Mississippi

The Magnolia State

Mississippi is a land riddled with tales and mysteries, history and intrigue, with a past that still draws people in and a future that is always promising. Mississippi will offer you more than you can imagine.

The thrill is here

Blues, country, rock "n' roll. It all started right here. And on any given night, it’s still going strong. From the coast to the Delta and the northern hills, singers and musicians make juke joints, clubs and concert halls rock. Fans come from around the world to sit down front and see the real thing - live and alive, as the locals say. Just look for the neon, listen for the applause, and come on in for the show. Mississippi also has the two most popular gaming destinations in the middle of the United States in Tunica and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Elvis. Need we say more?

Tupelo, in northeast Mississippi, is where Elvis Presley was born and where in 2010 you can celebrate what would have been The King’s 75th birthday. Tour the small, humble tworoom shotgun house that was his childhood home. It is quite a contrast from the sequined jumpsuits and luxury cars that Elvis enjoyed as a superstar. Adjacent to the tiny house is an impressive museum with photographs, costumes, and other memorabilia; a church and memorial chapel and park. Explore the town and retrace some of Elvis’ steps as a young man including the hardware store where he purchased his first guitar.

From blues to blue suede shoes...

Music enthusiasts travelling the Blues Highway, US Highway 61, from Memphis to Vicksburg, uncover a fascinating tour of the Mississippi Delta, the region that spawned legends B.B. King, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson and scores of other blues greats. Wander the interpretive Mississippi Blues Trail and explore the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola. The brave walk the Crossroads of Highways 61 and 49, where Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil to play the blues like no other.

The war that shaped the nation...

Vicksburg is world famous for its National Military Park commemorating the 47-day siege and battle by General Ulysses Grant that changed the course of the Civil War. You can also see the USS Cairo, sunk by the South and then raised after more than 100 years below the waves. Natchez is the oldest permanent settlement on the Mississippi River and the site of the largest collection of antebellum buildings in the US.

We have stories to tell...

If you are a literature lover, visit Oxford and Rowan Oak, home of Nobel prizewinner, William Faulkner, and travel to Tennessee Williams’ home of Clarksdale, the setting that informed much of his writing. Find your way on the back roads to Yazoo City, home of Willie Morris, and breathe in the sights and sounds of stories like My Dog Skip.

Gourmet and home grown...

There’s no doubt about it, eating and cooking "Southern” is one of the hottest things going in the culinary world. Connoisseurs everywhere love to come and eat their way around Mississippi. Favourites are fried catfish, hush puppies or a country dinner of crispy fried chicken, farm-fresh vegetables, and crusty cornbread.

If you’re looking for a great adventure...

...a great escape or simply a great dinner, then head to Mississippi… where memories are made and friends are always welcome.