Mississippi

Good Housekeeping names 23 best city vacations. See why Jackson made the list

Published

4 months ago

November 19, 2025

Good Housekeeping names 23 best city vacations. See why Jackson made the list

Looking for new places to go, explore? Jackson, Mississippi, is one of 23 cities that Good Housekeeping named the best city vacations for 2026. Whether you should add the City with Soul to your travel bucket list or live nearby and need to get a different view of local history and attractions, there’s something here for you.

Good Housekeeping pointed out that the city has a range of fun and educational experiences, “the state capital is far from one-note. A vibrant music and culinary scene gives this vacation spot an appealing rhythm.”

To pick the best travel destinations for cities, tours, cruises, resorts and more, Good Housekeeping worked with 125 testers to pick the best of the best. They worked with experts and consumers to evaluate trips, experiences and services around the world.

“Music flows from historic venues and neighborhood stages, and the culinary scene is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most diverse and dynamic in the South. From family-friendly attractions and engaging museums to lively festivals and a thriving arts community, Jackson offers travelers an experience that is authentic, soulful, and entirely its own,” Visit Jackson wrote in a news release.

Each tester shared photos and video from their trip and filled out a detailed survey. The considered things like value, attractions, available lodging and safety.

Jackson checked the right boxes. Here’s what the tester said about their trip and the three placed to visit or stay that Good Housekeeping says you “won’t want to miss.”

What can I do in Jackson? Good Housekeeping has suggestions

Good Housekeeping highlighted three specific places to visit that highlight the City with Soul’s place in Civil Rights history and show how it’s a creative, vibrant community:

Medgar & Myrlie Evers monument highlights Civil Rights icons

At the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Visit Jackson says you can walk “in the footsteps of legends.”

“The city was — and remains — the beating heart of the American civil rights movement, inviting visitors to engage deeply with this legacy through powerful landmarks,” Visit Jackson wrote.

Medgar and Myrlie Evers worked together in the American Civil Rights Movement. Medgar, the NAACP field secretary for Mississippi, was assassinated at their home on June. 12, 1963. His death, the first slaying of a national leader in the movement, helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Mylie Evers-Williams has also served as chair for the NAACP and published books about Civil Rights. She worked for more than 30 years to get justice for her husband.

Learn about Mississippi, Civil Rights history

Two Mississippi Museums have immersive exhibits that help people understand how the decisions of the past affect the state today, and Good Housekeeping specifically highlighted the Civil Rights museum.

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum shows how leaders like Fannie Lou Hamer and James Meredith continue to influence change. From the struggle for freedom to looking at modern Black empowerment, exhibits inform and ask visitors what comes next for us.

“Visiting the city’s Mississippi Civil Rights Museum was an incredibly moving experience for me,” said the Good Housekeeping tester, a Black mom of two.

She said the best bit of the trip came from the museum. “The gumbo I ordered at the museum’s Nissan Café was by far one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in my life!”

The Museum of Mississippi History also takes you through 15,000 years, from mound builders to juke joints. Exhibits introduce you to the first people who lived here; walk through eras including the Civil War and Reconstruction; and take a look at the creative soul of the state.

Stay in historic Jackson property

The Good Housekeeping tester stayed at The Orchid Bed & Breakfast. Mississippi’s first Black-owned bed and breakfast is on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was built in 1888 for the founder of Millsaps College. According to the B&B’s website, Webster Millsaps served in the Confederate army, and his family owned enslaved people in Copiah County.

Owners Jason and Katrice Thomson have renovated and restored the home. Ten of the 11 rooms are named after strong women in their families, according to the website. The 11th, Lily, is “dedicated to all of the other Black women—known and unknown—who have made a significant impact on our lives, our communities, and our great state.”

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

It’s 2,350 miles long, spans 31 US states and is home to a 100kg animal with a tongue that looks like a worm | Discover Wildlife

Published

23 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

It’s 2,350 miles long, spans 31 US states and is home to a 100kg animal with a tongue that looks like a worm | Discover Wildlife

The Mississippi River flows for around 2,350 miles through the heart of the US. It drains an area of 1.2 million square miles – that’s roughly 40% of the country – and at certain points is 11 miles wide. It is North America’s second longest river, behind the Missouri River.

Rising from Lake Itasca in Minnesota, the Mississippi winds southwards through a range of environments, draining water from 31 US states before reaching its delta at the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.

The sheer size of the river and the diversity of habitats it passes through make it a refuge for a huge range of animal species, including more than 260 fish, 326 birds, 50 mammals and at least 145 amphibians and reptiles, according to the National Park Service.

The Mississippi River flows from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: Rainer Lesniewski/Getty Images

There are many weird and wonderful animals living within the Mississippi’s vast waters, but surely one of the strangest is the alligator snapping turtle.

This prehistoric-looking reptile is massive. It can weigh up to 100kg and males can grow well over half a metre long, making it the largest freshwater turtle in North America.

And as if its size wasn’t enough, the alligator snapper has a host of other characteristics that make it one of the Mississippi’s most striking creatures, including a dark, spiky shell (known as carapace), a brick-like head and a sharp, hooked beak. With such a formidable appearance, it’s easy to see how the turtle got its ‘alligator’ name.

But perhaps the turtle’s most curious feature is a worm-like appendage found on its tongue, which it uses as a lure to catch prey, such as fish, amphibians and invertebrates. Alligator snappers are also quite happy scavenging for food.

More amazing wildlife stories from around the world

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Mississippi

Mississippi House of Representatives passes bill to make NIL earnings non-taxable

Published

12 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi House of Representatives passes bill to make NIL earnings non-taxable

NIL money comes with a price. More specifically, a tax bill.

The Mississippi legislature is trying to reduce that burden for college athletes who play there.

Via Bea Anhuci of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, the Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill that would exempt NIL earnings from state income tax.

It’s a recruiting tool for Ole Miss and Mississippi State, one that would put the Mississippi schools on equal footing with other states that host SEC universities. Florida, Tennessee, and Texas have no state income tax, and Arkansas carved out NIL earnings from the state’s income tax burden in 2025.

Mississippi currently charges a four-percent tax on anyone making more than $10,000 per year.

NIL earnings remain subject to federal income tax.

The bill will have to also pass the Mississippi Senate, and the governor would then be required to sign it into law.

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Mississippi

Why Rebels are keeping pace for Mississippi State CB commit Brandon Allen Jr

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Why Rebels are keeping pace for Mississippi State CB commit Brandon Allen Jr

Ole Miss is working to eventually flip Mississippi State cornerback commit Brandon Allen Jr. (Atlanta, Ga.). Ahead of a packed spring travel schedule, visiting multiple programs, Allen speaks on his current recruitment with Rebels247.com.

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