11 Nicest Small Towns In Mississippi
Mississippi is located in the southeastern United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Mississippi River straddles its western edge, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Mississippi is famous for its contributions to music. The genre of music known today as the “blues” originated in the Mississippi Delta in the late 1800s. Before that contribution to American culture, Mississippi acted as a battleground in the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Whether you are visiting the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo or paying homage at the Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi’s small towns are dedicated to preserving and showcasing the state’s cultural and historical heritage.
Clarksdale
Clarksdale is a town famous for being the birthplace of the blues. Many visitors often stop by The Blues Crossroads, where, according to popular music folklore, renowned blues musician Robert Johnson met with the devil at midnight and sold his soul for the gift of musical greatness. The intersection is still frequented by visitors today and is marked by a monument featuring three giant blue guitars. The Delta Blues Museum - the state’s oldest music museum - is a homage to the town's history of the blues and allows visitors to explore the history, heritage, and impact of Clarkdale’s rich music history.
Clarksdale has many popular juke joints that draw people worldwide to hear live blues music. Ground Zero Blues Club is perhaps unique due to its size and popularity. It draws in many visitors, from locals who grew up to the sound of the blues to international guests experiencing them for the first time.
Tupelo
Elvis Presley, the King of Rock' n ‘Roll, was born in Tupelo on January 8, 1935. He is immortalized to this day at the Elvis Presley Birthplace, a historic museum site that preserves the house where Elvis was born and the church where he was first exposed to gospel music that influenced his career.
Tupelo was once home to the Chickasaw people. While what is believed to have been a fort and village no longer exists, the Chickasaw Village Site features interpretive renditions of what the town would have looked like. Various trails are accessible to hikers, including an interpretive trail that identifies plants and their uses by Native Americans. Tupelo is also home to Mississippi’s only Meadery, Queen’s Reward Meadery, which offers full tastings of its meads made with honey harvested exclusively from Mississippi.
Oxford
Oxford is known for its literary connections to acclaimed writer William Faulkner. Rowan Oak, where Faulkner lived at the time of winning the Novel Prize for literature in 1949 and both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 1954, is a preserved historic house attracting visitors year-round, hosting conferences and exhibiting journals to his life and work. The University of Mississippi is located in Oxford and is appealing to students, offering over 190 undergraduate programs and more than 460 student organizations. The university owns and operates many historic buildings, such as the Lyceum, the oldest building on campus.
The Square, a historic area in the heart of Oxford, is a key visitor attraction. It offers ample opportunities for eating, drinking, and shopping—including Neilson’s, the oldest department store in the South.
Vicksburg
Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, Vicksburg initially settled as a port for shipping and navigation. It has a strong historical context regarding the Civil War, in which the Siege of Vicksburg drastically shifted the war's course. The Vicksburg National Military Park has preserved the siege site, which sprawls over 1,800 acres of land and consists of over 1,300 monuments, guided tours, and interactive reenactments. The Lower Mississippi River Museum celebrates how the Mississippi River has shaped the economy and influenced nearby cultures and communities. It has many unique exhibits, including a river flood model showcasing how different factors affect the river's flow, and a 1,515-gallon, multi-sided aquarium home to several species native to the Mississippi River.
Vicksburg also has four casinos dotted along the river's bank —the largest being Ameristar Casino, a 70,000-square-foot riverboat-style casino. It boasts 149 hotel rooms, 1,300 slot and video poker games spread across two floors, and great dining options, including Heritage Buffet and Bourbon’s.
Laurel
Laurel’s historic downtown area bloomed from the timber industry between 1893 and 1937, making it the most extensive collection of early 20th-century architecture in Mississippi. Laurel’s downtown buildings are covered in murals, the most iconic being the Welcome to Historic Downtown Laurel mural on Central Avenue at the downtown entrance. Laurel is home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Mississippi’s first art museum. It offers free admission, alternating exhibits, and permanent collections including American paintings, sculptures, and works on paper.
