Biloxi, Ocean Springs & Gulfport on the Gulf Coast offer vacationers beach, history, water sports
The Mississippi sister cities of Biloxi, Ocean Springs, and Gulfport have evolved into a metropolitan area that offers the glitz of a mini-Las Vegas, quaint towns, commercial areas, and attractions. They have become the entertainment capital of Mississippi with a dozen casinos, hundreds of restaurants, and lots of shopping, including unique shops and outlet stores. The casinos dominate. But beneath the casino lights lies much history, some culture, and other entertainment that is worth exploring.
Biloxi and Gulfport have a relatively short beach that attracts sunbathers and swimmers, but they are not known much as a coastal beach vacation spot. The resorts are small, in comparison to those on the Florida and Alabama coasts, except those that are part of the larger casinos that sit on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, and the despite their undeveloped, open beaches.
Ocean Springs, a delightful artsy town with interesting shops and galleries, isn’t on the beach, but has much to offer because of its cosmopolitan style.
Up and down the shore there are some of the larger casinos on the Gulf Coast, including the Beau Rivage, IP, Hard Rock, Harrah’s, Boomtown, Island View, Palace, Margaritaville, and Golden Nugget. The casinos also book Vegas-style shows that can be a single recording star to a full-blown musical extravaganza.
As for eating, gourmet restaurants can be found inside the casinos and along coastal Highway 90.
The coast also offers fascinating art and history museums that can entertain for hours.
Biloxi, Mississippi
The small city of Biloxi, built up by its seafood industry, has a storied history where from the 1930s to the 1980s illegal gambling, prostitution, and other criminal activities were controlled by bosses who became known as the Dixie Mafia. The corruption in Biloxi consumed the city for years, its web drawing in local law officers and city politicians but has largely been revived as a legal gambling mecca.
History
Having been founded in 1699 by French explorers, Biloxi is one of the oldest cities in the United States. Prior to European discovery, the area was inhabited by indigenous peoples by at least 8000 BC. In 1699, French explorers led by Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville landed on Ship Island. A scouting party led by Iberville boated to the mainland, where they were met by friendly Biloxi Indians. Ultimately, Biloxi would be ruled by eight different countries, flying the flags at one time or another of France, England, Spain, The Republic of Florida, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.
The French ceded the city and surrounding territory to the English in 1770 and nine years later the Mississippi Coast was given up to Spain. In 1810, the residents of Biloxi joined the short-lived self-declared independent country of The Republic of West Florida. The next year, Mississippi became annexed by the United States and the territory became a state in 1817. Once a state, Mississippi’s coast eventually became a summer vacation spot for Southerners. By 1850, there were several hotels on the shore. The Biloxi Lighthouse was erected in 1848.
Once Mississippi ceded from the United States and became part of the Confederacy, the state joined in the Civil War. However, Biloxi soon fell, in December 1861, to federal naval forces that had gathered on Ship Island.
Two decades after the Civil War, Biloxi began to develop into a seafood capital. The first seafood cannery opened in 1881 and by the end of the decade, four more canneries were established. By 1920, there were more than 40 seafood canneries in the city, preparing canned oysters, shrimp, and other seafood for shipment north. The fishermen who came to supply the canneries were immigrants from Austria and Bohemia. In 1914, several Cajun families from Louisiana arrived to capitalize on the canneries’ high demand for fresh seafood.
During the lead-up to World War II, Keesler Air Force Base was established near Biloxi, giving the area a military presence that exists yet today. In 1992, the Mississippi Legislature legalized dockside gambling, and the building of glamorous casinos began. Today, there are eight casinos within the Biloxi city limits, including the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the impressive Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Harrah’s, Golden Nugget, IP Resort and Spa, and Treasure Bay. The Margaritaville Resort and Family Entertainment Center closed its casino but now operates a large arcade for kids.
Biloxi sits between the Gulf of Mexico and Biloxi Bay. On the Gulf, there’s a pretty beach, on the Bay there are marinas. The beach stretches parallel to U.S. Highway 90, the scenic route through the city. The iconic white light house that was moved to the shore overlooks the beach, a distinctive landmark for the city. Small mansions stand opposite the coast.
Biloxi has been featured in the novels of John Grisham and Larry Brown, and it’s the setting for Neil Simon’s play and film Biloxi Blues. It is home to the AA Southern League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Biloxi Shuckers. Notable people associated with Biloxi include Bluesman Ted Hawkins; country music singer Chris LeDoux; Pulitzer Prize journalist Jack Nelson; John Kennedy Toole, author of the New Orleans classic A Confederacy of Dunces; Fred Haise, Apollo 13 astronaut; NFL stars Malcolm Brown of the Los Angeles Rams, Isaiah Canaan of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Chris Carson of the Seattle Seahawks; Edward Charles Edmond Barq, creator of Barq’s Root Beer; and pornographic actress Belladonna.
