Wingding 2015 Day03
Monday August 31
298 miles
Twenty fabulous things to do in Natchez, Mississippi!
Check out these twenty fabulous things to do in Natchez, Mississippi! No matter what your budget, you can make the most of your Mississippi travel adventure with this extensive list. From nature trails and winery tours to carriage rides and antebellum homes – there’s something for everyone.
1. Begin at the beginning
Start your journey at the Natchez Visitor Center. With helpful staffers, free brochures, maps, informative displays and even refreshments, our Visitor Center is all about providing you with Natchez visitor information and hospitality.
2. Meet the Mississippi
Say hello to Old Man River. Unlike many cities along the Mississippi River, Natchez has kept its river banks unspoiled and unpolluted by industry. There are many pleasant, shaded areas around town where you can gaze across the wide expanse of water, watch the tugboats and other river traffic and view our local wildlife. It’s one of the most peaceful things to do in Natchez.
3. Explore our downtown walking trails
Set out at your own pace and enjoy the fresh breezes, the scenic views, historic markers, and the sights and sounds of the riverside. Tour our historic downtown on foot and visit gorgeous antebellum homes. Wind your way around the awe-inspiring Mississippi River. See it all firsthand.
4. Hitch a ride in a horse-drawn carriage
Cruise in high style throughout the most charming downtown you’ve ever seen, with our quaint shops, magnificent churches, and shady Victorian neighborhoods. These classic tours offer a unique look at historic homes and landmarks.
5. Find inner peace
Reflect and enjoy the beautiful architecture and stained glass in the many historic churches and synagogues across Natchez.
6. Become a culture vulture
Visit our downtown Mississippi art galleries and enjoy the works of local and regional painters, sculptors, photographers and potters – some are nationally renowned.
7. Take a visual history lesson
Embark on a journey back in time by viewing our collection of Natchez in Historic Photographs at Stratton Chapel of the First Presbyterian Church.
8. Discover your roots in the African-American History and Culture Museum
Spend some quality time in the African-American History and Culture Museum, where you’ll view a stunning collection of folk art, antebellum clothing and furnishings, vintage photographs and contemporary paintings by nationally renowned African-American artists.
9. Immerse yourself in antebellum history at the Natchez National Historical Park
Take a free tour of the grounds at one of Natchez’s most elegant antebellum homes. Exploring the property’s timeless elegance is one of many things to do in Natchez that will take you back in time.
10. Visit Historic Jefferson College
Stroll through the lovely campus of the learning institution named for Thomas Jefferson. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s the site of the first institution of higher learning in Mississippi. Tour a restored dormitory, kitchen buildings and the indoor elements – or take a hike on the adjacent nature trail.
11. Celebrate our Blues History and Live Music
You’ll find that Natchez is peppered with informative Mississippi Blues Trail markers, and we’ve upheld this rich tradition in our annual Natchez Bluff Blues Festival.
12. Kick back and relax at Natchez-Under-the-Hill
Sip a beverage on the porch of a vintage tavern and watch the sun set over the river. Long ago Silver Street was a famous hangout for riverboat captains, gamblers, painted ladies and even pirates. Under-the-Hill Saloon, the oldest bar in town, still sparkles with congeniality and fun.
13. Play, compete, or just enjoy nature in our parks
There’s golf and tennis at Duncan Park, a bubbling fountain at Memorial Park, a gazebo, fountain and walking trails overlooking the river at Bluff Park and much more to explore.
14. Discover the historic site known as Forks of the Road
The days of slavery marked a sad and troubling time in our nation’s history, and Natchez has honored those who unwillingly lived their lives in service to wealthy landowners. The site of the Forks of the Road Slave Auction is commemorated with a historic marker.
15. Take a tour of William Johnson House
Known as “The Barber of Natchez,” William Johnson began his life as a slave, and once freed, bought a barber shop and began teaching the trade to free black men. Until his death over a land dispute in 1851, he kept a lifelong diary that today serves as an important resource in the study of his time and the life of freed blacks. His restored home on State Street in downtown Natchez offers a glimpse into this subject matter.
16. Tempt your palate at the Old South Winery
At this family-run winery, they harvest American grapes with a European name – Muscadine grapes. The grapes are grown in the vineyard right outside the back door, and visitors can take a 20 minute tour and sample the products. The local favorite is a rose variety dubbed Miss Scarlet.
17. Paddle your canoe or kayak on the Mississippi River
Natchez is home to the annual Phatwater Kayak Challenge on the Mississippi, and the boating and recreation opportunities are excellent on several other local lakes and waterways. Enjoying the river is one of the best things to do in Mississippi.
18. Embrace nature along the Natchez Trace
Stretching 444 miles in length from just outside Natchez to Nashville, Tennessee, the Natchez Trace was a path used by traders and riverboat employees to travel back to their homes in middle America. There are countless historic and notable sites along the Natchez Trace Parkway and breathtaking natural scenery at every turn.
19. Take a trip back in time at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians
The Grand Village, also known as the Fatherland Site, is the site of a prehistoric indigenous village and earthwork mounds originally constructed by members of the prehistoric Plaquemine culture and later added to by the Natchez tribe. Today, visitors can explore a museum, a reconstructed Natchez Indian House, and three ceremonial mounds.
20. See Emerald Mound and Windsor Ruins
Emerald Mound was built and used by ancestors of the Natchez Indians as a ceremonial center. Hiking to the top will earn you an amazing view.
Windsor Ruins are the remains of what was once the largest antebellum Greek-Revival mansion in Mississippi. It was utilized during the Civil War, and sadly destroyed by fire in 1890 from an abandoned lit cigar, but ruins remain as a Natchez Trace landmark.