Old Capitol Museum has been closed until further notice.*
Address:
100 S. State Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 576 6920
Email:
ocmuseum@mdah.state.ms.us
Website:
mdah.state.ms.us/oldcap
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Description:
The Mississippi Governor's Mansion in downtown Jackson is the
second oldest continuously occupied governor's residence in the
United States. It was first occupied in 1842 by Governor Tilghman
Tucker and his family, having just been built in the Greek revival
style, the most popular style of the period. Today architectural
historians consider the mansion one of the best surviving examples
of this style in the country, and in 1975 the building was
designated a National Historic Landmark. The historic section of
the mansion, furnished in period Empire style, is open to the
public.
Address:
300 East Capitol Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 359 6421
Email:
Website:
www.mdah.state.ms.us/museum/mansion.html
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Description:
*In July 2010, the Manship House Museum closed for repairs
to the building's foundation. The reopening date has not yet been
announced.The home of Charles Henry Manship, Civil War
mayor of Jackson, and his large family has been restored as a
museum depicting life in Mississippi in the mid-19th century. The
house was built in Gothic Revival cottage style in 1857, and was
unpretentious compared to the mansions for which the south is so
famous. Today the house still stands in its original setting of
trees and shrubs, painted in its original olive and cream colour
with an authentic shingled roof. Manship was a decorative painter
and craftsman and much of the interior features his handiwork, all
restored or reproduced. The rooms have been furnished with some
original objects.
Address:
420 East Fortification Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 961 4724
Email:
manship@mdah.state.ms.us
Website:
www.mdah.state.ms.us/museum/manship.html
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Description:
Jackson's impressive planetarium is one of the largest in the
world, with a huge hemispheric wrap-around screen that presents
regular Sky Shows on astronomy, astronauts and space exploration.
The planetarium, situated in the downtown cultural district, also
presents laser light concerts featuring the music of contemporary
and classic rock and roll artists combined with the imagery of a
powerful indoor laser system, and astronomy hobby courses.
Address:
201 East Pascagoula Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 960 1552
Email:
info@thedavisplanetarium.com
Website:
www.thedavisplanetarium.com
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Description:
The State's largest art museum, the Mississippi Museum of Art in
Jackson houses more than 4,000 works, including the world's largest
collection by Mississippi artists. With 75% of the permanent
collection comprising of American artists, visitors will be able to
view some of Georgia O'Keeffe's striking flowers and landscapes and
Walker Evans' carefully photographed Depression images. The rest of
the permanent exhibition consists of European, Asian and
Ethnographic art where contemporary masters such as Miro, Picasso,
Degas and Cézanne are viewable as well as gorgeous Japanese prints
and South American ceramics.
Address:
380 South Lamar Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 960 1515
Email:
mmart@netdoor.com
Website:
www.msmuseumart.org
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Description:
The 125-acre neighbourhood bounded by Mill Street, Amite Street,
Fortification Street and Jackson Street near downtown, known as
Farish District, is one of the few historically black districts,
built by former slaves, listed on the national register. It takes
its name from Walter Farish, a freed slave who settled on the
northeast corner of Davis and Farish Streets. The district was once
the centre of political, religious, economic, educational and
entertainment activities for the black professionals and craftsmen
who lived in the area's 700-odd buildings, most dating from between
1890 and 1930. Among the more notable buildings are 229 East Church
Street, former home of Dr Sidney Redmond, wealthy and successful
businessman, and the Farish Street Baptist Church. Renovation in
the district is ongoing and private home ownership is being
encouraged in an effort at urban renewal.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 949 4000
Email:
Website:
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Description:
The Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates one of the
most decisive battles of the American Civil War: the campaign,
siege and defence of the city of Vicksburg, 44 miles (71km) west of
Jackson in Mississippi. Vicksburg was under siege for 47 days in
1863 as confederate forces vainly tried to defend the city high on
the bluff guarding the Mississippi River. The battlefield at
Vicksburg is in a good state of preservation and visitors can
explore 1,325 historic monuments and markers, 20 miles (32km) of
reconstructed trenches and earthworks, an antebellum home, 144
cannon emplacements, the restored Union gunboat, USS Cairo, and the
Vicksburg National Cemetery. While in Vicksburg don't miss a
riverboat ride on the mighty Mississippi and a visit to the River
City Blues Museum in Clay Street, with the largest blues collection
on public display in the world.