Temperature: Average for the year is 76 degrees F. The average high is 90 degrees F. in July and August; the average low is 60 in January.
Precipitation: The annual average rainfall is 65 inches. The rainiest month is July with an average of 7.13 inches.
Population: Almost 46,000.
How to Get There: Driving, take Interstate 10 through Mississippi and exit for Biloxi, which will take you over the Biloxi Bay bridge and put you on U.S. 90. It is served by the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in nearby Gulfport. The airport is served by American Airlines, Delta, United, Allegiant, and Sun Country Airlines.
This is an antique shrimp sheller and deveiner used in one of Biloxi's canneries. It is on display at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum.
Beauvoir House grounds
This Ohr-like giant pottery vase sits outside the engrance to the pottery studio.
Exterior of Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum.
Attractions
Attractions in Biloxi, in addition to the casinos, include the wonderful restaurants, Beauvoir (the last home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis), the Jefferson Davis museum, and his presidential library. The library and museum, unfortunately, are less than impressive, though they are housed in a remarkable modern building that overlooks the historic home. Behind the house is a Confederate cemetery that holds the remains of Confederate veterans and their wives who lived at the house when it was operated as a veterans home in the early 20th Century.
The city also celebrates the ceramics of its native son, the self-proclaimed “mad potter” George Ohr, in a collection of architecturally stunning buildings on Highway 90. Ohr was an eccentric fellow who left behind exquisite pieces of functional yet sometimes bizarre pottery when he died in 1918. His work achieved national fame, and some pieces are displayed at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The campus has five buildings, one of which is the Gallery of African-American Art. In another gallery, you can find fine art by local and regional artists.
Across from the Palace Hotel and Casino is the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, a tribute to the fishing families and seafood canning factories that put Biloxi on the map. Inside are various sailboats and motorboats, a small collection of historic outboard motors, and a large shrimp shelling machine that shelled and deveined the crustaceans for the canning factories. There’s a good exhibit on hurricanes that ravaged the coast at various times throughout history and another that discusses Biloxi’s history of small shipbuilding, when the city’s craftsmen built sailing schooners for the fishing industry.
Biloxi has a sizeable Vietnamese culture that has resulted in the opening of several Vietnamese restaurants and the establishment of a Buddhist temple in the city, the Chua Van Duc Buddhist Temple. The temple, 179 Oak Street, Biloxi, adds a brilliant color to the neighborhood with its Buddha overlooking Oak Street.
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Ocean Springs harbor.
Vietnam War Memorial
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
The delightful town of Ocean Springs sits north of Biloxi over the Biloxi Bay. It’s a quaint town, without casinos, filled with art shops, a great art museum for the amazing Walter Anderson, coffee shops, and little shops of antiques and clothing. Ocean Springs shares Biloxi’s history, and the city has preserved many of its historic homes and buildings in a historic district.
Don’t miss Shearwater Pottery, which is the Anderson family’s pottery factory; the wonderful French Kiss Bakery, or the Anderson family’s gift and art shop, Realizations: The Walter Anderson Shop.
Ocean Springs also is home to the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial, U.S. Highway 90 and Washington Avenue. It honors the 649 killed in action, 12 missing in action, and eight prisoners of war. It is a humbling experience to visit this impressive tribute to the state's casualties of that 20th Century war.
Temperature: Average for the year is 76 degrees F. The average high is 90 degrees F. in July and August; the average low is 60 in January.
Precipitation: The annual average rainfall is 65 inches. The rainiest month is July with an average of 7.13 inches.
Population: 17,000.
How to Get There: By car, travel on Interstate 10 in Mississippi, exiting at Ocean Springs. By air, the town is served by the Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport in Gulfport. The airport is served by American Airlines, Delta, United, Allegiant, and Sun Country Airlines.
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Brett Fauve
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is about 13 miles west of Biloxi on U.S. 90 or Interstate 10. It is a highly commercial city with an international airport and an outlet mall with high-end retailers. It’s the second largest city in Mississippi. Its economy is dominated by shipbuilding and casinos. It has almost seven miles of beach along the Gulf Coast.
The city, incorporated in 1898, has historic neighborhoods but is dominated by its busy commercial area and casino district. It has popular events: The World’s Largest Fishing Rodeo, Cruisin’ the Gulf classic car show, and Smokin’ the Sound speedboat races. Fishbone Alley offers restaurants and wall art.
Gulfport has one casino, the Island View Casino and Resort.
