Three Great Getaways for Winter Break Travel in Mississippi

Nov 30, 2022

Today is National Mississippi Day, and we’re celebrating with some great places to visit in Mississippi for an unexpected winter vacation destination! From holiday events to wonderful indoor activities, we’ve got you covered for fast and easy vacation planning. Take yourself on a winter wonderland getaway down south for a unique and memorable road trip through these fantastic areas.

JACKSON

This is the capital of Mississippi and its largest city!

The Mississippi Children’s Museum is such a wonderful place you could get lost in the fun for a whole day. Families with kids of all ages will enjoy all of the activities and displays that the facility has to offer in STEAM and Health based topics! It’s got plenty of hands-on and engaging interactive exhibits that are so enjoyable your kids will hardly know it’s educational.

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is perfect for history buffs. It chronicles the American Civil Rights movement from 1945-1970 through educational stories and documentary materials. It’s adjacent to the Museum of Mississippi History, which highlights the 15,000 years of state history through its earliest days through the present! You’ll find live educational programs, interactive exhibits, and hear stories from the people who live in the state.

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is the largest museum in the whole state. This impressive 73,000 square foot facility houses a 100,000 gallon aquarium, houses live reptiles, fish, and amphibians, and has more than 200 living species on display. Additionally, you’ll find a wall of fossils to examine, and loads of educational science exhibits and greenhouse. It’s also located inside a state park, getting you up close and personal with nature.

The Mississippi Museum of Art is the state’s largest art museum, housing multiple galleries, an outdoor garden,a performance stage, and on-site cafe. The core of the museum’s permanent collection is free to explore, but there may be small fees for traveling exhibitions.

LeFleurs Bluff State Park is a gorgeous 305 acre park that has nature trails, camping, fishing, RV park, and plenty of other recreational opportunities.

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1961 to commemorate the achievements of Mississippi native athletes, and its corresponding museum opened in1996. It honors more than 300 athletes, coaches, and influential legends of the sports industry.

GULFPORT

This is the second largest city in Mississippi!

While you’re exploring Coastal Mississippi, we recommend checking out these great destinations for a refreshing winter vacation:

The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum is a unique way to connect with local coastal Mississippi culture as well as where we source and gather our food!
The Infinity Science Center is more than 70,000 square feet of incredibly interesting and hands-on experiences in STEAM related activities.
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art is a gorgeous facility with more than 1,000 paintings, wood carvings, and ceramic pieces from Walter Anderso and his brothers.
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art is another must-see destination in the area with contemporary and historic exhibits, featuring the works of George E. Ohr as a focus. In addition, you can also try your hand at creating your own pottery and take two clay pots home!

If you’re visiting for the holidays, we recommend the winter festival. The Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival runs now through December 31st at Jones Park. With more than 1,200,000 twinkling lights across Jones Park, it’s an unforgettable family experience. What started as a smaller event in 2015 by ISland View CAsino & Resort and the City of Gulfport has evolved into a brand new family tradition year after year! And each season is bigger and better than ever for a one-of-a-kind experience. Choose from a walkthrough by foot or hitch a ride on a heated trolley. It’s a can’t miss holiday experience that will make your winter break vacation truly memorable.

VICKSBURG

This city was the historical site of a key battle in the Civil War.

If you’re around for the holidays, we recommend checking out the Walking Holiday Spectacular, beginning at the McRaven House and including an hour-long tour of the home as well as Christmas Stories and plenty of festive decorations and holiday lights! The tours run nightly from now through January 1st 2023 from 6PM to 9PM.

The Beidenharn Coca-Cola Museum is a beautifully restored historic building where the iconic American soda was first bottled in 1894. It features a charming vintage soda fountain, and a beautiful exhibit of historic equipment and memorabilia for Coca Cola company.

The Old Courthouse Museum is the cultural center of Vicksburg, and the city’s most historic landmark structure. This court house turned historic museum was once host to esteemed guests and presidential figures such as Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, and Booker T Washington to name a few! You’ll find a beautiful collection of artifacts and research along with very unique architecture and a wonderful view of the river.

The Strand Theatre of Vicksburg is dedicated to showcasing screenings, presentations, and other productions about regional life and people of Mississippi and related US history and culture. It’s also home to special limited showings of cult classic movies as well as seasonal live performances.

The Vicksburg Civil War Museum has a wide variety of exhibits including the Civil War, the Black experience of living in the South before, during, and after the war, and the world’s largest collection of civil war gun boat models, and an 8 foot by 20 foot diorama of the Siege of Vicksburg. It’s a great destination for any US history buff!