Address:
3201 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 636 0583 (Visitor Centre)
Email:
Website:
www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm
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Description:
The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, was born in Tupelo,
northern Mississippi in 1935 in a humble home where he began his
meteoric rise to fame. The simple two-room house where Elvis drew
his first breath is now contained in a park, which has become a
place of pilgrimage for thousands of fans every day. The city of
Tupelo has other attractions too to make a trip north of Jackson
worthwhile. Elvis Presley Park includes not only the
period-furnished house, but also a museum, memorial chapel, gift
shop and a life-size statue of the legend, aged 13, as he was when
he moved from Tupelo to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family.
Address:
306 Elvis Presley Drive, Tupelo
Postcode:
Telephone:
(662) 841 1245
Email:
info@elvispresleybirthplace.com
Website:
www.elvispresleybirthplace.com
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Description:
The most intact antebellum estate in the United States is the
magnificent Melrose, owned and operated by the National Park
Service in its grounds in the Natchez National Historical Park.
Melrose was built in 1849 and still features its original
hand-painted canvas flooring. The house is open daily with tours on
the hour. The gracious Monmouth, built in 1818 at 36 Melrose
Avenue, was the home of John Quitman, twice governor of Mississippi
as well as US senator and congressman. The house and its striking
formal garden is open daily. Longwood in Lower Woodville Road was
built around 1860 and is the largest and most elaborate octagonal
house in the United States. Dunleith, dating from 1856, is the only
house in Mississippi completely encircled by a colossal colonnade.
It is sited at 84 Homochitto Street, on top of a rise on the edge
of a 40-acre park. Numerous other houses are open to the public,
and make popular venues for weddings.
Address:
Visitor's Centre: 640 South Canal Street,
Natchez
Postcode:
Telephone:
Natchez Pilgrimage Tours: (601) 446 6631 or (800) 647
6742
Email:
Website:
www.natchezpilgrimage.com
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Description:
The Grand Village was the main ceremonial centre of the Natchez
Indians, who inhabited southwest Mississippi between AD700 and
1730. Their culture reached a peak in the mid-1500s, when French
explorers found the Grand Village and began to settle in the area.
Eventually the Natchez were forced to abandon their land. The
128-acre site of the Grand Village is today managed by the
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, who have excavated
and rebuilt two of the ceremonial mounds at the site. Entry to the
village is gained through Jefferson Davis Boulevard within the
Natchez city limits. The site features a museum, a reconstructed
Natchez Indian house, three ceremonial mounds (Great Sun's Mound,
Temple Mound and the Abandoned Mound), a nature trail and a
visitor's centre.
Address:
400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 446 6502
Email:
gvni@mdah.state.ms.us
Website:
mdah.state.ms.us/hprop/gvni.html
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Description:
Natchez features a collection of architecturally valuable
historic churches of various denominations, all located in the
central city area. Among them is St Mary's in South Union Street,
the oldest Catholic building in Mississippi, built in Gothic
Revival style back in 1840. The Trinity Episcopal Church in South
Commerce Street is the oldest church in Natchez, having been built
in 1822 but remodelled in 1838. The interior of this church
features two rare stained-glass windows designed and installed by
the renowned Louis Comfort Tiffany. Also notable is the First
Presbyterian church in South Pearl Street, built in the Federal
Style in 1828. A Romanesque chapel was added to the rear in 1901.
The chapel now houses an unusual collection of historic photographs
telling the story of Natchez.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
Email:
Website:
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Description:
The city's original waterfront area, Natchez-Under-the-Hill,
reached by descending the bluff via Silver Street, was once the
notorious haunt of pirates, riverboat gamblers and outlaws, known
as the 'Barbary Coast of the Mississippi'. As the use of riverboats
dwindled, so did its bad reputation and today the quaint river
dockside attracts tourists with restaurants, bars, gift stores and
the floating Isle of Capri riverboat casino. Three passenger
paddle-wheel steamers dock at the waterfront: the Mississippi
Queen, the Delta Queen and the American Queen.
