Museums

Featured

MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN'S MUSEUM - Jackson

The Mississippi Children’s Museum provides unparalleled experiences that ignites a thirst for discovery, knowledge, and learning in all children.

Interactive exhibits, activities & programs for kids focusing on arts, history, health & science.

Kid-Friendly Features: Stroller-friendly, Elevators, Family restrooms, Changing tables in all restrooms, Nursing room, Cafeteria, Gift shop, Splash pad, Parking on-site

Kid-friendly Programs:

Address: 2145 Museum Boulevard, Jackson, MS 39202

Parking: Free, on-site

Admission: $10 per person
Children Under 1 Year: Free
Members: Unlimited daytime admission with the exception of special ticketed events.

Hours: Monday: Open throughout the summer
Tuesday – Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Phone: (601) 981-5469

photo courtesy of Allan Innman

Mississippi Museum of Art - Jackson

The Mississippi Museum of Art is a public museum in Jackson, Mississippi. It is the largest museum in Mississippi.

Kid-friendly Features: Stroller-friendly, Family restroom, Changing tables in all restrooms, Gift shop, Cafeteria, Splash pad, Garden & Courtyard

Kid-friendly Programs:

Look & Learn with Hoot
Every Third Friday
This educational opportunity for children up to 5 years of age and their parents, emphasizes creative play and literacy through a hands-on art activity and storytime. Please dress for mess! This event is free and open to the public.

Museum School:
Young Artists: Arts & Movement— BancorpSouth Classroom, Ages: 7-10, Monday, July 22, 2019 - Friday, July 26
Mini Matisse: Meet the Materials— Entergy Classroom, Ages: 3-4, Monday, July 22, 2019 - Friday, July 26
Studio Session II: Ceramics & Mixed Media—Entergy Classroom, Ages: 14-17, Mon, July 29, 2019 - Fri, August 2

Admission: Free

Address: 380 S Lamar St, Jackson, MS 39201

Parking: Free (On street and behind Museum)

Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday, 10 AM-5 PM
Sunday, noon-5 PM
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day

Phone: (601) 960-1515

photo courtesy of The Mississippi Museum of Art

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science - Jackson

Meet over 200 living species in our 100,000 gallon aquarium network. See native reptiles, fishes, and amphibians! Explore an entire wall of fossil specimens, Zygorhiza, Mosasaurus, and a giant Sloth. Check out deer, waterfowl, and Mississippi's endangered species exhibits. The Preschool Discovery Room features colorful murals and an iconic, giant treehouse with a slide. Plus, two miles of outdoor walking trails that wind through natural habitats. The museum was named the "2014 Escape to the Southeast Travel Attraction of the Year" by the Southeast Tourism Society.

Kid-friendly Features: Stroller-friendly, elevators, changing tables in bathrooms, gift shop, walking trail

Admission: Adults - $6
Youth Ages 3-18 - $4
Senior Citizens 60 and Over - $5
Children Under 3 - FREE
School Teachers with Classes - Call for Group Information

Hours: Monday—Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Museum Closed: (Subject to change. Please call to confirm before visiting.)
New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

Address: 2148 Riverside Dr, Jackson, MS 39202

Phone: 601-576-6000

photo courtesy of Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

See More Museums…

Zoos & Aquariums

HATTIESBURG ZOO

The Hattiesburg Zoo opened its gates on Easter Sunday 1950. Legend has it that the park that houses the zoo, Kamper Park, was a popular place to bring animals of all sorts in the early 1900s. This became a known tradition in the area, so a local women’s club raised money to build a real zoo on the site. When the gates opened on that Easter Sunday, guests were greeted by exotic animals and the spirit of learning that still exists today.

The Zoo has seen a wonderful cast of characters in its day, including the famous elephant, Miss Hattie. Miss Hattie’s personality charmed all who visited. Many visitors recall that she would sway to the music of the carousel. Miss Hattie passed away in 1974 when her dear companion, a one-horned goat, was washed away in a flood. Broken hearted, Hattie laid down, never to get up again. Today, you can find memorial sculptures of Miss Hattie and her little goat just inside the Zoo’s gates.

Like Hattie in her time, today’s beloved Zoo animal is Chewy the Sloth and his family, Mo and Baby Maple. Chewy’s charming personality and his comical slowness delights visitors from all over the world. From Hoffman’s Two Toed Sloths to Howler Monkeys and a Jaguar, the Zoo houses a multitude of animals, all with their own special gifts and personalities. Everyone can find a favorite animal pal at the Hattiesburg Zoo.

