Mississippi moves at its own pace — slow enough to let you breathe, rich enough to leave you thinking. The blues linger in the air, the past rises up from red clay and cannonfields, and stories echo from porches, battlefields, and quiet museum halls. From the Delta to the Gulf, I found that Mississippi isn’t just something to see — it’s something to feel. I remember thinking, "This is where history hums beneath your feet, and memory hangs in the humidity."
Best Things to Do in Mississippi
Walking history at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson
Standing beneath the dome of the Mississippi State Capitol, I felt the weight of decisions made and voices still echoing. The marble gleamed, the chandeliers glittered, but it was the silence between footsteps that struck me most. I remember thinking, "This building doesn’t just tell Mississippi’s story — it holds it."
What I Loved Most: The stained glass skylights, the solemn grandeur of the rotunda, and the contrast between politics past and present.
My highlights? Brunch just down the road at Broad Street Baking Company — a flaky ham and cheddar croissant with a rich café au lait. Classic, comfortable, and full of local flavor.
Travel Tips:
- Location: 400 High St, Jackson, MS 39201
- Vibe: Historic, formal, reflective
- Highlights: Rotunda, Supreme Court chamber, guided tours
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings for quiet access
- Cost: Free
- Hours: Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm
- Address (for food): Broad Street Baking Co. – 4465 I-55 North, Jackson, MS 39206
Tracing stories at Vicksburg National Military Park
Vicksburg felt like a turning point — not just in history, but in how I saw it. The battlefield rolled in quiet waves, cannons pointing at open fields, monuments standing like memories made solid. I remember thinking, "This land remembers — even when we forget."
What I Loved Most: Walking the 16-mile driving tour, stepping out where soldiers once stood, and pausing to read plaques covered in moss and time.
My highlights? A late lunch at Walnut Hills — fried chicken, collard greens, and cornbread muffins. Southern comfort served round-table style, like history passed down over a meal.
Travel Tips:
- Location: 3201 Clay St, Vicksburg, MS 39183
- Vibe: Hallowed, expansive, emotional
- Highlights: Battlefield drive, Illinois Memorial, trenches
- Best Time to Visit: Spring or fall for cooler walking weather
- Cost: ~$10 per vehicle
- Hours: 8am–5pm daily
- Address (for food): Walnut Hills – 1214 Adams St, Vicksburg, MS 39183
Exploring the U.S.S. Cairo Museum
The U.S.S. Cairo looked ghostlike — a salvaged ironclad raised from the riverbed and now standing still in open air. Its splintered beams and rusted bolts told stories without needing words. I remember thinking, "This isn’t just a ship — it’s a time capsule made of iron and silence."
What I Loved Most: Walking beside the full-scale wreck, reading letters from sailors, and imagining the river war as it unfolded below deck.
My highlights? A lemonade from the museum shop, sipped slowly in the shaded picnic area — refreshing in the Mississippi heat and grounding after the depth of what I’d seen.
Travel Tips:
- Location: Within Vicksburg National Military Park
- Vibe: Fascinating, somber, unique
- Highlights: Ironclad warship, museum artifacts, recovered relics
- Best Time to Visit: Paired with a morning battlefield tour
- Cost: Included with park admission
- Hours: 8am–5pm
Playing and learning at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
Walking through the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, I caught myself smiling like a kid. The energy was hands-on and heart-forward — a place where curiosity didn’t need permission. I remember thinking, "This is where joy and learning meet — and stay a while."
What I Loved Most: Watching children build, climb, pretend — their laughter bouncing off every wall and filling the air with wonder.
My highlights? A snack at the on-site café — peanut butter and jelly on soft bread and a glass of milk. Childlike? Maybe. Perfect? Absolutely.
Travel Tips:
- Location: 246 Dolan Ave, Gulfport, MS 39507
- Vibe: Playful, creative, community-centered
- Highlights: Imagination Playground, outdoor treehouse, STEM exhibits
- Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings with younger kids
- Cost: ~$10 adults and kids
- Hours: Tues–Sat, 10am–5pm; Sun 12–5pm
Stepping into the past at Longwood
Longwood was grand and ghostly — an unfinished mansion frozen in time. I wandered its octagonal halls, half-built rooms, and imagined what could have been. I remember thinking, "This house is beautiful because of what it reveals — not what it hides."
What I Loved Most: The domed rotunda open to the sky, the raw wooden beams, and the strange quiet that filled the shell of something both magnificent and incomplete.
My highlights? A mint julep and light lunch afterward at Magnolia Grill overlooking the Mississippi River — slow, Southern, and steeped in history.
Travel Tips:
- Location: 140 Lower Woodville Rd, Natchez, MS 39120
- Vibe: Southern Gothic, historical, awe-inspiring
- Highlights: Unfinished mansion, guided tours, Civil War history
- Best Time to Visit: Spring for garden blooms
- Cost: ~$25 adults
- Hours: 9am–4:30pm daily
- Address (for food): Magnolia Grill – 49 Silver St, Natchez, MS 39120
Tracing roots at the Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum
Tupelo was quiet until I stepped into that tiny two-room house. Then, suddenly, it wasn’t. The floorboards seemed to hum, and the museum buzzed with the sound of a life just beginning. I remember thinking, "This is where the world’s stage started — on a porch with a guitar and a dream."
What I Loved Most: The simplicity of the home, the church where he learned to sing, and the path that led from here to everywhere.
My highlights? A grilled pimento cheese sandwich and sweet tea at Johnnie’s Drive-In, one of Elvis’s old haunts — where I sat in the very booth he once did.
Travel Tips:
- Location: 306 Elvis Presley Dr, Tupelo, MS 38801
- Vibe: Humble, iconic, deeply personal
- Highlights: Birth home, chapel, museum, memorial garden
- Best Time to Visit: Spring or fall
- Cost: ~$20 combo ticket
- Hours: Mon–Sat 9am–5pm; Sun 1–5pm
- Address (for food): Johnnie’s Drive-In – 908 E Main St, Tupelo, MS 38801
Conclusion
Mississippi doesn’t rush to impress you — but if you take your time, it offers something deeper. Standing beneath a live oak in Natchez, walking the quiet decks of a recovered ironclad, or tracing the roots of rock and roll in a shotgun shack — it all stays with you. This is a state that sings softly, but powerfully. And if you listen closely, you’ll carry its rhythm long after the trip ends.
More to Explore
Beauvoir, Mississippi
Location: 2244 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS 39531
Phone: 228-388-4400
Recommended For: History buffs, Civil War enthusiasts, cultural heritage travelers, and architecture fans
What I Love: ♥ “A compelling glimpse into the post-war life of Jefferson Davis, set against Gulf Coast beauty and framed by preserved Southern architecture.”
- Tour the Beauvoir Estate, the final home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, located on the scenic Mississippi Gulf Coast.
- Explore the historic home, which showcases 19th-century architecture and period furnishings from Davis’s time.
- Discover Davis’s political journey, from the U.S. Congress to the presidency of the Confederate States, through interpretive exhibits.
- Reflect at this National Register of Historic Places site, which now functions as a museum and memorial to regional history.
- Learn about the estate’s restoration after Hurricane Katrina, which damaged the property in 2005 but led to extensive preservation efforts.
Cost: Admission charged. Check for current prices and hours.
Best time to visit: Late fall or spring offer pleasant weather for strolling the manicured grounds and gardens.
Local tips: Allow extra time for the Presidential Library, Confederate cemetery, and on-site gift shop. Guided tours provide more in-depth historical context.
Getting there: Beauvoir is located just off U.S. Highway 90 in Biloxi. Ample free parking is available on site.