Gulfport is the hometown of Brett Favre, famous former quarterback for the Green Bay Packers; and, interestingly, two members of the Allman Brothers Band, Jaimoe, original drummer, and Lamar Williams, bassist.
Temperature: Average for the year is 76 degrees F. The average high is 90 degrees F. in July and August; the average low is 60 in January.
Precipitation: The annual average rainfall is 65 inches. The rainiest month is July with an average of 7.13 inches.
Population: 71,800.
How to Get There: By car, take Interstate 10 in Mississippi, or U.S. 90 from Biloxi. By air, the city is served by the Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport. The airport is served by American Airlines, Delta, United, Allegiant, and Sun Country Airlines.
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Full-size boat in the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, Biloxi
Jefferson Davis' funeral coach on display.
Interior view of Beauvoir, Biloxi.
Museums
Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, 115 First Street, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 435-6320. This is Biloxi’s museum to its history in shipbuilding, commercial fishing, seafood canning factories, and recreational boating.
The museum is filled with various sailboats and motorboats that have meaning for Biloxi. The seafood industry exhibit includes an industrial size shrimp peeling and de-veining machine. There’s an exhibit on hurricanes that have damaged Biloxi and the Mississippi coast. And there’s a fascinating exhibit about the history of ship and boat building in Biloxi. Check below for information on sailing trips offered aboard replica Biloxi Schooners that take passengers out into the Biloxi Bay.
Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday noon to 4 p.m. (except December and February).
Admission: $10 Adults, $8 seniors/military/AAA, $6 students
West End Hose Co. Museum & Fire, 1046 Howard Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi. This small museum is located in a restored 1937 fire station and documents Biloxi’s fire protection history. On display are photographs and antique fire-fighting equipment.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday only or by appointment.
Admission: Free.
Beauvoir and Jefferson Davis Presidential Museum and Library, 2244 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 388-4400. Confederate President Jefferson Davis spent his final days at Beauvoir, writing his history of the Confederate government and hosting parties. After he died in 1889, Beauvoir became a home for Confederate veterans, their spouses, and some of their African American former slaves. Behind the house is a Confederate cemetery.
The museum is housed in a new building that looks over the campus. It contains exhibits on the life of Davis and on the Confederate experience during the Civil War. The presidential library contains books on the history of the Confederacy and Davis’s presidency. Visitors must buy a $10 annual pass to use the library’s holdings. The museum and library are not very impressive. Most of the exhibits have no explanatory plaques.
An interpretative video that plays throughout the day makes a now-discredited argument that the Civil War wasn’t about slavery but was instead about state’s rights. The museum is poorly curated.
Beauvoir is interesting primarily because it offers a glimpse into 19th Century life for well-to-do Southerners, although when Davis lived there, he was nearly destitute. Interpretative tours are provided of the house.
Hours: The museum and library are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. House tours are given throughout the day from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: Adult, $12.50; military and seniors, $10; children, $7.50.
Charnley-Norwood House, 509 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 523-4150. This house was a summer cottage designed by famous architects Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright in 1890. It was a vacation house for Chicago lumber baron James Charnley and its horizonal, open floor design represents the Prairie School period in American architecture, which was a major shift in residential architecture at the time. Reservation required. Email: Email heritage@dmr.ms.gov. Admission free.
G.I. Museum, 5796 Ritcher Road, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 872-1943. This is a unique museum that gives insights into the life and times of the American Army G.I. Exhibits and photographs capture what it was like for the Mississippi soldiers of the Army infantry and the airmen of the Army Air Forces as they fought in World War II.
Hours: No posted regular hours. Open every Wednesday and the first and third Sunday of each month.
Admission: Free. Donations welcomed.
Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 3730 Bienville Boulevard, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This is an open-air park memorial to those from Mississippi who fought in the Vietnam War. This is an emotionally moving memorial. The webpage has a biography of each Mississippian killed in the war.
The Seaman’s Memorial, Washington Avenue and Front Beach, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This is an open-air memorial that honors the members of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served their country. A list of names of Mississippians is inscribed on the memorial. A special section lists Merchant Marines who died while in service.
Art Galleries/Museums and Artistic Entertainment
Ohr/O’Keefe Art Museum and Gallery of African American Art, 386 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. George Ohr (1857-1918), born of German immigrants, called himself the “Mad Potter of Biloxi.”
An eccentric man with wind-blown facial hair and a passion for pottery, Ohr studied under Joseph Meyer in New Orleans. He created more than 10,000 pottery pieces and sculpture. An artist ahead of his times, his work is recognized by many art historians as a precursor of the abstract expressionist school. His work did not sell well while he was alive and decades after he died thousands of his pieces were found in a garage behind his son’s filling station. He became recognized as a great artist in the mid-20th Century, and now his works are rare and highly coveted by collectors. His pottery pieces are noted for their thin walls, metallic glazes, and twisted, pinched shapes.