Address:
Postcode:
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Website:
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Description:
The Natchez Trace Parkway starts out in Natchez, southern
Mississippi, and runs for 444 miles (715km) to Nashville,
Tennessee, cutting across a corner of Alabama. The parkway follows
ancient Native American paths that connected the Mississippi River
to salt licks in central Tennessee, originally worn by the Choctaw,
Chickasaw and other tribes. Later white settlers used the ancient
trails to extend their commerce and trade. The route is now served
by a scenic road, built and maintained by the National Park
Service, which has equipped the popular tourist drive with marked
interpretive locations, historic sites, camping and picnicking
facilities. Travellers can take time to enjoy nature trails, see
portions of the original trace, relax on scenic overlooks, explore
historic monuments and bridges, and find out about it all at
visitor centres. The parkway is particularly popular with touring
cyclists.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(800) 305 7417 (Visitor Centre)
Email:
Website:
www.nps.gov/natr
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Description:
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science was founded in 1932 by
Francis Cook, and to this day, remains the Magnolia State's largest
museum. A passionate student of Mississippi's natural resources,
Cook's vision was to establish a museum that would focus on the
promotion and protection of the state's natural landscape. In
LeFleur's Bluff State Park, he chose an ideal setting for such a
project - and today, the museum grounds feature a 73,000 square
foot complex overlooking a 300-acre natural landscape, 2.5 miles
(about 4km) of nature trails, an open-air amphitheatre, a series of
life-size displays of the state's diverse habitats, a
100,000-gallon aquarium network housing over 200 living species,
and a 1,700 square foot greenhouse. When one visits the museum, it
is obvious to see that Cook's conservancy ideals have been
faithfully followed over the last 80 or so years; and the museum's
astonishing collection of more than a million specimens of fish,
reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, invertebrates, plants, and
fossils, is nothing less than a living, breathing monument to
biodiversity conservation.
Address:
2148 Riverside Drive, Jackson
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 354 7303
Email:
Website:
www.msnaturalscience.org
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Description:
One of America's most influential writers, Eudora Welty lived
for 76 years at 1119 Pinehurst Plaza in Jackson, before bequeathing
the house to the State of Mississippi when she passed away in 2001.
The beautiful, Tudor Revival-style house was built by Welty's
parents in 1925, and has since been added to the National Register
of Historic Places (in 2002), and declared a National Historic
Landmark (in 2004). Significantly, the interior of the house has
remained untouched; and visitors to the Eudora Welty house will be
given the chance to see exactly how this Pulitzer Prize-winning
author lived and worked - her books still line the shelves, and her
typewriter still sits on the writing desk by the window in the
upstairs bedroom. Included in the tour, is a walk around the
exquisite gardens that Welty and her mother cultivated over the
years. For fans of American literature, a visit to the Eudora Welty
house-cum-museum, is an absolute must.
Address:
1119 Pinehurst Plaza, Jackson
Postcode:
Telephone:
(601) 353-7762
Email:
weltytours@mdah.state.ms.us
Website:
mdah.state.ms.us/welty
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Description:
Biloxi is the most popular tourist destination on Mississippi's
Gulf Coast. A bustling city in Harrison County, Biloxi is home to
several attractions that offer plenty of entertainment and activity
for travellers in Mississippi. While a few areas are still under
reconstruction following a severe hurricane in 2005, most of the
town is up and running.One of Biloxi's biggest attractions is its coastline, with sandy
beaches perfect for swimming and sunbathing. Civil War history
buffs will want to visit the former residence of Confederate
President Jefferson Davis, while families can take a shrimping
cruise to see how the seafood industry works. Biloxi is also home
to the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art.Much of Biloxi's nightlife is concentrated within its eight
casinos, however there are plenty of restaurants and bars in town.
The city is conveniently located within an hour's drive of both
Mobile and New Orleans, making it a popular excursion in the Gulf
region.
Address:
Harrison County
Postcode:
Telephone:
Email:
Website:
biloxi.ms.us
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