Jackson Walking Tours

One of the best ways to experience the City with Soul is to lace up those walking shoes and tour the streets of downtown Jackson.

DOWNTOWN DELIGHTS

To experience the full scope of Jackson's history, gather your family at the Capitol Green near the intersection of Amite and State streets, where you'll find the Old Capitol Museum. Head west up Capitol Street toward the Mississippi Governor's Mansion, a Greek Revival classic circa 1842. Across the street, you'll see the ornate 35-foot clock tower and gargoyles of the Lamar Life Building. Turn right onto West Street, and you'll soon arrive at Smith Park, a courtyard square flanked by St. Peter's Catholic Church and the original First Baptist Church, built in 1844. Continue north and admire the "new" Mississippi State Capitol, built in 1903, with its lushly landscaped grounds.

MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS

Give your family a little history lesson and take in several Jackson museums and memorials with a walking tour that also begins near the Old Capitol Museum. Visit the War Memorial Building at 120 North State Street, where the identical faces of military members from all U.S. wars through Vietnam are carved into the walls. Then walk north to the Eudora Welty Library, which honors the Magnolia State's literary legend and boasts a collection of works by Mississippi authors. From there, turn left on Mississippi Street, past the current State Capitol before turning right on West Street, where you can spend a few moments reflecting at the Flag Wall, which also honors all Mississippi veterans. Two blocks north on West, you'll come to the stately Greenwood Cemetery, which dates back to the 1800s and is the final resting place of Welty, as well as former senators and governors.

ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

This tour encompasses Jackson's many cultural sites—past and present—and the opportunity to soak up both Mississippi's bountiful musical heritage and current arts scene. Start at the corner of West and Pascagoula streets, where you'll find Thalia Mara Hall, the Arts Center of Mississippi, Russell C. Davis Planetarium and the Mississippi Museum of Art, all within a block. Next, check out the nearby Alamo Theater, which in its heyday hosted legends B.B. King and Nat King Cole, before visiting historic Union Station. The former train station flourished in the early 1900s and was restored in the early 2000s and now operates as a bus station.

LEFLEUR’S BLUFF AND BELHAVEN

This 2.5-mile tour will get your blood pumping, so reserve a couple of hours and take a leisurely pace. Start at LeFleur's Bluff State Park, a lush 305-acre expanse that's home to the Mississippi Children's Museum and Museum of Natural Science. From there, walk west on Riverside Drive for three-quarters of a mile before making a left on Peachtree Street to reach Belhaven University, founded in 1883. Stroll through the historic campus until you reach 1119 Pinehurst Street and the Eudora Welty House, the longtime home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Take a breather here to enjoy the Natural Historic Landmark and its serene garden. Begin your journey back by turning left on Greymont Avenue and continuing on Linden along the eastern edge of the Belhaven campus. Make a right on Riverside and you'll reach LeFleur's Bluff in a half-mile. If you haven't had enough walking, enjoy the park's nature trails, or reward the kids with a jaunt through the children's museum.

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