Destination Highlights

Downtown Jackson boasts the beautiful state capitol and governor’s mansion, along with the Museum of Mississippi History, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and a host of restaurants, museums, colleges and entertainment spots.

“The Governor’s Mansion is a beautiful building with a lot of history from the civil rights movement to today, and you can tour on certain days,” said Yolanda Moore, director of communications for Visit Jackson.

Housed in the same building, the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum explore the stories of courageous Mississippians like Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer. Exhibits guide visitors through decades of struggle for racial equality, displaying photographs, films and recordings that refuse to sugarcoat a painful — yet ultimately triumphant — history.

This year, Jackson commemorates the 60th anniversary of the death of Evers, who was murdered in his driveway by a white supremacist on June 12, 1963.

Home to multiple institutions of higher education, Jackson today pulses with the energy of youth. Colleges include Jackson State University, Millsaps College, Belhaven University, Tougaloo College, Mississippi College and Hinds Community College Jackson.

Distinctive Venues

Once the hub of Jackson’s Black community, Farish Street now features shops such as Marshall’s Music and Bookstore, Afrikan Art Gallery and Lavish Boutique. The street is also home to Johnny T’s Bistro and Blues, the site of the epic 1940s Crystal Palace where Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong played. Guests still enjoy live performances and food.

One famous Farish Street restaurant that was a popular meeting place for civil rights activists Freedom Riders is the Big Apple Inn. It is known for its tamales and pig ear sandwiches served on a bun with homemade hot sauce, slaw and mustard.

A popular historic landmark in the Belhaven neighborhood is the Tudor Revival home of Eudora Welty, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel “The Optimist’s Daughter.” Visitors can tour Welty’s home and garden to learn about one of the most important Southern writers of the 20th century.

“Her home is just like it was when she was alive, and there are a lot of activities and events,” said Sherri Ratliff, tourism and convention sales manager for Visit Jackson. “Her story is a Jackson story.”

The home is close to the educational and interactive exhibits in the Mississippi Children’s Museum. Other cultural and educational museums in Jackson include Mississippi’s Museum of Art, Museum of Natural Science and the International Museum of Muslim Cultures.