Things to do in Biloxi, beyond the gaming floor.
Biloxi is best known for its casinos, and they’re a real draw — concerts, pools, restaurants, all on the beach. But the city has a lot more going for it: a cast-iron lighthouse older than the Civil War, a seafood museum that explains the whole Coast, and a Frank Gehry art campus most visitors never find. This guide covers what to do in town; the Exploration guide handles the beach, Deer Island, and day trips.
Start here
The six things I’d make sure a first-time visitor hit.
Biloxi Lighthouse
Erected in 1848, one of the first cast-iron lighthouses in the South, and the city’s signature landmark — it stands in the median of Highway 90, which makes for one of the more unusual lighthouse settings anywhere. Tours climb the tower most mornings, weather permitting. After Katrina it became the symbol of the city coming back. Start here.
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum
The best place to understand why Biloxi exists. Exhibits on shrimping, oystering, wooden boat building, net-making, and the catboats and skiffs that worked these waters — the only museum of its kind on the Gulf. Out front sit the museum’s two replica Biloxi schooners. An easy, worthwhile hour.
Sail a Biloxi schooner
The Maritime Museum runs two 65-foot replica two-masted schooners out of Point Cadet. Public day sails go out in season, and they’re available for charter. It’s the same kind of boat that worked these waters for two centuries — a genuinely good way to get on the Sound. Schedules depend on weather and season, so book ahead.
Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art
A campus of swooping, metal-clad buildings designed by Frank Gehry to "dance" around the live oaks on the site — worth seeing for the architecture alone. Inside is the work of George Ohr, the self-proclaimed "Mad Potter of Biloxi," whose wild, warped ceramics were a century ahead of their time. Quietly one of the best art stops on the Coast.
Biloxi Town Green
An open green under live oaks in the heart of downtown, home to the Hurricane Katrina Memorial and a regular roster of festivals, concerts, and craft fairs. Check what’s on when you’re in town — the seafood and music events here are a good time. (The Seawall is the easy way to catch the schedule.)
The casino resorts
Whatever your feelings on gaming, the resorts — Beau Rivage, Hard Rock, IP, Golden Nugget, Palace, and more — are the engine of modern Biloxi, and they bring big-name concerts, spas, pools, and serious restaurants. Even if you never touch a slot machine, a resort can be a comfortable, walkable base right on the beach.
The vibe
Biloxi runs hotter than the quieter Coast towns — the casino strip keeps it lively day and night, and there’s always something on at the Town Green or in a resort showroom. The trick is to mix it: an afternoon of history and museums, an evening of resort dining or a concert, and a morning on the beach or the water. Pick two or three of the above, leave room to wander downtown and the harbor, and you’ve got Biloxi right. Hungry? The food guide is next door.
Looking for what’s on this week?
Concerts, festivals, gallery openings, and events across Jackson, Harrison, and Hancock counties go out twice a week in The Seawall, my Coast newsletter.
Rob Recio lives in Ocean Springs and is in real-estate-licensure training in Mississippi. This is informational visitor content, not real-estate advice or a solicitation.