The gallery opened in 2010 on a beautiful campus with architecture influenced by his eccentric pottery designs. Also on the campus is the Gallery of African American Art. Permanent and special collections are on display at the Ohr/O’Keefe museum and galleries. On the campus is the Dusti Bongé Art Foundation, which collects the work of the noted American abstract expressionist who lived many years in Biloxi. She was one of the few American women expressionists in the 1950s and gained world notice for her paintings. Some of them are on display at the foundation headquarters at 132 Rue Magnolia behind the Ohr/O'Keefe museum.
Admission: Adults, $10; seniors, AAA and military, $8; students, $5.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Walter Anderson Art Museum, 510 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 872-3164. Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965), was an amazing visionary artist who embraced the beauty of the Gulf Coast nature in his paintings, illustrations, sculpture, and pottery. He was born in New Orleans to a grain merchant father and an artist mother. He attended the Parson’s Institute in New York and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
When Anderson studied abroad in France, he became influenced by ancient cave drawings he saw in the countryside. He worked for his brother, Peter, at Shearwater Pottery in Ocean Springs before being diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1937. After treatment in mental hospitals, he returned to Ocean Springs, where he lived in a cottage at the Shearwater pottery compound and produced most of his existing artwork. During this time, he spent many years in isolation on the wild Horn Island off the Mississippi coast.
The walls of his one-room workroom at the Shearwater cottage have been preserved and are on display at the art gallery. The walls are covered with drawings representing a day on the Gulf Coast. The gallery also displays much of his artwork, including murals he painted for the Work Progress Administration during the Great Depression. Next door and attached to the museum is the Ocean Springs Community Center. The center’s four walls are covered by murals painted by Anderson and present an amazing immersion in art experience. This is a must-see museum with works by Anderson and other artists. See my page on Anderson here.
Admission: Adults, $10; seniors, students, AAA members, and military, $8; children, $5.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Biloxi Little Theater, 220 Lee Street, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 432-8543. Founded in 1946, this volunteer community theater offers a season schedule of theater. Check the website for scheduled performances and times.
Cost: $18 to $20 per ticket. Get tickets on the website.
Dusti Bongé Art Foundation, 307 Meaut Street, Biloxi, Mississippi. In the Creel House, which is part of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art campus. The foundation is dedicated to preserving and presenting the work of Dusti Bongé, an internationally recognized abstract expressionist painter who lived from 1903 to 1993. She lived in Biloxi.
Realizations—The Walter Anderson Shop, 1000 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Find reproductions of many works by Walter, Peter, and other members of the Anderson family.
Marty Wilson Gallery, 824 East Pass Road, Gulfport, Mississippi. Wilson is a conservationist, fisher, and an accomplished painter of fish. His gallery sells mostly prints of his work and most of those are of fish, but with some sea fowl and a few other scenes.
Negrotto’s Gallery, 9034 Carl Legett Road, Gulfport, Mississippi. This gallery represents several area artists who work in various media, including watercolor, oil, clay, and metal, producing seascapes, sea life, abstract, expressionist, realism, and jewelry.
Shearwater Pottery, 102 Shearwater Drive, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This is the pottery studio for various members of the Anderson family. Work by Peter Anderson and his four children, who own the studio. The studio offers for sale stunning pottery pieces.
Gulfport Galleria of Fine Art, 1300 24th Avenue, Gulfport, Mississippi. This gallery represents several area artists. Paintings, sculpture, glasswork, and original jewelry can be found here.
Gallery 782 Co-Art, 782 Water Street, Biloxi, Mississippi. This is an artists’ cooperative with many works by local artists.
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Places to Have Fun
Big Play Entertainment Center, 1842 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi. (228) 388-7529. Offers bowling and other games, as well as mini golf, bumper cars, go carts, and laser tag.
Biloxi Shuckers AA Ball Club, plays at the MGM Stadium. This is a double-A farm team for the Milwaukee Brewers. Check their website to see scheduled games.
Cost: $7 to $10 per seat for individual game tickets.
Betsy Ann Riverboat Cruise, 173 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 229-4270. The paddlewheel riverboat offers three tours: Hibachi Dinner Cruise, which is a two-hour Asian dinner cruise that is available from March through October. Adults pay $49; children, $40. The cruise starts at 6:30 p.m. The Historical and Ecological Tour takes folks around the Mississippi Sound for a two-hour journey that explores the history and ecology of the area. Costs are $25 for adults and $17 for children. The cruise starts at 2:30 p.m. and runs year-round. You’ll get a look at the barrier islands and seafood industry and wildlife in the Mississippi Sound estuary.
