12 Off-The-Beaten-Path Towns In Mississippi
The southern state of Mississippi, perhaps known best for Biloxi and Biloxi Beach, is home to several off-the-beaten-path towns with unique stories. These towns are sometimes forgotten by visitors to Mississippi, especially by those who prefer to frequent the bigger cities, even though these small towns possess some awesome natural, historic, and cultural attractions. From Ocean Springs and the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial to Corinth and the Crossroads Museum, history and culture are alive in these small towns. From Holly Springs and Wall Doxey State Park to Wiggins and the Flint Creek Water Park, these twelve off-the-beaten-path towns in Mississippi are well worth the visit.
Laurel - Jones County
Hidden between Meridian and Hattiesburg, the picturesque town of Laurel is one of the best-concealed gems in Mississippi. Home to Landrum鈥檚 Homestead & Village, a replica of a settlement from the early 1800s, with 75 different buildings on 30 acres of land, and the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, founded in 1923 as Mississippi鈥檚 first art museum, the town of Laurel displays a thriving past.
Several other attractions call Laurel home, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Museum, with exhibits featuring a Merchant Marine Display, a USMC Silver Star Display, and much more. Laurel is also home to several annual festivals, like the Loblolly Festival, held in October, celebrating the town鈥檚 sawmill heritage.
Canton - Madison County
The small town of Canton is possibly most famous for their Christmas Festival, an annual event honoring the Christmas season through the lighting of a three-story Christmas tree, held from the day after Thanksgiving to the beginning of January. This awesome festival features Rudolph鈥檚 Playground, rides in an actual fire truck, Santa鈥檚 Cookie Shop, and much more.
The Canton Movie Museum, the Multicultural Museum, and Madison County History Museum all call Canton home as well. Plus, if you wish to experience nature at its best, the Cypress Swamp Loop Trail, along the Natchez Trace Parkway, provides a taste of the rugged yet phenomenal aspects of the wonders of the Cypress Swamp.
Port Gibson - Claiborne County
Hidden along the western border of the state, less than twenty miles from the banks of the Mississippi River, the quaint town of Port Gibson is home to Windsor Ruins, Grand Gulf Military Park, and the A.K. Shaifer House. Constructed in 1826, the A.K. Shaifer House was the site of the first shot fired in Port Gibson in 1863, during the American Civil War.
Port Gibson is famous for several annual events that encourage people to visit over and over again. The Taste of Port Gibson features a touch of some of the delicious food from many of the best restaurants in town in April, while the Whispers in the Cedars Wintergreen Cemetery honors Civil War veterans through a special tour of the cemetery in March.
Wiggins - Stone County
Hidden within the Desoto National Forest, around 35 miles south of Hattiesburg, the town of Wiggins has a variety of great amenities that encourage visitors to make repeat visits. Home to the Flint Creek Water Park, a part of the Pat Harrison Waterway District, Wiggins can become that home away from home when it comes to excitement.
Several awesome restaurants and inns also call Wiggins home, for those who wish to get away from the bustle of the bigger cities. Whistle Stop Cafe serves a tasty Fried Shrimp Po-Boy, while Peacock B&B offers comfy rooms and great service for a fair price. Wiggins is home to the Pitcher Plant Wetlands, AKA. Buttercup Flats, as well, displaying a variety of different carnivorous plants.
Ocean Springs - Jackson County
Home to the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the G.I. Museum, and Walter Anderson Museum of Art, history is thriving in Ocean Springs. Yet this small town, hidden just outside the city of Biloxi, is home to a plethora of natural attractions as well, including Front Beach, Gulf Islands National Seashore, and Fontainebleau Nature Trail.
Also home to the Peter Anderson Art Festival, known to be the largest art festival in the state, and the Taste of Ocean Springs Food & Beverage Festival, drawing almost 500 people annually, the town of Ocean Springs, though it is overshadowed by the big city, is one of the best off-the-beaten path towns on Mississippi's portion of the Atlantic coast.
Natchez - Adams County
The picturesque town of Natchez, located in southwestern Mississippi, is home to a plethora of historic attractions that draw people from all over the country. Rosalie Mansion, constructed in the 1820s, Stanton Hall, built in the 1850s, and Longwood Mansion, constructed in the 1860s, all call this town home. Continuing, if antebellum architecture is to your taste, Melrose Estate, first built in the mid-1800s, and Choctaw Hall, built around 1836, may be excellent destinations.
