Present day the bright neon lights from casinos and hotels recreate the glittery glamour of Vegas along the beaches of the Mississippi Coast. Upon closer look behind the lure of non-stop casino action, entertainment and restaurants, the Mississippi Gulf Coast offers visitors portals to a colorful history.  In 1699 Pierre Le Moyne Sieur d’Iberville and a band of French explorers were met by friendly Biloxi Indians when they planted the French flag near present-day Ocean Springs.    Since then, eight different flags have flown over the white sand beaches of Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. 

The rich heritage of the antebellum South is reflected in the stately mansions looking out to sea from the landside of Highway 90, winding along the Mississippi coast.  Foremost among those open for tours year-round is Beauvoir, the final home of Jefferson Davis, a Mississippi native and president of the Confederate States.  On the estate is the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library.  At 119 Rue Magnolia is the Magnolia Hotel built in 1847 and the only remaining pre-Civil War hotel on the Mississippi coast. 

The history of Mississippi’s Gulf Coast is tied to the sea. Since 1848 the Old Biloxi Lighthouse has guided seafarers and fishermen to safe harbor. The lighthouse, a 62 foot structure, is among the earliest cast iron lighthouses built in the U.S. and today  serves to startle travelers, standing like a  lone sentinel between a busy roadway. 

Known at one time as the “Seafood Capital of the World, Biloxi’s fishing heritage is exhibited at the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum at Point Cadet. Tours of historic schooners and demonstrations of net casting and crab & shrimp peeling are available at the museum. Offshore, on West Ship Island, pre-civil war Fort Massachusetts guards the Coast while park rangers guide tourists and history buffs through its battlements. Ft. Massachusetts, 12 miles out in the Gulf, is a relaxing ½ or full day trip. The Biloxi Point Cadet Marina is the departure point for daily cruises to Ship Island.

The flora and fauna of the Coast and offshore,  Ship Island have been made famous in the works of the eccentric painter, Walter I. Anderson.  These may be seen at the Walter Anderson Museum, nearby in Ocean Springs. No visit to the Coast is complete without experiencing the “Realizations” of the renowned artist/naturalist Walter Anderson.  Art lovers will enjoy the many, eclectic galleries scattered along the coast from Bay St. Louis to Ocean Springs..  A “must-stop” is Biloxi’s Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art where the pottery of George Ohr – known as the “Mad Potter of Biloxi” – is exhibited. Meanwhile, a world class museum is being designed to house his unique and whimsical pots.

For the energetic the Historical Walking Tour takes visitors into the Museum of Art and through other fascinating buildings, including  the Mardi Gras Museum where many colorful costumes from past Mardi Gras celebrations are displayed. Or nature lovers will enjoy walks in the Gulf Marine State Park on Highway 90 in East Biloxi. Along the Mississippi Coast the gulf breezes and beaches are never far away! 

Submitted
Helvi McCall Price
Reference Department
Rowland Medical Library