6 Bucket-List Small Towns In Mississippi

Mississippi's generous sprinkling of small towns is the true riches of this Southern state, tapping into its quirky side with a vibrant mix of personalities. From the prestigious college town of Oxford to the larger Biloxi, these picture-perfect towns reveal that beauty goes beyond skin-deep. The first and second towns offer strikingly different vibes for a beachfront retreat on the Mississippi Sound, an embayment of the Gulf of Mexico (America). If you're more into arts or an action-packed weekend, keep Cleveland's GRAMMY Museum on your radar and New Albany, William Faulkner's birthplace, and the terminus for the Tanglefoot Trail.

Bay St. Louis

Voted one of the US's coastal hotspots for 2026, Bay St. Louis wraps you in seaside charm on the shores of its eponymous bay that opens up into the Mississippi Sound. With its charming chapels, a sandy beach, and the rustic Jimmy Rutherford Fishing Pier for strolls and fishing, it all conveys an instantaneous sense of belonging, near dining in historic buildings and patio views, live music, and bars, and the bay at your fingertips for wildlife viewing, biking, boating, and pontoon rentals.

Yet nothing beats a simple stroll to explore at leisure, starting with a selfie by Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church, a bayside chapel. In addition to the fascinating museum housing stories of Hurricane Katrina survivors, culture fans can't miss the free museum in a train depot with folk art and related antiques. Take the bridge spanning the bay with sunset views along the separate walking and biking path before dinner and dessert from the Creole Creamery, a local malt and ice cream shop.

Biloxi

Just shy of 50,000 residents, this vibrant coastal city is a must-visit at least once in a lifetime to explore along multiple waterfronts, nature trails, and notable landmarks like Beauvoir, to tour the post-war home of the former President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, with a gift shop along the Gulf of Mexico. Beyond Biloxi’s Historic District, visitors can catch the “Shrimp Train,” a narrated boat tour out into the Mississippi Sound for marine life and the shrimping industry firsthand.

Biloxi's soft-sanded beach steals the spotlight under the striking 19th-century Biloxi Lighthouse and the adjacent long wooden pier, making for a dynamic place to create memories with stunning Gulf views and access to swimming, paddleboarding, jet skiing, and fishing. Travelers will find gulf-to-table shacks and fine waterfront dining between boarding a Biloxi dolphin tour and waterpark thrill rides. Catch the serene sunset from the Biloxi Bay Bridge before winding down on a budget or at a resort.

Cleveland

Chock-full of collegiate charm and student-driven culture, the town of roughly 11,000 feels youthful and lively, with an arts scene well beyond its tiny grasp, most notably the GRAMMY Museum, dedicated to the famed awards show. The expansive center draws travelers from all over to imbibe over 130 interactive exhibits and showbiz artifacts honoring music greats past through present. Ice cream and coffee shops line the central greenway, perfect for enjoying on a stroll down to the railroad museum.

Alongside charming lodgings like the Lyric Hotel West End, you'll want to save room for blocks of boutiques, gift shops, and clothing stores. In addition to housing the state's immense music celebrity legacy, venues like the beautiful Bologna Performing Arts Center offer live stage art at this beautiful 1,200-seater on the campus of Delta State University, hosting Broadway productions, concerts, and other live performances, plus permanent artwork, sculptures outside, and occasional art exhibits.

Natchez

Boasting over 100 antebellum homes, some predating the Civil War, the town across the Mississippi from Louisiana offers access to both the "Mighty" and the Natchez Trace Parkway, used for centuries and now popular for cycling, photography, and scenic drives. You can't miss Longwood, the largest octagonal house in the US. Take a moment to admire the Byzantine onion-shaped dome and snap a photo in front of this stately 8-sided antebellum mansion that remains famously unfinished.

With antebellum homes lining the riverfront, it is ideal for quaint strolls framed in nature and history, while Melrose Estate is a significant Greek Revival part of the Natchez Historical Park. Dive into deeper heritage at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians on 128 acres with a reconstructed Natchez Indian house, ceremonial mounds, a museum, and trails. Beyond the sites, the Monmouth Historic Inn & Gardens is your dreamy abode wrapped in flora and greenery on large grounds.

New Albany

William Faulkner's birthplace is an adventurers' hub along the Little Tallahatchie River at the northern terminal of the 43.6-mile-long Tanglefoot Trail, the state's longest rail-trail through forests and fields, connecting small towns through three counties. You can fuel up on locally sourced coffee at the landmark Sugaree's Bakery before chasing scenery on foot or bike along the completely paved, dog-friendly trail, starting with a selfie under the arching sign at Tanglefoot Trail Plaza.

With town greens dotting scenic banks of the heartline, everything nods to a peaceful retreat, elevated by storied history, antiquing, and the Tallahatchie Riverfest. Boasting a great collection of little shops and restaurants, there are plenty of ways to soak up New Albany's turn-of-the-century southern charm, with well-maintained late-19th- and early-20th-century brick architecture, or the Union County Heritage Museum, with local history exhibits plus a dedicated garden and displays on the author.

Oxford

Whether you were the life of the party or the bookish type, Oxford's offer to relive the best parts of college life is hard to refuse, with its thriving nightlife, shopping, and diverse dining. Home to the University of Mississippi, the county seat of Lafayette County is a ball of energy and a "literary" must-visit, where Rowan Oak is the famous landmark home of William Faulkner, open for public tours, while the University of Mississippi Museum showcases artifacts and antiquities from around the globe.

In addition to the public 18-hole Ole Miss Golf Course and lakeside minutes north, the Grove welcomes the general public to partake in its famed festive tailgating scene, studying, or relaxation on a 10-acre parkland space with picnic tables and a stage. Budget lodgings abound for every taste, like the top-rated South Lamar Bed & Breakfast or the stately Oliver Hotel of Oxford, both just a stroll from the writer's charming white clapboard house-museum, with a columned front framed in greenery.

Bonus: Yazoo City

From local lore about the witch’s curse that destroyed much of Yazoo City in 1904 to its tropical makeover starting in the early 2000s, this town tells tales along the Yazoo River. Nicknamed the Gateway to the Delta, Yazoo City offers seamless connection to wildlife at the Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and acres of forestland for primitive camping, fishing, and ATV riding. Historic storefronts house shops and eateries along Main, outlined in holiday lights during winter.

Pastel-colored blocks downtown reflect the "Caribbean look" or a "Rainbow Row" effect in a photoworthy atmosphere for a stroll, with landmarks like the tropical blue Main Street Hotel in a 1905 building reconstructed post-fire. Travelers can find the Witch of Yazoo Grave at Glenwood Cemetery, with an iron chain around the burial site of she who was accused of setting the town ablaze, though one report reads that a young boy was playing with matches just a block from the business district.

The state's bucket-list destinations are easier to reach from the central United States compared to some of its southern neighbors. Shoot straight down from the Great Lakes region for your sojourn at the historic crossroads of the Mississippi River, with towns like Natchez, boasting some 100 antebellum homes, or Yazoo City's tropical tint on the Yazoo River, another significant waterway through the state.