The third regular cruise is the Sunset Eco-Tour, which begins at 6:30 p.m. and concludes at 8:30 p.m. It is available from February through December and takes passengers into the Mississippi Sound or the Biloxi Bay. The cost is $25 for adults and $17 for children. Discounts on all cruises are given to seniors and military. Check the website for availability.
Biloxi Beach Jet Ski Rentals, across from the Edgewater Mall. (228) 297-5647. Beach rentals directly on the Biloxi beach.
Biloxi Schooners Cruises, 115 First Street, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 435-6320. This is your chance to sail around Biloxi Bay on a replica of the great schooners that were built in Biloxi in the 19th Century for fishing and cargo. When they sailed the coast as working boats, they were called the “white winged queens.” The replicas were built and now are operated by the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum. Walk-ons are the only way to get on the ships without chartering them for a group. Just show up at the museum when it’s time for the ships to sail.
Hours: On Fridays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the boats sail at 6 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, they sail at 3 p.m. Days and times vary on a monthly basis, so check the website for current scheduled times. Call for reservations. You can bring your own food and drinks.
Costs: Adults, $30; children, $15.
Hurricane Katrina Tree Sculptures, along U.S. Highway 90 in Mississippi. These amazing sculptures were created from dead tree stumps left standing after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi coast in 2005. They are beautiful and you can see them as you drive along the highway. The first state rest area visitors center on Interstate 10 as you enter Mississippi from the east has a nice collection of some of the sculptures as well.
The sculptures were created by chainsaw artist Dayton Scoggins of Mississippi, wood sculptor Marlin Miller of Florida, and Dayle Lewis of Indiana.
Parasail Adventures, Point Cadet Marina, 195 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. (985) 201-5002. Parasailing and Banana Boat rides available. Contact the company for costs. Reservations required.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gulf Islands Waterpark, 13100 16th Street, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 328-1266. Traditional waterpark slides and pools.
Hours: Open daily until August 7. August 10 through September 2, open weekends only. Operation hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. depending on the day during the summer. Summer hours begin in mid-May. Check website for calendar.
Admission: From $18.99. Any day tickets, $39.99.
Zip’n Fun Adventure Park, 17200 16th Street, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 206-7056. This is next door to the Gulf Islands Waterpark. Offers two zipline courses. The tree top adventure course has a zipline and rope bridges.
Hours: Opens at 10:30 a.m. Check website for calendar and availability.
Admission: Tree Top Adventure is $24.99 to $31.99 when booked in advance. Junior Adventure Course is $19.99 ($15.99 in advance). Reservations required.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Model Railroad Museum, 504 Pass Road, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 284-5731. Home to the largest LEGO® railroad display in Mississippi as well as multiple scale model train layouts. They also have riding trains.
Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Admission: Free, donations appreciated.
Ocean Adventures Marine Park, 10801 Dolphin Lane, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 896-9182. Offers dolphin, bird, and sea lion shows, stingray encounters, snorkeling with stingrays, and other experiences with marine animals and birds. Snakes and alligators can be seen, too.
Hours: Open daily. Summer hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $15; children, $13; military and seniors, $14.
Coastal Airwheel, 1518 A Bienville Boulevard, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 313-2612. Offers Segway tours through historic Ocean Springs or along Biloxi Bay on the manmade beach.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Costs: Call for prices.
Paddles Up Rentals, 1018 Government Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 334-5574. Rent stand-up paddle boards to take out on Biloxi Bay or the Gulf.
Costs: Call for pricing and availability.
Casino Entertainment: In addition to gaming, the casinos bring in entertainment shows. Check here for schedules and costs. There are 12 casinos on the Mississippi coast. See my page on the casinos here.
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Ship Island Excursions & Boat Trips
Ferry to Ship Island. Margaritaville Resort Biloxi dock, 195 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi. (228) 864-1014. And Gulfport Yacht Harbor/Jones Park. (228) 432-2080. Enjoy the day on the undeveloped beaches of the barrier island, taking ferries from either the Biloxi or Gulfport locations. The island is about 11 miles off the shore and is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore operated by the National Park Service. Rent chairs and an umbrella for the beach for $25. On the west end of the island is historic Fort Massachusetts. If you don’t want to stay on Ship Island, you can take the 3:30 p.m. turnaround trip to the island from the Gulfport location.
