Bay St. Louis, MS

Housed in a building dating to 1868 with a rare three-sided gallery two blocks from the bayfront, Mockingbird is the brunch anchor of Old Town Bay St. Louis. The curry-dusted hashbrown bowls, extraordinary biscuits, and specialty lattes have earned repeated write-ups in Southern Living. Expect a line on weekend mornings — it moves, and it is worth it.

A polished raw bar and New American kitchen on North Beach Boulevard that sets the standard for Gulf Coast fine-casual dining in Bay St. Louis. The oysters are impeccably fresh and served with creative mignonettes, while the bouillabaisse and soft-shell crab dishes show real culinary ambition. The room strikes a perfect balance between coastal sophistication and laid-back comfort.

A family-run upscale restaurant anchored in a historic Main Street building since 2002, owned by chefs Michael Eastham and Stella LeGardeur, who bring French-Creole sensibility to Gulf Coast ingredients. The shrimp and grits here are locally famous — the spiciest on the coast, some say — alongside gumbo and beautifully composed seafood plates. Their sign says 'Come Casual, We'll Supply the Elegance' and they mean it.

A family-friendly beach bar and grill on North Beach Boulevard with live music on the outdoor patio Thursday through Sunday. It covers everyone from youngest to oldest in the group with a broad menu of Gulf Coast staples, burgers, and seafood, all served with water views and a breezy vibe. The Thursday through Sunday live music lineup makes this the most reliably lively spot on the beachfront.

Family-owned since 2004 and located at 108 S Beach Blvd, Cuz's is the unpretentious soul of Bay St. Louis seafood dining — sunlight through large windows, oak-shaded patios, funky folk-art decor, and boiled seafood that locals reach for without a second thought. It is the kind of place where visitors stumble in and suddenly understand why everyone who visits here moves here eventually.

An award-winning neighborhood taco stand and margarita garden at 112 N 2nd Street, Barracuda uses the freshest ingredients and house-made tortillas in creative tacos that lean hard into Gulf Coast flavors — think Gulf shrimp, seasonal fish, and plenty of vegetarian options. The outdoor patio garden is one of the most pleasant daytime spots in Old Town. Locals treat it as an almost daily lunch habit.

Set inside the historic Sea Coast Echo newspaper building, 200 North Beach delivers upscale harbor-view dining with a menu anchored in fresh Gulf seafood. The Pasta Ann — a creole cream sauce loaded with seafood — and the shrimp cakes are standout plates, while the upstairs bar opens to a balcony with sweeping bay views. It is the special-occasion spot that out-of-towners often discover and locals return to for birthdays.

A southern-inspired bistro and bar on US-90 where everything is smoked on premises by owners Justin and Jackie Lunsford — brisket, pulled pork, ribs — all with the patience and craft that separates real BBQ from the rest. This is the spot locals head to when they want honest smoke-ring smoked meats without the roadtrip. A recent addition to the BSL scene with a fast-growing following.

A Gulf Coast institution with recipes perfected over generations, Trapani's sits steps from the water on Beach Boulevard and draws both longtime regulars and first-timers with its Gulf seafood po'boys, fried platters, and house-made frozen lemon drop. The upstairs bar offers great views and a breezy atmosphere for pre- or post-dinner drinks. It is the kind of place that has been feeding beach-going families for decades.

A cozy wine and cocktail bar on South Beach Boulevard that doubles as an event space, with customizable charcuterie boards, live music on Sunday afternoons, and a relaxed atmosphere that feels like a living room someone happened to put a wine list in. Local artists' work lines the walls and the crowd skews toward the creative community that makes Bay St. Louis tick. Perfect for an afternoon glass before dinner in Old Town.

A 5.9-mile paved trail running south along the coast from the Washington Street Pier in Bay St. Louis through Buccaneer State Park to the Waveland Pier, parallel to S Beach Boulevard and with Gulf views nearly the entire way. Restrooms and shelters sit at each end and benches line the route — it is entirely flat, making it ideal for families, cyclists, and runners of all abilities. This is the morning ritual for a big chunk of BSL residents.

A 1.8-mile woodland and tidal marsh trail winding through Buccaneer State Park in Waveland, where moss-draped oaks give way to salt marsh vistas and the sounds of the Gulf filter through the canopy. The park sits where longleaf pines, marshlands, and Gulf of Mexico meet, making it one of the most ecologically diverse short hikes on the Mississippi coast. After the trail, the 4.5-acre Buccaneer Bay waterpark is right there for kids.

A 1,400-foot interpretive boardwalk at the NASA visitor center that traverses four distinct habitats — bayhead swamps, lowland pines, pitcher plant bogs, and upland savannah — with two observation decks and wildlife viewing binoculars along the way. Otters, great blue herons, snakes, carnivorous plants, and occasionally alligators have been spotted along the route. It is short enough to add to any visit to the Science Center but ecologically rich enough to be a destination on its own.

Starting at the INFINITY Science Center, the Possum Walk Trail is the southern terminus of the 100-mile Mississippi Gulf Coast Heritage Trail, which runs all the way to Moss Point through a mix of longleaf pine forest, wetland, and coastal prairie. Even a short out-and-back on the first few miles delivers solitude, birdlife, and the feel of the true coastal wilderness that existed before the Gulf Coast was developed. The longleaf pine restoration work along the first segment is visible and impressive.

