World Country Guide

Introduction

Starting at the State’s northeastern corner, the historic Natchez Trace Parkway winds 640km (400 miles) through Mississippi, ending up at Natchez in the southwest and, as one writer put it, is ‘what God meant a highway to be’. Free of billboard advertising and commercial traffic, and with a speed limit of 50mph (80kmph), the parkway provides a scenic introduction to the delights of Mississippi and leads visitors down paths once trekked by buffalo, Native Americans and frontiersmen.
The largest city in north Mississippi, Tupelo is best known for its native son, Elvis Presley. Visitors can stop at Elvis Presley’s Birthplace, the humble two-room house where ‘the King’ was born, and the adjacent museum Times and Things Remembered, which contains rare photos, memorabilia and a statue of ‘The King’ aged 13. Other attractions include the Tupelo Automobile Museum (the first of its kind in the State) with over 100 restored automobiles, and the Tupelo Buffalo Park, featuring a herd of buffalo, which can be viewed from aboard the Monster Bison Bus.
Corinth is home to the Civil War Interpretative Center as well as a number of lively festivals.
To the west, Oxford is the picturesque town captured forever in the writings of William Faulkner. Faulkner’s house can be visited today and remains much as the literary giant left it, with the outline of his novel, A Fable, scrawled on his study wall. Audio walking tours of the town are available from the tourism council.
Mississippi’s vibrant blues tradition can be sampled at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, while the new Blues Heritage Museum and Gallery can be found in Greenwood.
Jackson, Mississippi’s political and industrial heart, retains a small-town flavour, with a wealth of cultural attractions. At the Old Capitol Historical Museum, exhibits chronicle the Civil Rights movement, while the Smith Robertson Museum houses displays on African–American Mississippian history and heritage. Other attractions include the Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural Science.
The city of Vicksburg lies on the Mississippi River west of Jackson and is a prime source of southern history. Some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place on the site of the Vicksburg National Military Park. Here, on July 4 1863, the Union victory helped the Yankees gain control of the Mississippi River, a crucial element in winning the war. Living history demonstrations and battle re-enactments every summer provide a fascinating insight into this dramatic period. In addition, dockside casinos offer entertainment on the Mississippi River and many antebellum homes can provide bed & breakfast accommodation. Vicksburg is also home to the delightful new Great Animal Adventures and Children’s Museum, located in an 1888 stable building.
The childhood of Jim Henson, creator of the Sesame Street and Muppets characters, can be remembered at Leland’s Birthplace of the Frog exhibition. Music also plays its part, with the Highway 61 Blues Museum in downtown Leland.
New attractions in Canton include the Canton Movie Museum and the Canton Multi-Cultural Center and Museum, with topics ranging from slavery and civil rights to family and music. Local Canton residents feature at the oral history kiosk.
Perched atop the bluffs of the Mississippi River, Natchez was spared major destruction in the Civil War. Today, over 500 historic buildings still stand, including mansions, churches and public buildings, providing a wonderful glimpse of pre-war life in the Deep South. Many of these graceful mansions contain original furnishings, while a good number offer bed & breakfast accommodation. Natchez-under-the-Hill, once notorious for its riverside gambling, is now a colourful area of pubs, gift shops, restaurants and dockside gaming. Natchez is also the starting point for the Deep South Antique & Wine Trail, which is a co-operative endeavour between the States of Mississippi and Louisiana and covers 322km (200 miles) and six counties, with over 100 antique shops en route.
A town that perhaps best typifies the Old South, Woodville is the location of Rosemount Plantation, the boyhood home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The town of Hattiesburg is famous for the All-American Rose Garden, which features 740 patented bushes, and is also home to the Armed Forces Musuem.
Located on a Native American reservation, the Pearl River Resort in Choctaw features gaming and entertainment facilities, two hotels, and a golf club. New additions, slated for completion by 2006 include a recreational complex, a fitness and wellness center, a lake-side hotel, exposition hall, a Choctaw memorial and a labyrinth.
There are 42km (26 miles) of sun-drenched sandy beaches on the coast, with many points of historic interest. Biloxi is the site of many pre-war buildings, including Beauvoir, the retirement home of Jefferson Davis. Biloxi is also the point of departure for daily cruises to Ship Island, location of Fort Massachusetts, a POW camp during the Civil War, as well as excursions to Back Bay, on Deer Island.