Gulf Islands National Seashore is one of the best things to do in Mississippi. Since 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks. With the help of volunteers and partners, we safeguard these special places and share their stories with more than 318 million visitors every year. The Gulf Islands National Seashore stretches from Cat Island in Mississippi to Santa Rosa Island in Florida. The majority of the seashore is underwater, but the barrier islands provide white-sand beaches, coastal marshes, and dense maritime forests.

Davis Bayou is easily accessible from the mainland at Ocean Springs. Hiking trails, camping and picnic areas, old forts, and other recreational opportunities such as kayaking and snorkeling are available. The Gulf Islands National Seashore has several visitor centers that offer a variety of activities. There are ranger-led programs available, as well as volunteers ready to answer questions and several interactive visits at Fort Pickens. There's also the Park Headquarters, the William M. Colmer Visitor Center, and the Fort Barrancas Visitor Center, which focuses on the seashore's military significance.

Google rating: 4.8/5.0

Address: 3500 Park Rd, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Phone: 850 934-2600

Website: visitpensacola.com/beaches/national-seashore/

This museum is dedicated to the life and work of one of the most influential blues artists of all time, as well as the origins of blues in the Mississippi Delta. In the museum's theater, visitors can learn about the history of blues and B.B. King's significance. B.B. had followed his mother's advice on his way to becoming an international icon. He treated everyone he met with honesty, civility, and compassion. And the work ethic he learned as a child influenced the businesslike management practices he used to manage his large traveling entourage.

As you walk through the Museum's exhibition and collection, you'll notice how well these philosophies repaid him, and how much this Delta native has contributed to American culture. Exhibits are organized by era, with the first introducing visitors to the 1930s Delta and King's adulthood as a farmer. Following exhibits follow B.B King to Memphis, where he became known as the "Beale Street Boy" and was first heard on the radio, and then look at his rise in the 1960s, when he became an icon. The museum also has a gift shop where you can buy blues and King-related items.

Google rating: 4.8/5.0

Address: 400 2nd St, Indianola, MS 38751

Phone: +1 662-887-9539

Website: https://bbkingmuseum.org/

Visit the USS Cairo Museum is one of the best things to do in Mississippi. The USS Cairo, named after the Illinois city, was commissioned in January 1862. This powerful, 13-gun ironclad vessel was part of a group of similar gunboats designed to assist Union forces in defeating Confederate opposition during the American Civil War. The Cairo, however, was not destined to succeed in its mission, as it was sunk by an electronically detonated torpedo in the Yazoo River just seven miles north of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

The USS Cairo, which can be seen at the Vicksburg National Military Park, was sunk the same year it was commissioned. It sat in the mud for nearly a century until a cannon and the pilothouse were discovered, and a full salvage operation was soon underway. The restored ship, as well as thousands of recovered artifacts, are now on display. The Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates the battle that took place in this strategically important town during one of the Civil War's most decisive periods. General Grant was captured here, giving Union forces control of the waterway. The park is also home to Vicksburg National Cemetery, which is home to 17,000 fallen Union Soldiers, as well as another 1,300 US military veterans who have lost their lives in conflicts since then.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Address: 400 2nd St, Indianola, MS 38751
Phone: 3201 Clay St, Vicksburg, MS 39183
Website: visitvicksburg.com/uss-cairo-museum

The Old Capitol Museum is one of the best things to do in Mississippi. Whether you're interested in researching Mississippi history, visiting historic sites, preserving history, attending or sponsoring history-themed events, engaging students with history, properly managing government records, or finding opportunities for volunteering, internships, and careers, MDAH can help. From 1839 to 1903, Mississippi's former state capitol building in Jackson served as the State House, until the current capitol building was completed. The limestone structure, designed in the classic Greek Revival style with a copper dome, is a National Historic Landmark.

The Museum Division is in charge of the Mississippi History Museum, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the Eudora Welty House & Garden, the Manship House Museum, the Old Capitol Museum, and the historic section of the Mississippi Governor's Mansion in Jackson; the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians in Natchez; Historic Jefferson College in Washington; and Winterville Mounds in Greenville. The building is now open to the public and houses a free museum focusing on government and historical events that occurred here, such as the signing of the Married Women's Property Act in 1839. Tourists interested in learning more about the building's construction, architecture, and restoration can also book guided tours.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Address: 100 S. State Street, Jackson, Mississippi
Phone: 6015766850
Website: www.mdah.ms.gov/oldcap

Tupelo, situated in the northeast of the state, is best known for being the birthplace of one of the world's most famous pop icons, Elvis Presley. For the most part of the year, the city is warm and sunny, making it ideal for outdoor activities. There's always something to see and do in its many museums, shops, and historical sites, whatever the season. While most of the town's main attractions are related to "the King," it's also a perfectly pleasant and peaceful place to visit, especially if you're traveling along the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Tupelo Automobile Museum was named Mississippi's official auto museum in 2003, capping off 28 years of collecting by founders Frank Spain and Max Berryhill. The entire collection consists of 150 vehicles, some of which are currently being restored in open bays in front of museum visitors.

