Start from 27 curated places around Bay St. Louis, MS, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Mockingbird Cafe
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.
Thorny Oyster
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.
Trails & outdoors
Bay-Waveland Beach Trail
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.
Pirate's Alley Nature Trail at Buccaneer State Park
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.
Things to do
Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast
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.
100 Men Hall Events
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.
Landmarks & sights
100 Men Hall
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.
Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum
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.