Make some memories in Mississippi! Mississippi is a southern state known for its French fusion cuisine, wide-open land, and gorgeous gold beaches.
There's forest hiking just a few miles out from sprawling Bay's and sparkling bodies of water, and a native wildlife population that can be seen from sky to sea and everything in between.
That being said, what truly makes Mississippi what it is today is the small towns. Southern charm isn’t just a saying, it’s a lifestyle, and every small town in Mississippi you visit will make you want to stay that much longer.
For a comprehensive list of all the best hidden gems of the state, check out this list of the top 15 most beautiful small towns in Mississippi.
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Nestled just on the coast of Mississippi lies this sun-soaked getaway! Biloxi is a great place to embrace all of those famous southern comforts, with a stay that makes you feel a part of the local community.
There are some great hidden gems here that make the city come alive, both day and night. That being said, you’re going to want to spend most of your days in the sun.
It doesn’t get better than a day spent on the sandy shores of the coastline, most notably at the city-wide favorite Biloxi Beach. This is a great place to throw down a towel and spend a day soaking up those golden rays.
Be sure to check out the Biloxi Lighthouse and the Biloxi Bay Bridge for a little bit of history, architecture, and fun.
Feeling lucky? Biloxi has a lively night scene primarily featured throughout its numerous casinos and bars.
Check out the Beau Rivage Casino for a first-class stay and play, complete with games, restaurants, activities, and even a theater! Or go for a well-known friend by the name of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi.
Bright lights will bring you home to this glitter and glam show of all things luck. Find your new favorite game and play to win all night! Whatever you choose here, those neon lights will lead you to a night you won’t soon forget.
Address: Biloxi, MS
The ultimate Mississippi small town getaway! Pontotoc encompasses everything a vacation needs and everything the state is proud to serve.
Southern hospitality, scenery, foods, and so much more await the travelers that find their way to Pontotoc.
Tanglefoot Trail is a highly recommended trek for any adventurers out there, and Ballard Park is a great place for a variety of outdoor activities.
Here, you’re going to want to explore around a bit to find your next favorite restaurant or gallery. Your new best hike or your kid's best scrapbook memory. If you’re visiting Mississippi, Pontotoc just can’t be missed!
Address: Pontotoc, MS
Visitors of the state’s capital city might recognize this name! Flowood is just a few miles out from Jackson, making it easy access to anybody flying from across the country, or even just Mississippi residents looking for their next getaway.
There are several museums in the area that are perfect for a day out, depending on what strikes your interest.
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, and the Mississippi Children's Museum are all popular, well-loved, and interesting displays of what makes Mississippi the state it is.
While these might be just outside the range of Flowood, it is well worth the drive.
What is especially nice about Flowood is that there is so much to do just a short drive away, making your stay in Flowood the relaxing, quiet stay you’ve been needing.
Address: Flowood, MS
For a unique visit you can’t find elsewhere, Starkville is the perfect fit! Here you can enjoy a variety of activities and scenic routes that make a stay here feel like home.
As a small Mississippi town, Starkville is ideal for a weekend for those who want to get away from the noise and stress of big city life.
Enjoy all those southern comforts all while staying in a city that has lots to offer. The Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library is an immersive museum that tells the tale of the time since passed.
Speaking of time, Starkville is also home to the Cullis and Gladys Wade Clock Museum. Unique and charming all in one, this museum will have you wishing for more time.
To finish the day off, don’t forget to catch a sunset at the Oktibbeha County Lake. Nothing says sweet serenity quite like Starkville.
Address: Starkville, MS
Cradling the coast and borderline of Mississippi is the charming small town of Natchez.
Natchez is known for traditional antebellum-style architecture, beautifully preserved throughout the ages.
While museums and historical sites can be found under these roofs, many of the original buildings are also still in use.
Making a walk around Natchez is an antebellum fan's dream. Towering structures set their scene against the bright Mississippi sky to encompass the city as a whole in light of intrigue.
Even if architecture isn't quite your thing, the Natchez National Historic Park is a great place to go for some much-needed time amongst nature.