The vehicles on display represent the evolution of the automobile, with exhibit halls organized chronologically. Visitors are greeted by the museum's oldest piece, an 1886 Benz, and can admire several early automobiles, including an 1889 Knox Porcupine, a 1903 Cadillac, and a 1907 Ford Model R. The collection includes some of the most iconic vehicles of the twentieth century, such as the Dunesberg, a Messerschmitt, and even a 1981 Delorean DMC. The newest vehicle at the museum is a 1994 Dodge Viper with only 12 miles on the odometer. A Lincoln once owned by Elvis Presley is also included in the collection.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Address: 1 Otis Boulevard, Tupelo, Mississippi
Phone: +1 662-842-4242
Website: N/A

The Institute of Marine Mammal Studies is a large research and rehabilitation facility that also houses an interactive museum that educates visitors about ocean life. It is one of the only dolphin rescue facilities on the Gulf Coast, and the staff looks after a wide range of marine mammals. IMMS, located in Gulfport, Mississippi, has been a member of the National Stranding Network since its inception. IMMS is the Gulf Coast's premier stranding organization, capable of caring for sick and injured marine mammals and sea turtles in the Mississippi-Louisiana-Alabama region. IMMS is an important educational resource for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, incorporating programs for marine mammal conservation, education, and research.

Dolphin presentations at the museum allow visitors to learn about these intelligent creatures while watching them interact with their trainers, and guests who want to get up close and personal can sign up for a dolphin encounter. Touch pools in the Discovery Room allow visitors to interact with sea stars, stingrays, sharks, and other marine life. In addition, there are opportunities to learn about reptiles and birds through tropical animal shows, and children can take home a shark tooth after unearthing it during the fossil digging activity.

Google rating: 4.6/5.0
Address: 10801 Dolphin Ln, Gulfport, MS 39503
Phone: +1 228-896-9182
Website: https://imms.org/

The Grammy Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi is a must-see for any music fan, with exhibits highlighting the history of American music. Permanent exhibits include displays of industry-related relics, such as actual instruments used by iconic performers ranging from the great B.B. King to modern star Bruno Mars, as well as original outfits worn by stars as they walked the Grammy red carpet. To provide unique learning opportunities based on the enduring legacies of all forms of music; the entire creative and technological recording processes; and the history of the GRAMMY Awards®, with a focus on Mississippians' ongoing achievements.

The GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, located in Cleveland, Mississippi, is an exciting and interactive celebration of the power of music. Innovative exhibits, interactive experiences, and films create an unforgettable visitor experience that is engaging, educational, celebratory, and inspirational. The museum specializes in interactive exhibits, such as a mini surround-sound theater where visitors can watch past Grammy performances and Grammy archives that highlight the careers of previous winners. Aspiring musicians will especially enjoy the interactive creation pods, where they can write, record, and produce their own music, which will then be archived in the museum.

Google rating: 4.6/5.0
Address: 800 W Sunflower Rd, Cleveland, MS 38732
Phone: +1 662-441-0100
Website: grammymuseumms.org

The Mississippi Petrified Forest is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the massive remains of what was once a massive forest, now turned to stone by time. Nature trails allow visitors to explore and see these specimens up close, while the Earth Science Museum has exhibits that explain how this came to be. The museum also displays examples of plant evolution over time, as well as other types of fossils such as whale bones, dinosaur footprints, and a cast of a prehistoric camel's fossil. Kids will enjoy taking pictures on "Caveman's Bench" and sifting for treasure in the gem mining flume.

The existence of this Petrified Forest has been known since the mid-nineteenth century, but it has only been developed and opened to the public in the last four decades. In August 1962, R.J. "Bob" and Shirl Schabilion purchased the "Petrified Forest." They taught the values and practicalities of conserving and preserving all of our natural resources by example to their family and others, and this was long before the term "conservation" was commonly used, as it is today.

Google rating: 4.5/5.0
Address: 124 Forest Park Road, Flora, Mississippi
Phone: 601-879-8189
Website: www.mspetrifiedforest.com

This sprawling estate, which overlooks the Mississippi Sound, was given the French name Beauvoir in honor of the breathtaking view. The house was built in 1852 and became the home of the Confederacy's only president, Jefferson Davis, in 1877. It was kept in the Davis family until 1903, when Davis' widow sold it to the Sons of Confederate Veterans. As part of the transaction, the organization agreed to use the property as a free veterans home for Confederate veterans, which operated from 1903 to 1957.

Another condition of the sale was that the property be preserved as a memorial to Confederate soldiers and Jefferson Davis. Beauvoir has housed the Confederate Presidential Library and Museum since 1903. The museum contains Davis artifacts as well as items from the former veteran's home and Civil War artifacts. The large estate, which includes the home, guest cottages, and the Memorial Cemetery, is open to visitors.

Google rating: 4.3/5.0

Address: 2244 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, Mississippi

Phone: +33 6 88 15 62 64

Website: visitbeauvoir.org/tours

The Jackson Zoo is a fun family attraction that features animals from all over the world. Throughout the year, the zoological park hosts special events, and there is a rotating schedule of educational activities available to visitors and groups. The park is home to 250 animals representing 150 species from around the world, and each habitat is designed to be as close to nature as possible. The Zoo has served up to 85,000 visitors annually, with 47% from the Jackson metro area, 43% from other Mississippi counties and 10% from other states. The Zoo serves every segment of the population, creating a wonderfully diverse audience.

The red-ruffled lemur, red wolf, pygmy hippopotamus, reticulated giraffe, Sumatran tiger, and southern white rhinoceros are among the endangered species that live there. Aside from mammals, the park is home to some unusual birds, such as ostriches, American flamingos, and Australia's kookaburra. Reptiles include a wide range of snakes, from the poisonous copperhead to the massive anaconda, and the Madagascar hissing cockroach will captivate novice entomologists.

Google rating: 4.0/5.0
Address: 2918 W Capitol St, Jackson, MS 39209
Phone: +1 601-352-2580
Website: jacksonzoo.org