Top Travel Destinations and Tourist Sites in Mississippi

Mississippi, named for the Mississippi River that forms its western border, combines the nostalgia of the Old South with the modernity of state of the art casinos. From the river to the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and its heavily forested interior, there is no shortage of natural beauty and outdoor activities in the state.

Among Mississippi's most popular attractions are the following:

* The Magnolias, Aberdeen

The little northeastern Mississippi town of Aberdeen boasts over 200 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including numerous magnificent antebellum homes that are open to the public.

Among these is The Magnolias, a classic Greek revival style home built in 1850, with a columned front portico, tri-level mahogany staircase, and stained glass. The name comes from the estate's abundant magnolia trees that line the brick walk and fill the air with their fragrance.

* Catfish Capitol, Belzoni

One of the most important industries in Mississippi is catfish farming. The state has well over 100 catfish farms. Humphreys County, home of Belzoni, has the most farms per capita in the state, with 35,000 acres of catfish ponds, and an average of 6,000 catfish per acre.

Belzoni's catfish attractions include a visitor center and museum with exhibits and information about the industry, 33 fiberglass painted catfish sculptures on the streets all over town, and the World Catfish Fest annual festival-a street fair and carnival with plenty of food and fun.

* Movie Museums, Canton

Canton in central Mississippi, with its quaint town square and 19th century homes and buildings has proven to be a popular location for movie productions. Movies filmed in Canton include O Brother Where Art Thou?, My Dog Skip, The Rising Place, and A Time to Kill.

The Canton Movie Museums preserve scripts, photos, props, memorabilia, and whole sets from these and other movies shot in the area.

* Museum of Natural Science, Jackson

Mississippi's capital Jackson boasts a world class science museum, with 870,000 specimens of natural Mississippi.

The museum, open until 5 PM daily, includes among its many attractions a 1,700 square foot greenhouse, an open air amphitheater, 100,000 gallons of aquarium exhibits, an auditorium for nature lectures, and two and a half miles of nature trails. For the youngsters, there's the Discovery Room and Kids Club, Storytime, and the Creature Feature and Fish Feeding activities.

* Mount Locust Inn & Plantation, Natchez

Located just outside Natchez to the north, on the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, is the Mount Locust Stand. Built during the time of the American Revolution as an inn to serve the boatmen making their way back north after a trip down the Mississippi, it later became the center of a cotton plantation.

Restored by the National Park Service to its 1820 condition, Mount Locust includes historic sites such as the converted inn that became the main house, the family cemetery, the slave cemetery, a brick kiln, the slave quarters, and the overseer's house.

* Natchez City Cemetery, Natchez

You wouldn't normally think of a cemetery as a top tourist attraction, but the Natchez City Cemetery combines the sacred and the beautiful. Opened in 1822, but including the remains of those who died much earlier that were transferred from other sites, the cemetery is notable for the intricate ironwork of its fences, benches and mausoleum doors. Much of the marble work is signed by Edwin Lyon and Robert Rawes, two of the most celebrated of antebellum marble craftsmen.

If you are able to visit the first weekend of November, the locals put on guided tours of the cemetery entitled the "Annual Angels on the Bluff Tour." Guides lead visitors from grave to grave of notables buried in Natchez, where actors in period costume portray these figures from history and tell about their lives. In fact, some of the actors are descendants of those they portray.

* Casinos, Tunica

Mississippi boasts over 30 casinos, including 9 in Tunica, which is in the northern part of the state along the Mississippi River. Tunica's hotel casinos include such big names in the gaming industry as Bally's, Harrah's and Resorts.

In addition to all the table gaming and slot machines you'd expect, there are over 6,000 hotel rooms, 3 area golf courses, top restaurants, and world class live entertainment along Tunica's casino row.

* Tupelo National Battlefield, Tupelo

History fans and Civil War buffs won't want to miss this site of the July 14 and 15, 1864 Battle of Tupelo, the last major battle of the Civil War fought in Mississippi, and the last time that Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest's famous cavalry corps fought Union infantry.

The battlefield is memorialized with a one acre park in the center of Tupelo run by the National Park Service. It is open year round during daylight hours and includes cannons, a monument, an interpretive wayside, and a Visitor Center.

There is much to explore in Mississippi, for people of all ages and interests.

Sources:

"Mississippi." VisitMississippi.org.
"Mississippi Tourism." MississippiBeautiful.com.
"Visiting Mississippi." Mississippi.gov.