Today the Hattiesburg Zoo is constantly growing. Named Best Travel Attraction of the Year by the Mississippi Tourism Association in 2017, the Zoo is also listed as the #1 thing to do in Hattiesburg by TripAdvisor. So what are you waiting for?

Kid-friendly features: Family Bathrooms, Splash pad, Covered pavilions, Picnic tables, Cabana rental at splash pad, Concessions, Train, Carousel, Gift shop

Admission:
Children under 2: FREE
Adults and Children: $5
Military/Seniors (62+): $4 (only on Tuesdays)
Annual passes available

Mining Sluice: Bags start at $5
High Ropes Adventure Course: $6-$13 (height requirements apply-closed on Tuesdays)
Train: $2
Carousel: $2
Stroller Rental: $5
Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas & Christmas Eve, New Year's Day

Parking: Free, on-site

Address: 107 S 17th Ave, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Phone: (601) 545-4576

Photo courtesy of Allan Innman

Ocean Adventures Marine Park - Gulfport

Kid-friendly features: Dolphin show, Sea Lion show, Dolphin encounters, Sting-ray encounters, Walk-through aviary, Touch pools, Discovery room, Train, Cafe, Gift shop, Stroller-friendly

Kid-friendly programs:

Dolphin encounters:
Meet and greet one of our resident dolphins from the dock of our pool! Participants will be able to touch, feed, and receive a photo opportunity with one of our dolphins. This program lasts approximately 10 minutes, including an information session and five minutes on the dock interacting with our dolphin. This experience is available year around. Cost is $55.

Summer camps:
The Dolphin and Stingray Adventure Camp is our ultimate job shadow at IMMS and Ocean Adventures Marine Park. It is an immersive week-long day camp, in which your child can step into the rubber boots of a marine scientist – and experience the world of our dolphins, sea lions, rays, sharks, and other animals who live here at IMMS and Ocean Adventures.

Your child will participate in hands-on learning opportunities designed to teach them about marine mammal, tropical bird, sharks, sting rays, and sea turtle biology and conservation. Students will even meet our resident dolphins, sea lions, birds, and rays! Camp Cost: $300.00

Student Mini-camps:
Student Mini-Camps are available to field trip groups for one-, two-, or three-day hands-on exploration of coastal wetlands, beach and barrier islands, pollution, fisheries, and climate change and include encounters with exotic birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. Student groups learn firsthand about the plants, animals and habitats of the northern Gulf of Mexico beaches, salt marshes, nearshore islands, estuarine and Gulf waters.
Cost: $100 non-refundable fee due at the time of booking. $35 per person per day

Admission:
$15 for adults
$13 for children ages 3-12
$14 for active duty military and seniors ages 55 and up
Tickets can be purchased online or at the park.

Address: 10801 Dolphin Ln, Gulfport, MS 39503

Hours: Everyday: 9:30AM–4:30PM

Phone: (228) 896-9182

Photo courtesy of Allan Innman

Parks & Nature

Featured

Vicksburg Military park

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Tishomingo State Park

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MISSISSIPPI PETRIFIED FOREST

Mississippi Petrified Forest is a petrified forest located near Flora. It is privately owned and open for public visits. The forest is believed to have been formed 36 million years ago when fir and maple logs washed down an ancient river channel to the current site where they later became petrified. It is one of only two petrified forests in the eastern United States, the other being Gilboa Fossil Forest in New York. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in October 1965.

The site features a museum with examples of petrified wood found in every state and from other countries. The samples include a variety of plant materials, including leaves, fruits, cones and bark. Other fossils and fossil casts are on display, including dinosaur footprints, whale bones and turtle shells.

Kid-friendly features: Nature trail, museum, gem mining flume, campground, pavilion, gift shop

Admission:
ADULT $7.00
STUDENT (grades 1-12) $6.00
SENIORS $6.00
Groups (15 or more) $5.00 each

Hours: Open year round (except Thanksgiving & Christmas Day)
Summer hours April 1 to Labor Day 9am – 6pm
Winter hours Labor Day to April 1 9am – 5pm

Address: 124 Forest Park Rd, Flora, MS 39071

Phone: 601-879-8189

photo courtesy of Mississippi Petrified Forest

Sights & Landmarks

Featured

THE RUINS OF WINDSOR - Port Gibson

Windsor Ruins are located in Claiborne County about 10 miles southwest of Port Gibson near Alcorn State University. The ruins consist of 23 standing Corinthian columns of the largest antebellum Greek Revival mansion ever built in the state. The mansion stood from 1861 to 1890, when it was destroyed by fire. The 2.1-acre site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was designated a Mississippi Landmark in 1985.