Stays here are quiet, without being boring, and fun without being overbearing, earning Natchez a spot on the most beautiful small towns of Mississippi rankings.
Address: Natchez, MS
Also Read: Top Tourist Attractions in Natchez
If quaint isn’t quite your style of a small city, Meridian is a great happy medium.
Just big enough to include all the necessities like activities for kids, adults, and everything in between, and just small enough not to feel overbearing or lighten your wallet too much.
Meridian is the perfect weekend getaway if you or your group have a wide variety of interests.
The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience will inspire and enlighten all who enter, and the Mississippi Children’s Museum will bring out that youthful energy in everyone.
Bonita Lakes Park is ideal for walking, talking, or simply enjoying, and the Dentzel Antique Carousel at Highland Park is for fun lovers. In fact, Highland Park as a whole is a great choice while staying in Meridian.
With such a wide-open space, you’ll want to bring your sport of choice to play a day under the sun. Or stroll over towards the museum. Meridian is where memories are made!
Address: Meridian, MS
Ironically located farthest north of the state, Southaven is another charming Mississippi town you won’t want to miss.
Just below the Tennessee border resides this charming town with a plethora of activities to drive travel, companionship, and most importantly, fun.
Southaven is a great place to choose for those looking for an event. Concerts, celebrations, and festivals are no strangers to this town and make frequent stops for unique fun right here in Southaven.
Catch a concert at the BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove, or check out the event line-up for Snowden Grove Park and find the kind of nights you’ll forever dream of.
Address: Southaven, MS
Just outside the bustling city of Ridgeland lies a welcoming Mississippi small town oasis.
Madison is a breath of fresh air – both literally and figuratively. This beautiful area is known predominantly for its outdoor beauties.
There are numerous parks, trails, and bodies of water to explore and embrace.
Visitors come from far and wide to get a little bit of that Madison community feel, and despite all of this, it's still small enough not to feel crowded.
Be sure to check out the Simmons Arboretum and the Reservoir Overlook, and as always, don’t forget to bring your sense of adventure.
Address: Madison, MS
Rock and Roll fans might recognize this name. That’s right! Tupelo is the birthplace of the one and only Elvis Presley.
History, art, and music come alive in Tupelo with a wide variety of ways to enjoy your favorites.
Big fans can’t miss the famed Elvis Presley birthplace, a well-maintained display of the home where Elvis was born and raised, turned museum.
This is a great place to learn some trivia you might not have known, or maybe catch a show from some of the rotating acts in the on-ground theater.
If you’re more of a textbook history kind of fan, Tupelo has plenty of attractions for that too.
Check out the Tupelo National Battlefield for a glimpse into the 1864 battle that shaped the city. Or, try the Oren Dunn City Museum, which displays all things local history in a former barn, really encompassing and embracing the history that built this city. Tupelo is the place to go!
Address: Tupelo, MS
Another city on the higher end of the population scale is Laurel. But have no mistake, Laurel is one of the most beautiful small towns in Mississippi, especially for those who are good at finding those small town spots in town.
Use downtown for all the essentials, the nightlife, and all that good Laurel fun, but don't forget to explore some of the lesser-known sides of this city.
For example, the outdoor scene here is as bright as the foliage! Gardiner Park is a great place to go for a walk, play some games, or maybe even set up a picnic.
If you want to check out even smaller ‘towns’ in your tour of Mississippi small towns, check out Landrum’s Homestead and Village.
While this is more of an attraction than a city, it feels like a little community you’re going to want to join. So many beautiful buildings line the way, and Landrum’s even has some seasonal highlights that are well worth the visit.
Address: Laurel, MS
A little bit bigger than some of its peers on this list, but no less charming is the spectacular Hattiesburg. If you’re looking for a town with a personality, this is the place for you!
For years, you may know Hattiesburg as the "Hub City", the bustling railroad city center of Mississippi.
With a history this rich, there’s much to explore! Hattiesburg is a great place to go for state history, as well as city specific wonders like the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum, the African American Military History Museum, or the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum, where fun can be found in the smallest of places.
