The phrase “small town Mississippi” conjures up images of quaint little towns with friendly residents displaying some of that famous Southern hospitality to visitors strolling down historic Main Streets. You’ll certainly find plenty of that, but Mississippi’s out-of-the-way attractions offer so much more: artists’ colonies, impressive mansions, literary heritage and unexpectedly large collections of Elvis memorabilia. Take your group to one of these small towns and prepare to be surprised.
Aberdeen, one of the most architecturally beautiful towns in Mississippi
Aberdeen was once a thriving cotton port and one of the largest cities in the state. That era is over, but many stately antebellum homes still stand, making Aberdeen one of the most architecturally beautiful towns in Mississippi. The best-known property is The Magnolias, a three-story Greek Revival mansion built in 1850, but Aberdeen has more than 200 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Aberdeen. Take the self-guided tour that takes you past almost 50 of them or come for the springtime Southern Heritage Pilgrimage to experience both the houses and special events. (aberdeenms.org)
Borroums Drug Store is an old-fashioned place to enjoy a tasty beverage.
Corinth, site of two battles during the Civil War
Because of its strategic railroads, Corinth was the site of two vicious battles during the Civil War. As a result, this is probably the best town in Mississippi to visit for Civil War buffs. Among the war-related sites are the Civil War Interpretive Center and Battery F, the best preserved earthwork system in America. Other town highlights include the Verandah-Curlee House, a beautiful antebellum structure that was the headquarters for both Union and Confederate generals at different times, and Borroums Drug Store, founded by a Confederate veteran and home to an authentic working soda fountain and the famous Slugburger. (corinth.net)
Great tour ideas are found in the Mississippi Itinerary Guide!
Holly Springs, birthplace of Kate Freeman Clark
Holly Springs boasts an impressive number of stately, pre-war homes. Walter Place, where General Ulysses Grant’s family stayed during part of the Civil War, is among the most impressive, with two Gothic-style towers unusual for Southern architecture. Other notable homes open to the public include Strawberry Plains, Montrose and Burton Place. The town, as the birthplace of painter Kate Freeman Clark, is also known for its art. A museum with 1,200 pieces of her work is reputedly the world’s largest devoted to a single artist. A more offbeat site can be found at Graceland Too, a private home that owner Paul MacLeod opens to the public so that he can personally guide them around his large collection of Elvis memorabilia. (visithollysprings.com)
Greenville, home of Jim Henson
Greenville is best known for turning out two things: blues music and the Muppets. Famed puppeteer Jim Henson was born in Greenville and grew up in nearby Leland, which now bills itself as the birthplace of Kermit the Frog and features exhibitions about the boyhood of its most famous native son. Kermit’s birthplace is only one stop on Washington County’s Museum Mile, which is comprised of over a dozen tightly packed museums on topics ranging from Jewish history to fire trucks. At night, head on down to Nelson Street or Walnut Street for some of the blues for which Greenville is so rightfully known. (visitgreenville.org)
Visit the Cottonlandia Museum in Greenwood
Cotton is still king in Greenwood, home to one of the largest markets for the crop in America, but the town has a good deal else to offer. The Cottonlandia Museum is a great place to learn about the Native American history of the region and has many interesting artifacts, including a mastodon skeleton. A museum chronicling more recent events is the Blues Heritage Museum, which you might want to pair with a stop at the Robert Johnson Tombstone, possible burial site of the “King of the Delta Blues Singers.” Hopefully all that will make you hungry because Greenwood is a center of Delta cuisine. (gcvb.com)
An antebellum mansion, Longwood is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Natchez, where antebellum homes thrive
Natchez boasts that it has more antebellum homes than any other city in the United States, largely thanks to its luck in never becoming a battleground during the Civil War. Those homes are prominently on display during the spring and fall pilgrimages, which attract fans of architecture and southern history. Other historic sites include Trinity Episcopal Church, with its stained glass windows, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the first cathedral built in Mississippi. There is also excellent golfing, including Duncan Park, home of the aptly-named water hazard Lake Dammit. (visitnatchez.org)
Port Gibson, a town too beautiful to burn
Local legend holds that General Grant, on his way to lay siege to Vicksburg during the Civil War, was going to destroy the town of Port Gibson, but when he saw the town he declared it was “too beautiful to burn.” Visitors should be thankful for the general’s mercy because it means they can still see sights like First Presbyterian Church, a 19th century structure topped by a giant metal hand pointing heavenwards. Other sites include Eagleton House, home of the state’s oldest formal gardens, and Wintergreen Cemetery, final resting place of Confederate General Earl Van Dorn. (portgibsononthemississippi.com)
Ocean Springs Along the Gulf Coast
The history of Ocean Springs dates back to 1699, when a French explorer established a fort here along the Gulf Coast. Named Ocean Springs in honor of the nearby spring waters and their supposed curative powers, it was a popular destination for artists in the second half of the 20th century. Visitors can tour the oak tree-lined streets of downtown or browse among the numerous arts galleries. The most famous artist to reside here was Walter Anderson, whose work can be seen at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art along with that of his artistic family members. St. John’s Episcopal Church, a wood-shingled building designed by famous architect Louis Sullivan, is also worth a visit. (oceanspringschamber.com/visitors)
Oxford, home to University of Mississippi
Oxford is a quiet college town that is home to the University of Mississippi. There is more to see in Oxford than just the picturesque campus, though. The premier draw is Rowan Oak, longtime home of Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner, who used a fictionalized version of Oxford as a setting for many of his novels. The literary spirit here still lives; in the historic downtown square you will find one of the best independent book stores in the nation, Square Books. Antebellum homes, such as the L.Q.C. Lamar House, dot the town, (oxfordcvb.com)
Tupelo, home of Elvis Presley
For visitors to Tupelo, the essential site is a two-room shotgun house because of a baby born there in 1935 by the name of Elvis Presley. The house is surrounded by a 15-acre park with a museum, memorial fountain and bronze statue of “The King” as a boy. Other Elvis sites include the Pentecostal Church where he sang gospel songs as a boy and the hardware store where he bought his first guitar. The store, Tupelo Hardware Company, still gives out handwritten sales tickets instead of printed receipts and still sells guitars. To paraphrase a town motto, Tupelo puts a little Elvis in everything they do. The Tupelo Automobile Museum displays more than 100 antique, classic and celebrity cars, including a Lincoln owned by Elvis. (tupelo.net)
Vicksburg National Military Park is full of history.
History of the Lower Mississippi in Vicksburg
Vicksburg will be forever known for its role as the key to the Mississippi during the Civil War. Vicksburg National Military Park has trenches and artillery positions that re-create what it must have been like during the famous siege. There is also a restored ironclad warship that was raised from the depths after being sunk in 1862. Vicksburg is home to multiple riverboat casinos and several stately mansions open to visitors. Two museums just opened in downtown Vicksburg—the Lower Mississippi Riverfront Museum, which houses a restored, dry docked riverboat, and Old Depot Museum, a former train station with a collection of ship and riverboat models, miniature cars and model railroad layouts. There is also a small museum commemorating the spot where Coca-Cola was first bottled. (visitvicksburg.com)
Visit the Rosemont Plantation in Woodville
Woodville is home to many antebellum structures that are open to visitors, the most notable of which is Rosemont Plantation, where Confederate President Jefferson Davis spent his boyhood years. A self-guided walking tour of the town’s historic structures has been created by the Woodville Civic Club. The town is also known for its antique stores. (woodville4.tripod.com)
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