7 Mississippi Towns That Locals Love
Mississippi, a grandiose state whose Ojibwe name “misi-ziibi” means “great river,” evokes a sense of gentle grandeur and soulful calm among its towns that locals love. Beyond its better-known cities like Jackson and Gulfport, one can discover and admire a number of small towns in Mississippi. From the Gulf Coast, Ocean Springs and Bay Saint Louis invite travelers to traipse along the sunny shores with a thriving art scene and colonial echoes. Inland, towns such as Natchez, Vicksburg, and Tupelo preserve stories of Indigenous peoples, Civil War upheaval, and musical revolutions. These Mississippi towns that locals love will have you wanting to see more of what the state with the great river has to offer.
Ocean Springs
Just a few miles east of Biloxi, Ocean Springs feels like a coastal sanctuary infused with artistic spirit and historic appeal. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art, centrally located on Washington Avenue, is a beloved showcase of the Anderson family’s visionary work in block prints and murals. Nearby, Shearwater Pottery continues its nearly century-old tradition of handcrafting ceramics, a direct line from Peter Anderson and his descendants to today’s artisans.
Trailblazers and adventurers can go gallivanting through the Gulf Islands National Seashore—especially the Davis Bayou Area—where boardwalk trails weave through marsh and forest. Also open to visitors is the Charnley-Norwood House, a rare architectural gem attributed to Louis Sullivan (and associated with Frank Lloyd Wright’s circle), now managed as a heritage property offering guided tours. Best of all are a number of annual events and festivities to celebrate Ocean Springs’ vivacity, among them the town’s own version of Mardi Gras.
Natchez
Natchez, a humble and hospitable destination overlooking the great Mississippi River, is one of the best places to appreciate the local legends and histories of the state. You can start your exploration of the past at Longwood, the striking octagonal mansion left unfinished by the American Civil War, now open for tours as a window into antebellum aspirations. Nearby, the Melrose Estate (part of Natchez National Historical Park) allows a deeper walk through preserved antebellum structures and gardens that survived the upheavals of war.
The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, on the other hand, presents reconstructed earthen mounds and a visitor center interpreting the lifeways of the region’s original inhabitants. Furthermore, visiting the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture offers you aspects of the past often not seen in standard history books.
Bay Saint Louis
Just about 30 miles from Ocean Springs, the beautiful and blessed town of Bay Saint Louis has reemerged from hurricane challenges into a vibrant, artful seaside town. The L & N Historic Train Depot, built in 1928, now hosts museums like the Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum and the beloved Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum, which displays the whimsical, narrative paintings of the late folk artist.
You can still stroll or bike the Bay Saint Louis Beach Trail, paddle kayaks or board boats across the calm bay waters, or rent a beach bike to drift along the shore. The town also plays host to a lively Second Saturday Art Walk downtown each month, where local galleries and shops open late with music and refreshments. For evening dazzles and deals, the Hollywood Casino and Resort Gulf Coast offers gaming, dining, and entertainment by the waterfront.
Tupelo
Tupelo’s heartbeat echoes with the legacy of its most famous resident, Elvis Presley. The Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum, centered around the modest two-room home where he was born, continues to welcome visitors seeking to walk in the King’s early footsteps. Next door is the Elvis Presley Museum, which deepens the story with memorabilia and local anecdotes about his rise to fame. If you visit in June, you should not miss the Tupelo Elvis Festival, held annually with tribute contests, live performances, and community celebrations of Rock and Roll.
Beyond the music, you can follow the Natchez Trace Parkway into the surrounding countryside, visiting points like Chickasaw Village Site, and stop at the Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo, with its family-friendly access to buffalo, zebras, and more in open pastures.
Vicksburg
Rising boldly from its bluff above the Mississippi River, Vicksburg is a battlefield turned open-air classroom of the American Civil War. At the Vicksburg National Military Park, one can gawk at monuments, trenches, and trails sprawling across a landscape of sacrifice and strategy—and within it, the USS Cairo Museum displays the salvaged ironclad and its relics. Meanwhile, in town, historic museums like the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum preserve layers of wartime as well as social and local culture.
On the other hand, the vivid Riverfront Murals, painted on floodwalls, trace scenes from prehistory to modern life. After dark, the riverfront casinos—Ameristar, Bally’s, Riverwalk, and Waterview—light up with gaming, dining, and riverside ambiance. Best of all, Alcorn State University often utilizes Vicksburg as a suitable setting for its annual Jazz Festival, which one can enjoy in April.
New Albany
Framed by the gentle curves of the Little Tallahatchie River and the surrounding rolling hills, New Albany is the kind of small town that invites peace and quietude. Literary-minded travelers flock here in homage to Nobel laureate William Faulkner, and you can follow in his footsteps at the Union County Heritage Museum, where one gallery is devoted to his life and works. Likewise, the William Faulkner Literary Garden, with fragrant blooms and inscribed quotations, provides a contemplative stroll for those seeking inspiration from an ancestral fellow.
For an imaginative outdoor treat, the Sculpture Trail meanders through more than 20 public works scattered throughout New Albany, each piece alluding to and exploring New Albany’s past in vibrant forms. One of the region’s best outdoor assets is the Tanglefoot Trail, a 44-mile rails-to-trails route that carries you through farmland, forests, and quiet countryside. In late September, the town transforms for Tallahatchie Riverfest, a free community festival of live music, arts and crafts, food vendors, and children’s events.
Oxford
Known among the locals as the “Cultural Mecca of the South,” the small town of Oxford is as enlightened and superb as the city of Oxford back in England. As one of the best college towns in the US, Oxford houses the University of Mississippi or "Ole Miss,” and visitors can tour educational landmarks like Rowan Oak, a modified Greek Revival home where William Faulkner spent much of his school days in pursuit of writing. Meanwhile, the University of Mississippi Museum contains permanent and temporary exhibits showcasing the cultural and social artworks and antiquities of Mississippi.
You can also opt to stroll along the picnic-perfect banks of Sardis Lake, a sublime and soothing body of water with a number of recreational areas to simply lay back and relax. One of the main reasons why locals love Oxford is its annual events to attend, among them the Oxford OxFilm Film Festival, which includes workshops and screenings to support and cultivate the art of filmmaking in Oxford and North Mississippi.
Newcomers and Locals All Love These Seven Towns in Mississippi
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt famously refused to shoot a captive bear in Mississippi—a gesture of empathy that inspired the invention of the teddy bear. That gentle symbolism seems fitting for these Mississippi towns that locals love, where adorable strength, immersive history, cute artistry, and southern hospitality await every traveler. From the salt-sprayed shores of Ocean Springs and Bay Saint Louis to the mighty battlefields of Vicksburg, you will come across a host of destinations hosting beautiful events to attend. Amidst the rock-and-roll spirit of Tupelo and the literary paths in New Albany, these places invite you to trade noise for nuance and haste for hospitality. These Mississippi towns that locals love will make you yearn for more delights and distractions in the state’s lavish countryside.
