Mississippi’s food, culture, outdoors and architecture are waiting for you to experience them this year.

Mississippi has a lot to offer. From the state’s vast amount of land and water to explore, to islands, culturally rich towns and deep roots in American history, there is a lot to experience.

Architecture and the arts flourish in Mississippi and the food is second-to-none.

That could leave some people asking, where do you start to experience Mississippi and take it all in? Well, there is no definitive answer to that question, but below are 10 places where you can’t go wrong, and they will likely leave you hungry to experience more of the Magnolia State.

Visit Longwood mansion, an unfinished architectural wonder of a by-gone era

A millionaire, a celebrity architect and a team of master craftsmen set out to build what may have been one of the grandest homes in Mississippi, but the Civil War halted construction.

Today, Longwood in Natchez stands unfinished much as it did in 1862.

Construction of the home began in 1860 for millionaires Haller and Julia Nutt. Designed by celebrity architect Howard Sloan, the octagonal home consisted of six levels and had 32,000 square feet of living space. It would have been the largest home in Mississippi at the time and would cost around $35 million to build today.

The Civil War halted construction and only one floor was completely finished. Tourists can see it today much as it was in 1862.

For information about tours of Longwood, visit www.natchezpilgrimage.com/year-round/longwood-circa-1860-1861 or call 601-446-6631.

Eat at the Blue and White Restaurant where homestyle meals have been served for 100 years

As the name suggests, it’s blue and white and it sits along one of the main arteries in the Mississippi Delta. The Blue and White Restaurant has offered homestyle goodness for 100 years and served generation after generation of guests.

The Blue and White Cafe and Service Station was opened in 1924. It was a time known as the Roaring Twenties and Calvin Coolidge was President. It was located in downtown Tunica and in addition to offering food and gasoline, there was a news and tobacco stand and a Greyhound bus terminal.

An icon of the Delta, the restaurant was later moved to its current location on US 61. Guests enjoy fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, steaks, burgers and a wide selection of breakfast options just like generations of customers before them.

For more information, visit www.blueandwhiterestaurant.com.

Take a swim with dolphins at Ocean Adventures

Have you ever wanted to touch, feed or swim with a dolphin? Ocean Adventures Marine Park is the place for you.

The marine park offers several packages that allow you to play with dolphins. The Dolphin Interaction package gives visitors a chance to get in the water with dolphins and make a new finned friend. Other opportunities allow visitors to touch and feed dolphins while staying dry on land.

However, it’s not all about dolphins. Guests can swim with rays, bamboo sharks and even get a kiss from a sea lion. Dolphins and sea lions also perform for guests multiple times daily.

For more information, visit www.oceanadventures.us.

Experience the charm of historic Ocean Springs

The Mississippi coast is the state’s playground with too many attractions to list, but no trip to the coast is complete without enjoying the beauty and charm of Ocean Springs.

Founded in 1699, the small town has created an identity through the centuries as a premier location for small shops and dining. Its ancient live oaks offer shade and beauty as people make their way through downtown.

It’s home to the famed Shearwater Pottery as well as the Walter Anderson Museum of Art where guests can learn about the town’s celebrated eccentric artist.

It’s also home to the annual Peter Anderson Arts and Crafts Festival and was chosen as one of “12 Cutest Small Towns in the Southern United States” by World Atlas in 2023.

For more information on Ocean Springs, visit www.gulfcoast.org/coastal-communities/ocean-springs.

Take a canoe trip on the mighty Mississippi River with Quapaw Canoe Company

If you’re looking for a wild adventure in Mississippi, look no further than Quapaw Canoe Company based in Clarksdale.

The company was established in 1998 and offers canoe, kayak and paddleboard trips on the Mississippi River ranging from Cairo, Illinois, to the Gulf of Mexico.

The river is the largest in North America and can be more than a mile wide. Its floodplain is home to hundreds of species of animals such as deer, black bears and others. Paddlers can stop on sand bars where they may find artifacts of long-ago people or fossils of extinct animals such as the American lion.

Trips are led by highly trained guides and range from day trips to seven days. Adventures are also offered on tributaries such as the Big Black and Sunflower rivers.

For more information, visit www.island63.com.

Visit Sciple’s Mill and get stone-ground grits and corn meal made the same since the 1700s

Visit the small town of DeKalb and step back in time at one of the state’s oldest hidden gems, Sciple’s Mill.

Established around 1790, Sciple’s Mill is a family-owned business that has spanned seven generations, and you can bring your own corn to be ground or see the mill in operation as it is powered by the flowing water of Tiger Creek. 

Stone-ground grits, cornmeal and fish fry are available for purchase and are made the same as they were almost 250 years ago.

For more information, visit MadeinMississippi.com.

Learn about the world around you at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

Exploring the wonders of nature will excite both young and old at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson.

Visitors can enjoy large aquariums where they can watch freshwater and saltwater fish. There are aquariums with alligators and a huge alligator snapping turtle, too. Other displays feature unusual animals found in Mississippi such as a two-headed gray ratsnake and a blond timber rattlesnake.

The museum has a large display of fossils and replica skeletons of extinct animals such as a giant ground sloth and ancient whales as well as special events and displays.

For more information, visit www.mdwfp.com/museum.

Tour Mont Helena, an 1800s home built on a Native American mound

The Mississippi Delta is rich in culture and history and a shining example is Mont Helena in Rolling Fork.

Built in 1896 atop a ceremonial Native American mound, Mont Helena is the design of famous architect George Barber. He was known for Queen Anne Victorian style house plans and Mont Helena was a premier Delta home at the time.

It was the home of Helen and George Harris and featured parlors, seven bedrooms, a formal dining room, library and massive heart pine staircase leading to the second floor.

The home now serves as a museum of Delta wealth and history. Tours are offered and it also functions as a wedding venue.

For more information, visit www.monthelena.com.

Spend a day on Ship Island, home of the historic Fort Massachusetts

Located due south of Biloxi, Ship Island is home to Fort Massachusetts, which according to the National Park Service Gulf Islands National Seashore, was completed in 1886. Its purpose was to protect commerce and serve as a fuel and supply depot for small coal-fueled gunboats and the ocean-going fleet.

It’s now a destination for tourists to explore the the historic military structure and enjoy miles of beaches.

Ship Island Excursions offers boat rides from Jones Park in Gulfport to the island and guests are treated by dolphins that play in the boat’s wake. The island also offers beautiful beaches where visitors can relax, swim in emerald green water and hike around the island.

For more information, visit www.msshipisland.com.

Take a bite of Mr. D’s fried chicken at the Lorman Country Store and then another, and another and…

Fried chicken and The South go together like peas and carrots and there is likely no fried chicken in Mississippi more famous than Mr. D’s at the Old Country Store in Lorman.

Built around 1875, the Old Country Store has served many roles, but now it’s the place where Arthur Davis, more commonly known as Mr. D, serves his famous fried chicken. Davis often jokes that if Col. Sanders had his recipe, Sanders would have been a 5-star general.

Others agree. Alton Brown of the Food Network visited the restaurant in 2011 and said it was the best fried chicken he had ever eaten. It has been featured in Southern Living Magazine and many others.

But people don’t just come for the chicken. There’s a buffet that tempts with mustard greens, collard greens, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pork chops, smoked ribs and more.

Guests also come to enjoy his cornbread, which he’s credited to his grandmother in a song he often sings for guests.

For more information on the Old Country Store in Lorman, visit www.mrdsfriedchicken.com.

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.