Holly Springs - Marshall County
About 50 miles south of Memphis, Tennesse, the town of Holly Springs is best known for Wall Doxey State Park and Chewalla Lake Recreation Area. While Wall Doxey State Park and Chewalla Lake both offer camping, fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, and picnicking with friends and family, Wall Doxey has an awesome baseball field as well.
History enthusiasts visiting Holly Springs can check out Marshall County Historical Museum, Yellow Fever Martyrs Church & Museum, and Hillcrest Cemetery, first established in 1837. Plus, if you are visiting in autumn, Strawberry Plains Audubon Center welcomes numerous Ruby-throated Hummingbirds during the town鈥檚 annual Hummingbird Festival. These hummingbirds migrate south as autumn turns to winter.
Bay St. Louis - Hancock County
The city of Bay St. Louis is home to the Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum and Bay St. Louis Historic L&N Train Depot. This museum was named for Alice Latimer Mosely, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, who began painting at the age of 65 while caring for her mother. The museum features 100 of Ms. Mosely's paintings and is an important cultural landmark of the American folk art movement.
Some other great landmarks that are worth exploring include Bay St. Louis Beach and the Bridges Clubhouse golf course. Several great events are also held in town. The Krewe of Nereids Mardi Gras annual parade occurs in February, while the Oyster Drop, celebrates the new year.
Crystal Springs - Copiah County
Home to Chautauqua Park, around 74 acres of woods with its own lake, Crystal Springs is an underrated destination. Chautauqua Park also has a unique hiking trail, perhaps the most unique in all of Mississippi, named Tree Top Trail. This 1,500-foot-long hiking path follows a wooden boardwalk that is suspended many feet off the ground, allowing for a great view of animals living in the trees.
Crystal Springs is also home to some great hometown places that warm the heart as well as the taste buds, including Shivers Creek Catfish House Louise Open Pit Barbeque, and Wisteria Inn B&B. Some great festivals occur in Crystal Springs as well, including an annual tomato festival, reminding people why this town was once labeled 鈥淭omatopolis of the 海角社区.鈥�
Cleveland - Bolivar County
Another awesome off-the-beaten-path town in Mississippi, the town of Cleveland is home to GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, which is perhaps best known for being the most technologically-advanced museum catering to music in the southern part of the United States. With phenomenal exhibits, like 鈥淚conic Objects From America鈥檚 Music History,鈥� this is one of the best music museums to visit in the state.
Other great attributes of the town of Cleveland include the Martin & Sue King Railroad Museum, located on South Bayou Road, and the Wiley Planetarium, which is a part of Delta State University. And, if you find yourself on the western borders of Mississippi in the middle of October, the Cleveland Award-Winning Octoberfest has been named the best fall festival in the entire state.
Petal - Forrest County
The quaint town of Petal, located just outside Hattiesburg, has a wealth of natural attractions that are well worth mentioning, as most visitors to the area get distracted by the wonders of this small town鈥檚 much bigger neighbor. Home to some great hiking trails, including the Petal Bike Park River Trail, allowing hikers to traverse casually through valleys and wooded areas, and the Petal River Park Blue Trail, which follows a scenic four-mile loop through the deeper woodlands.
Some great cultural activities also call the town of Petal home, like a phenomenal Christmas Parade that traverses along downtown Main Street. Plus, if you are planning on staying the night, the Wagon Wheel Inn offers comfortable rooms and RV camping.
Corinth - Alcorn County
The picturesque town of Corinth, hidden in the upper right corner of the state, is home to a variety of great historic sites. The Crossroads Museum, the Corinth Contraband Camp, and Battery Robinett all have historic ties to the Civil War, while the Coca-Cola Museum in Corinth, situated across from the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, has every possible Coca-Cola exhibit you could ever imagine.
Several cultural activities can be enjoyed in this quaint Mississippi town as well, including the Slugburger Festival, which honors Corinth鈥檚 original slugburger from 1917, made with flour and potato flakes mixed into hamburger meat. One of the best spots to get an 鈥渙riginal Corinth鈥� slugburger is the Slugburger Cafe, located on Highway 72 in downtown Corinth.
From the top of the state of Mississippi to the bottom, there are a plethora of great towns considered to be off-the-beaten-path. From Wiggins and Flint Creek Water Park to Bay St. Louis and Bay St. Louis Beach these small towns have their own unique attractions. Whether it is an 鈥渙riginal slugburger鈥� from Corinth or a casual swim in Chewalla Lake in Holly Springs, these twelve off-the-beaten-path towns are some of the best in all of Mississippi.