Hours: Biloxi location: May 11 to August 18, every day, 10 a.m., with a return trip at 3:30 p.m.; and August 21 to October 27, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. with a return at 3:30 p.m. Gulfport location: March 16 to May 10, Wednesday through Friday at 9 a.m. with a return trip from the island at 2:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. and noon with return trips at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. May 11 to August 18, every day, 9 a.m. and noon, with return trips at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. August 21 to October 27, Saturday and Sunday only, 9 a.m. and noon, with return trips at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Costs: Advance tickets: Adult, $30, seniors and military, $28; children, $20. Slightly higher for walk-ons at the dock without advance tickets.
Biloxi Sunset Music Cruise, Margaritaville Resort Biloxi dock, 195 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi. (228) 864-1014. Offers a two-hour shoreline cruise with DJ music entertainment and full bar.
Hours: May 10 to October 25, 7 to 9 p.m. Boarding begins at 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Adults, $24.
Dolphin Watching Cruise. Gulfport Ship Harbor. 90-minute shoreline cruise to look for bottlenose dolphins. Snack bar available.
Hours: March 16 through May 12, Saturday and Sunday; May 17 to Aug. 11, Friday and Sunday; August 17 to December 1, Saturday and Sunday. 1:30 p.m. boarding.
Costs: Adult, $19; children, $12; seniors and military, $16.
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Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs
Places to Eat
There are more than 300 restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and ice cream shops in Biloxi, Ocean Springs, and Gulfport. Every casino has one, two, or more buffets, cafes, or fine dining restaurants. In Biloxi, there are several Vietnamese restaurants, reflecting the subculture of Vietnamese who settled in Biloxi after the Vietnam War. Check here for the complete list. Below are a few that are not inside a casino.
Breakfast
Biloxi
Stacked Grill, 158 Howard Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi. (800) PALACE-9. This is inside the Palace Hotel and Casino, and the restaurant captures the memory of the old Point Cadet restaurant and is decorated with photos of old Biloxi. They serve breakfast sandwiches, prime rib & eggs, Philly cheese steak omelet, biscuit & gravy with a pork.
The Grind Coffee and Nosh, 934 Cedar Lake Road, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 392-3305. Espresso coffee drinks, Danish rolls, and breakfast sandwiches.
McElroy’s HarborHouse, 695 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 435-5001. Eggs, hash browns, crescent rolls, breakfast sandwiches.
Ocean Springs
Buzzy’s Breakfast Joint, 1019 Desoto Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 327-2899. Great breakfast. No gourmet, just good homestyle cooking.
French Kiss Pastries, 714 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 215-1160. Marvelous bakery and breakfast sandwich place. The pastries are prepared daily at an off-site kitchen. Great dessert pastries in the French tradition.
The Tatonut Shop, 1114 Government Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 872-2076. Claims to be the “home of the only real donut” and gourmet coffee. Espresso drinks and, uh, donuts of all kinds. The Tatonut Shop has a not-so-secret ingredient in their donuts -- mashed potatoes. It's where the locals get their donut fixes. The shop gained loyalty during the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Its building was one of the few in downtown Ocean Springs still standing after the storm and a line of hungry and coffee deprived customers snaked around the block. Owner David Mohler struggled to keep up the demand and couldn’t afford to throw out scrap dough after cutting out the eclairs and raised dough donuts, so he threw the scraps into the hot oil and out came what he dubbed “Katrina pieces” – misshapen pastries that he frosted and sold. They are now standard-bearers from a difficult time. If you stop in, be sure to order a piece.
Gulfport
Triplett-Day Drug Co., 2429 14th Street, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 863-2363. Don’t let the name mislead you. This is like an old fashioned drug store with a lunch counter and tables. Eggs, French toast, and well-rated beignets.
Renee’s, 302 Courthouse Road, Suite B, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 861-8191. French toast, waffles, scrambled eggs. And great coffee and service. Their menu includes citron-brandy crepe de Renee, banana foster waffles, and a French-style scrambled eggy ensemble. They also have exquisite desserts.
Lunch
Biloxi
The Ole Biloxi Fillin Station, 692 Howard Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 435-2522. Serves local seafood, steaks, burgers, and Southern cuisine with daily lunch specials.
Bootleggers Pizzeria! 1913 Pass Road, Biloxi. (228) 435-4438. Offers pizza, pasta, and seafood. Upstairs are pool tables, darts, and other games.
Brandon’s Restaurant and Bar, 1842 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi. (228) 388-7529. Offers pub fare and live music. Inside the Big Play Entertainment Center where there is bowling and other games, as well as mini golf, bumper cars, go carts, and laser tag.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., 151 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi. (228) 436-7898. Of course, this restaurant features shrimp in all its dish forms as well as pasta and burgers.
