Things to do in  Mississippi

Marking a pivotal American Civil War battlefield, the Vicksburg National Military Park is this state’s number-one attraction. Run by the National Park Service, the site dating from the 19th century features reenactments, films, monuments, memorials, and living history events. Many visitors explore the military park by car, with the option to visit battlefields with licensed guides.

It’s a toss-up: this state is famed for blues music and mouth-watering barbecue. Mississippi Delta blues are the draw at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. The Mississippi Barbecue Trail links up eateries that span old-school barbecue pits, big-city restaurants, and gas stations serving secret family recipes. But Mississippi is also home to one of the most famous sites in the United States: the birthplace of the King himself, Elvis Presley.

It really depends, as there are so many incredible things to do scattered across the state. Tupelo is home to the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Tupelo National Battlefield. Music-loving Cleveland has the Grammy Museum. Jackson is the biggest city, with the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum (in the early 20th century many African Americans fled the state), the Mississippi Children’s Museum, and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. For those travellers interested in the state’s religious history, the 19th century St. Mary Basilica is the oldest Catholic cathedral in the region.

Get ready for history, music, and gorgeous scenery. The top Mississippi attractions include Vicksburg National Military Park, the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum, Natchez Trace Parkway, and the U.S.S. Cairo Museum. There are plenty of historic sites dotted along the famous Yazoo River too, such as Longwood, Stanton Hall, Rosalie Mansion, and Beauvoir, the former home of Jefferson Davis.

You need at least three days to explore this state’s top sites, visiting cities like Jackson, Tupelo, and Cleveland. Add a few extra days if you’re following one of the state’s sightseeing “trails,” like the Mississippi Barbecue Trail, the Mississippi Blues Trail, or the impressive, civil rights–focused Freedom Trail. If you’re spending more time, there are some breathtaking state parks to explore like Natchez State Park or Great River Road State Park, where you can still see damage left over from the flood of 1927.

September is the best month to explore, as warm days replace sweltering summer heat. It’s also festival season, with the Delta Blues Heritage & Music Festival and the Biloxi Seafood Festival happening then. You’ll make most of the state’s Gulf Coast’s culinary traditions (and maritime bounty).