Stop at Scotsman General Store and Woodshop, which is inspired by general stores of the past. It sells vintage soda bottles and unique candies and has a large glass viewing wall into the workshop where you can observe the Scotsman team at work.
Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, or as it is also known, the Hub City, offers a blend of history, culture, and entertainment. The African American Military History Museum is located in the historic USO building and pays homage to the service of African American soldiers. The main hall has been restored and showcases artifacts, photos, and a unique collection of Spanish-American war medals. Part of downtown Hattiesburg’s charm is its blend of historic and modern architecture.
To taste authentic Mississippi culture, visit Hattiesburgers and Blues, which offers a daily happy hour and rotating live music performances of authentic southern blues. Town Square Park hosts events throughout the year, such as the “Live at Five” festival, an outdoor concert series featuring local artists weekly every spring and fall.
Starkville
Starkville is a college town known as the home of Mississippi State University, combining a bustling business community and the university’s cultural and entertainment offerings. Explore the campus and visit Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library - one of only six presidential libraries hosted by a university in the country. Adjacent to the university campus, the Cotton District is a former cotton mill site and home for its workers. Today, it boasts a vibrant nightlife frequented by university students, with many restaurants and bars. Bin 612 is a popular choice among students, and they can often be seen queuing down the block as they wait to order cheese fries, a famous Bin 612 menu item.
Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs lies on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, offering visitors a mix of beach relaxation and outdoor activities. Ocean Springs has a couple of beaches that make for ample leisure time. One is Front Beach, known for its soft white sand and other amenities such as firepits, volleyball nets, and fitness equipment. For those seeking recreational outdoor activities, the Davis Bayou Area features a campground, boardwalks for fishing, and hiking routes such as Nature’s Way Trail, allowing for opportunities to view wildlife such as alligators.
Please drop by the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, which showcases his paintings, ceramics, and murals inspired by nature and wildlife he observed on Horn Island, off the coast of Ocean Springs.
Natchez
As one of the oldest cities in the South, Natchez played an integral role in the cotton industry due to its location next to the Mississippi River. Its historical significance can still be seen throughout the town in over 1,000 buildings on the National Historic Register. Longwood, a uniquely octagonal-shaped antebellum mansion, is open for tours year-round. It was left unfinished due to the outbreak of the Civil War.
King’s Tavern, the oldest building in Natchez—and said to be haunted—still operates today as a bar. It even offers mixology lessons, where customers can learn the art of crafting cocktails. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy views of the Mississippi River from Bluff Park. This outdoor recreation area hosts the Natchez Balloon Festival, a tradition since 1986, when hot air balloons were launched from the park.
Bay St. Louis
Bay St. Louis is known for its rich culture and outdoor activities. Start with a visit to the Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum, featuring over 100 original paintings by Alice Moseley, who was not a Mississippi native but was charmed by Bay St. Louis during a visit and decided she would spend the rest of her life there. Venture into Waveland Beach, stretching over five miles of white sand, offering views of the Gulf of Mexico, and regularly frequented for walking, fishing, and picnicking.
Enjoy a show at Bay St. Louis Little Theatre, a community playhouse with regular shows playing. It is a significant structure in town, as the original building was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and it was eventually rebuilt as an example to show that the community could be rebuilt after the hurricane.
Meridian
Meridian is known historically as a central transportation hub due to its location at the intersection of multiple railroad lines. The Meridian Railroad Museum showcases model railway exhibits and is housed in the former freight station and Railway Express Agency building adjacent to the Meridian Union Station.
For country music lovers, the Jimmie Rodgers Museum showcases the life and legacy of the “King of Country” who once called Meridian home. The museum features memorabilia from his life, including one of his guitars. Enjoy traditional southern cuisine at Weidmann’s, Mississippi’s oldest restaurant, which has been open and serving generations since 1870.
Whether you want to taste classic Southern cuisine, listen to the timeless music of rhythm and blues in historic bars and taverns, or walk through landmark districts and learn about the battles of the Civil War, Mississippi has an abundance of small towns waiting to be explored.