Ocean Springs
Lovelace Soda Fountain, 801 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 313-2715. Diner style breakfast, lunch, and dinner with décor that takes you back to the 1950s. Great ice cream dishes like amazing banana splits and shakes.
Murky Waters Blues & BBQ, 1212 Government Street Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 215-1114. They also have locations in Gulfport at 1320 27th Avenue (228) 214-4420, and in Hattiesburg at 1605 Hardy Street (601) 336-8529. The proprietors take pride in locating the restaurants in historic houses or buildings. You go down an alley that’s been turned into an art district to get to the one in Gulfport. All the locations serve great barbeque and have extensive bars for good local craft beers and drinks. They offer six nights of live music across the three locations.
Woody’s Roadside, 3008 Bienville Boulevard, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 265-7758. This is a burger house above all but they also serve barbeque and grilled chicken. Their fish and shrimp dishes are served as sandwiches or fried or grilled plates. They also have a location in Biloxi.
Gulfport
Sherry’s Country Kitchen & Catfish House, 20180 Highway 53, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 832-1191. Great Southern cooking with daily specials like hamburger steak with gravy or red beans and rice.
Tony’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, 2417 14th Street, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 868-9877. This establishment offers signature salads and sub sandwiches, pasta dishes, and, of course, well-thought-of pizza.
White Cap Seafood Restaurant, 560 Beach Drive, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 604-4444. Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, they offer an oyster bar, seafood platters, and poboys, and daily lunch specials. Closed on Tuesday. Its sibling restaurants through the Coast Seafood Co. are Anthony’s Under the Oaks Steaks and & Seafood and Aunt Jenny’s Catfish Restaurant. They are locally owned and operated.
Dinner
Biloxi
Jasmine Vietnamese Restaurant, 526 Division Street, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 207-4783. One of the good Vietnamese restaurants in Biloxi. Classic Vietnamese meals offered by a family with ties to the first Vietnamese restaurant in Biloxi.
Gollott’s Fresh Catch Seafood Restaurant, 200 Eighth Street, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 967-7448. Fresh shrimp and fish meals and other great food. Overlooks Biloxi Bay.
Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant, 1775 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 207-4369. Gotta love retired surfers. Beachfront place with beach-type food and drinks. They also have restaurants in Key West, Aruba, New Orleans, and Gulf Shores.
Tasty Tails Seafood House, 820 Drive Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Ste. D, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 435-4140. All the Gulf’s great seafood in tasty dishes. Crayfish boils a specialty.
The Blind Tiger (TBT), 265 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi. (228) 207-5240. This is a large beach-bar restaurant that sits on the Gulf for a waterfront dining experience. Serves burgers, tacos, shrimp and other seafood. Live music is a plus.
Ocean Springs
Patrick’s, 1205 School Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 875-1925. Small family-owned restaurant featuring their grandma’s special recipes. Dinner only.
Aunt Jenny’s Catfish, 1217 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 875-9201. Pond-raised catfish plus chicken and shrimp dishes served family style in bottomless bowls. The restaurant is in an 1852 home under 500-year-old oak trees.
Glory Bound Gyro Co. Ocean Springs, 1107 Government Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 334-5708. Greek cuisine, a full bar, and live music on Friday and Saturday.
Knuckleheads, 522 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 818-4755. Traditional Southern cuisine with a twist. Steaks and seafood and craft beers.
Gulfport
Big Mike’s Speakeasy, 1307 25th Avenue, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 265-5472. A sandwich and salad place with a few entrees of fish and specials including pot roast on Monday and pork chops on Wednesday. The atmosphere is 1930s Prohibition- and Depression-era décor and music.
The Crawfish House & Grill, 1801 Government Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 215-1689. Farm-to-Table fresh food restaurant specializing in boiled crawfish and never-frozen fish. Casual dining.
Boogie’s Grille and Chill, 2650 Beach Boulevard, Suite 41, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 207-2866. Pub style food including burgers and grilled shrimp salads. Karaoke on Tuesday nights starting at 8 p.m.
Good Karma Café, 2346 East Pass Road, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 896-7545. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals.
Blow Fly Inn Restaurant, 1201 Washington Avenue, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 265-8225. Overlooks Bayou Bernard and serves fish and seafood, specializes in Southern fried.
Fine Dining
Biloxi
Cora’s Restaurant & Bar, 1230 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 233-1230. Located inside the White House Hotel. Gulf Coast cuisine and certified angus steaks.
Mary Mahoney’s Old French House, 138 Rue Magnolia, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 374-0163. Steaks and seafood from the Gulf. Some great French dishes, as well. New Orleans style courtyard under live oaks. Long-time tradition on the Mississippi coast. The restaurant is in one of the oldest houses in the country built in 1737 by a French colonialist.