Windsor mansion was located on a plantation that covered 2,600 acres. The mansion was constructed between 1859 and 1861 for Smith Coffee Daniell II, who was born in Mississippi and had acquired great wealth as a cotton planter by age 30. In 1849, Smith Daniell married his cousin Catherine Freeland (1830–1903). The couple had six children, with three surviving to adulthood.

On February 17, 1890, a fire started on the third floor when a guest dropped ashes from a cigarette or cigar into construction debris left by carpenters who were making repairs. Windsor mansion was destroyed leaving only the columns, balustrades, cast iron stairways, and pieces of bone china.

Kid-friendly features: No bathrooms are located on the property

Address: Rodney Road, Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150

31.9406° N, 91.1295° W

Admission: Free

Hours: Everyday, dawn until dusk

Photo courtesy of Allan Innman

William Faulkner Statue - Oxford

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Ghost Town - Rodney

Rodney is a former city in Jefferson County in southwest Mississippi, approximately 32 miles northeast of Natchez. Rodney was founded in 1828, and in the 19th century, it was only three votes away from becoming the capital of the Mississippi Territory. Its population declined to nearly zero after the Mississippi River changed course. The Rodney Center Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today a small number of inhabitants remain but the area is considered a ghost town.

Kid-friendly features: No public bathrooms are located in the town. Several of the buildings are deteriorating significantly and can pose hazards to small children.

Address: Rodney, MS 39096

Hours: Everyday from dawn to dusk

Farms

Mitchell Farms — Collins

Kid’s Activities: Wagon Ride Tours, Corn Maze, Cinderella Pumpkin, Tractor Slide Racer, Sunflower Field, Play in the Corn Pool, Goat Castle, Culvert Slide, School & Group Tours, Pumpkins Galore!, Animal Barn, Sand Mountain, Pumpkin Express Train Ride (additional fee), Gem Mining (additional fee)

Admission:
$12 per person ages 2 and older.
$1 off admission for groups of 20 or more as well as Senior Citizen and Military Discounts. (Groups must pay together for discount.)
Admission includes a wagon ride tour of the farm, our maze, and a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.

Hours:
Pumpkin Patch & Daytime Maze Hours:
September 28 - November 10, 2019
Weekends: Saturday: 9AM-6PM
Sunday: 1PM-5PM
Weekdays are reserved for school field trips.

Address: 650 Leaf River Church Road, Collins, Mississippi 39428
Latitude: 31.6588201 & Longitude: -89.4626584

Phone: (601) 765-8609

photo courtesy of Mitchell Farms

Williams family farms — Wiggins

Kid’s Activities: Maze, Kids Maze, U Pick Pumpkins, U Pick Sunflowers, Hay Ride, Trike Track, Cow Train, Hay Jump, Corn Box, Rat Racers, Rope Maze, Photo Spots, Tire Swings, Pipe Swing, Tire Tower, Slides, Bounce House, Calf Roping, Duck Races, Yard Games, "Gourd"-opy Tunnel, Farm Playground, Toddler Playground, Concessions, General Store, Outdoor movie

Admission:
Cash Only
Pumpkin Patch & Maze Admission:
$9 each, ages 3 and up
FREE, ages 2 and under
Last ticket sold at 5:30 pm

Outdoor Movie and Flashlight Maze Admission:
$5 each, ages 3 and up
FREE, ages 2 and under
Last ticket sold at 9 pm

Hours:
Pumpkin Patch & Maze Hours:
September 28, 2019 - November 3, 2019
Saturdays: 11 am - 6 pm
Outdoor Movie and Flashlight Maze 7 pm - 10 pm (pumpkin patch, playground, and hay rides are closed during this time.)
Sundays: 1pm - 5pm
Weekdays are available for field trips by appointment only.

Address: 98 B and W Road, Wiggins, MS 39577

Phone: (601) 528-0459

photo courtesy of Williams Family Farms

Bull Bottom Farms — Duck Hill

Kid’s Activities: Corn Maze, Magic Carpet Slide, Corn Box, Hay Ride, Cow Train, Animal Park, Jumping Pillow, Fun Fort, Sand Mountain, Tiny Town, Hay Jump, Corn Cannons, Pumpkin picking, Concession/Gifts, Corn Cannon Tickets ($1 = 3 Shots), Face Painting, Balloon Art

Admission: $10 per person
Children 2 and under are free

Hours:
Open Saturdays & Sundays from Sept. 28 thru Nov. 3, 2019
Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Also open Monday through Fridays by appointment only for groups during the fall season and throughout the year.

Address: 1641 Sayles Rd., Duck Hill, MS 38925

Phone: (662) 614-5746

photo courtesy of Bull Bottom Farms