Hattiesburg also has a large and welcoming college population here. Home to a few different universities and higher education campuses, Hattiesburg has a lively night scene.
Go out for some drinks on the weekend, or maybe catch a game at one of the sports bars around town to get a feel for that after-hours Hattiesburg fun.
If you’re looking for more family-oriented activities, there is a beautiful zoo and several outdoor park activities that welcome everyone to their doors. Hattiesburg is the place to go to have some fun!
Address: Hattiesburg, MS
Right off the coast and just South of Biloxi lies another little Mississippi gem. Deer Island is a small spread of land in Biloxi Bay that packs in a lot of fun.
It’s got all of the big city fun packed into Harrah's Gulf Coast and all the luxuries of a small town with local eateries, homestays, and southern comforts.
The Davis Bayous Area Gulf Islands National Park resides right on the shoreline of the Bay.
What’s especially nice about Deer Island is that you can stay on the mainland, enjoy the easy access to everything there, and then get away from it all with a quick boat ride to Deer Island.
Be sure to book a tour or rent your own boat to get the full experience of the beautiful, lush Deer Island!
Address: Deer Island, MS
Come see what blossoms in Flora! Flora is a beautiful representation of all thing’s small town Mississippi.
With a local population that welcomes tourists, and a wide selection of Flora-only establishments, this is a great place to go to kick your feet up and relax. Or maybe to release your stresses with a little bit of exercise and some awe-inspiring views.
Flora is home to one of the most magnificent attractions in the area: The Mississippi Petrified Forest. Here you can explore all things wilderness and get a look at some of the most intriguing and curious feats of nature.
Natural oranges, greens, and a whole plethora of vibrant colors await the hikers that trek this trail.
People come from all over the state and even the nation just to check this out, and it is well worth spending the day amongst the trees here in Flora.
After you’ve got your forest fix, check out downtown! It is a lovely, quaint little city center that won’t feel too overbearing while still housing some name attractions.
Check out the Malco Grandview for a night at the movies or find something loved by time at the Antique Mall of the South. And if you are looking to keep the outdoor fun moving, try the Gator Ranch.
This is especially a great place to bring the whole family as fun and education combine for one memorable day in Flora. All of this and more awaits you in one of the best small towns in Mississippi.
Address: Flora, MS
Take a hike! In a good way, of course. Tishomingo is primarily known for the Tishomingo State Park, home to a wide array of woodland adventures.
This is a beautiful, towering forest with numerous footpaths, riding trails, and scenic lookout points that make this well worth the drive.
As one of the best Mississippi small towns, this is also a great place to go if you truly want to be removed from the action.
No car horns to wake you up early Sunday morning and no long lines to waste your day, Tishomingo is the perfect place to go to escape. Especially if you are an avid hiker!
Tishomingo is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, meaning it is a great place to start your ambitious Appalachian-wide hike! Or just a pleasant day stroll through the beautiful Mississippi woods. Tishomingo is a great place to stay for all kinds of adventurers.
Address: Tishomingo, MS
Going for a little more green? Port Gibson is your place! One of the most charming features here is that a lot of the main attractions are settled in lush green backdrops, making everything you do feel like a breath of fresh air.
For example, the historic Windsor Runes are a marvel unlike any other in the state that brings a towering glimpse into what Port Gibson once was and how it came to be.
Also cradled by history, the Grand Gulf Military Park and A.K. Shaifer House are two militaristic points in Mississippi history just waiting to be visited and explored.
Another fun point to Port Gibson is some of the less conventional routes. For example, the vampire tour on Southern Magnolia Tours is a small town Mississippi treat that can't be missed. Have a hauntingly good time at Port Gibson!
Address: Port Gibson, MS
See something you like? Mississippi is a wide, diverse state with an endless array of activities to choose from and cities to love. From parks to beaches, plays to games, and everything in between --- Mississippi has you covered! Small towns in Mississippi are perfect for your next vacation and the only question now is where to go first.