White Pillars Restaurant, 1696 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 207-0885. Uses Mississippi grown meats and seasonal local vegetables. Chef Austin Sumrall and his wife, Tresse, update the menus daily with amazing dishes served on hand-crafted farm tables. Think Eggplant Josephine, Gulf Seafood Tower, or Korean BBQ pork belly.
Ocean Springs
Anthony’s Under the Oaks Steaks & Seafood, 1217 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 872-4564. Steak, veal, poultry and oysters and other seafood with a beautiful view of the Biloxi Bay.
Kenny Ward’s Prime Steaks & Gulf Seafood, 1224 Bienville Boulevard, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 818-4505. Open Wednesday through Sunday. Dinner only. Fire-grilled oysters from the Gulf, pan-seared grouper with shrimp and artichoke cream sauce, and other gourmet dishes.
Maison De Lu, 626 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 875-0032. Fine dining, coastal casual restaurant in the French tradition. From sandwiches to steaks and seafood, amazing food.
Phoenicia Gourmet Cuisine, 1223 Government Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 875-0603. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dinner has entrees such as tuna carpaccio, Mediterranean shrimp, steak St. John, George, or Michelle and prime filet or prime rib-eye steaks. BYOB only.
Vestige, 715 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 818-9699. Locally owned restaurant in historic downtown neighborhood. Features a modern American, market-driven menu offering such fare as compressed melon salad, wagyu beef tongue, torchon of lamb, and black-eyed pea spätzle vegetarian plate. Inventive cocktails, too.
Gulfport
Blue Marlin, 200 East Beach Boulevard, Gulfport, Mississippi. Located within Centennial Plaza. Steaks, chicken, pork chops, and fish, such as crab-crusted redfish.
Chimneys Restaurant, 1640 East Beach Boulevard, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 863-7604. Wonderful meals and service featuring fresh seafood and steaks in an elegant dining environment.
El Aguila, 187 Tegarden Road, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 284-1742. For high-end Mexican cuisine, this is the place.
Salute Seafood Italian Restaurant, 1712 15th Street, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 864-2500. Authentic Italian cuisine in a Tuscan décor. Fine dining in a casual atmosphere. Open exhibition style kitchen.
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Places to Stay
There are numerous places to stay, including stand-alone hotels and casino hotels. There are many condominiums and private homes for rent to vacationers. Below are some of the more interesting places to stay on the Mississippi coast. You can find a complete list here.
The Guest House at Gulfport Landing, 1114 32nd Avenue, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 207-1540. The house, a two-story Queen Anne Free Classic style structure built in 1906, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are five suites with private baths. The rooms have antique furnishings. A classic Southern breakfast is served in the morning.
Front Beach Cottages, 207 Dewey Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 215-0969. These are a collection of darling cottages originally constructed in the 1940s and 1950s. They have all been renovated. Each has a unique personality and design. Two can accommodate only two people, others are larger, with one accommodating up to six. No breakfast is served, though, so they are not truly bed-and-breakfasts accommodations. The smaller cottages can get “breakfast in bed” ordered from Tatonut Donuts or French Kiss Bakery.
White House Hotel, 1230 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 233-1230. This is an historic hotel in Biloxi, originally built in 1910. It sat vacant, though, for 30 years and survived Hurricane Katrina. In 2013, restoration began and it opened up as a boutique hotel in 2014 with 76 rooms. It overlooks the Gulf of Mexico, sitting on a tall hill. Restaurant on site.
The Almanett Hotel and Bistro, 1514 18th Avenue, Gulfport, Mississippi. (228) 865-9901. This is a luxury three-story hotel that has a view of the Gulf of Mexico. They have rooms and suites and the second floor has a lounge. The Sandy Cottage is great for a family or an extended stay. It has one bedroom. There also is a luxury three-bedroom bungalow available at 1221 Bridge Street in Gulfport. It has a screened in porch and overlooks Biloxi Bay.
Acorn Too Cottage at Centennial Oak, 3305 Government Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 875-4963. This is a 700 square foot cottage that sleeps up to four adults.
The Eeaves Bed and Breakfast, 504 General Pershing Avenue, in historic Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (228) 875-8173. One room available upstairs in a building separate from the main residence.
The Inn at Ocean Springs, 623 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, in the heart of downtown. (228) 875-4496. This is a luxury bed-and-breakfast with exquisite furnishings. There are two guest suites available.
Tux Creek Inn Bed & Breakfast, 14911 Dobson Road, Biloxi, Mississippi. (228) 324-3104. There are five rooms with private baths and you’ll be served a Southern style breakfast in the morning. The Inn sits on the bank of the Tuxachanie Creek. Excellent accommodations.