A 328-acre Hancock County park in Kiln with a nature trail, disc golf, canoe rentals, a boat launch, and a splash pad — one of the most complete outdoor recreation facilities in the BSL area within the service radius. The Jourdan River canoe route through the surrounding forest offers paddle access to cypress and hardwood swamp that few visitors know about. The drive up Highway 603 is itself a scenic pastoral trip through ungentrified rural Mississippi.

A full-scale resort casino at 711 Hollywood Blvd with 14-story waterfront hotel, Arnold Palmer golf course, lazy river pool, Azalea Spa, and Las Vegas-style gaming around the clock. The entertainment calendar runs year-round with live concerts, comedy shows, and tribute acts. Even if gambling is not your thing, the resort pool and restaurants are draw enough on a hot Gulf Coast afternoon.

When the 100 Men Hall hosts live music — blues, jazz, soul, second-line — it is the most authentic music experience on the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast. The hall's century-long history as a Chitlin' Circuit stop gives every performance an extra resonance, and the nonprofit management books thoughtfully from regional and national acts. Check the calendar; if there is a show the night you are in town, it should be your evening.

Old Town's community theater company producing a full season of plays, musicals, and special events in an intimate venue that punches well above its small-town weight. Reviewers consistently note that the lighting, sound, and production values are surprisingly professional, and the programming ranges from comedies to dramas to holiday shows. For a small coastal town, this is a genuinely impressive arts institution.

Bay St. Louis has been called an artists' colony for decades, and the concentration of working galleries along Main Street and Second Street is the proof. The Second Saturday Art Walk (monthly, typically 5–8 PM) is when galleries stay open late, artists pour wine, and the full creative community comes out to connect. Even on a non-Art-Walk Saturday, the density of quality independent galleries on a few blocks is striking for a town this size.

A stylish cocktail bar in Old Town Bay St. Louis that has quickly become a favorite for the local creative and after-dinner crowd with craft cocktails, a curated spirits list, and live music from regional acts on weekend evenings. The room is intimate enough that the music actually feels like a performance rather than background noise. It is the kind of spot where the bartenders know what they are doing and the crowd stays interesting.

A state park right on the Gulf in Waveland that combines nature — moss-draped oaks, tidal marsh, and the Pirate's Alley Nature Trail — with Buccaneer Bay, a 4.5-acre waterpark with slides and splash areas that is one of the most fun family afternoon stops on the coast. The disc golf course through the oaks and the beachfront camping add to the appeal. It is 20 minutes from Old Town BSL and an almost mandatory stop for families.

Founded in 1894 by twelve African American men as a mutual-aid society, the 100 Men D.B.A. Hall became one of the most storied stops on the Chitlin' Circuit, hosting James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, B.B. King, and Professor Longhair before Katrina nearly claimed it. Now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit venue, it has been named a Must-See Venue by Rolling Stone and received the 2024 Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in Arts. Attending a show or tour here is participating in living Gulf Coast history.

Dedicated to nationally acclaimed self-taught folk artist Alice Latimer Moseley (1909–2004), who began painting at 65 to pass time caring for her ailing mother and went on to be featured in Southern Living and Travel & Leisure. After more than two decades in the historic L&N train depot, the museum moved in early 2026 to a temporary home at 105 South Toulme Street — the former Clay Creations building at the corner of Main and Toulme — where its 100-plus original paintings and gift shop remain free to visit. It is consistently voted one of Mississippi Magazine's top 5 museums and the knowledgeable guides make strangers feel like old friends by the time they leave.

A mission-style 1928 railroad depot that now houses the Hancock County Tourism Visitors Center and a Mardi Gras Museum featuring over a dozen elaborate costumes from the Krewe of Nereids, Bay St. Louis's all-female Mardi Gras krewe. The building is architectural set-piece, and the first floor exhibits give a fast, vivid primer on how deeply Mardi Gras is woven into coast life here. Free to visit and an easy first stop when arriving in Old Town.

The official visitor center for NASA Stennis Space Center, located just off I-10 in Pearlington (about 20 minutes from Old Town BSL), this 68,000-square-foot science museum combines a Hurricane Prediction Lab, space exploration exhibits including actual rocket hardware, and a 1,400-foot Biome Boardwalk traversing four coastal habitats. The Saturn V first stage outside is one of the most impressive pieces of space hardware on public display in the South. Plan for at least two hours.

The historic downtown core of BSL along Main Street and Beach Boulevard, lined with moss-draped oaks, galleries, antique shops, boutiques, and restaurants all housed in lovingly preserved buildings that survived Katrina. This is where the artist-colony identity of Bay St. Louis is most visible — independent gallery owners will talk your ear off about the local scene and there is always something unexpected to stumble into. Even a short walk through Old Town reveals why people call this the Hamptons of the Gulf Coast.

A miles-long sandy Gulf shore along North Beach Boulevard that is genuinely quieter and less commercial than the casino strips to the east — families spread out, dogs are welcome on leash, and the sunsets over the Bay of St. Louis are reliably spectacular. The waterfront promenade connects to the Bay-Waveland Beach Trail and the piers at each end make good landmarks for a walk. It is the kind of beach that makes you want to linger.