Explore the Coast · Harrison County
Gulfport, the visitor’s guide.
Gulfport is the working heart of the Mississippi Coast — the second-largest city in the state, a deep-water port, and the place a lot of Coast trips actually run through. It’s less of an art-town stroll than its neighbors and more of a hub: the Mississippi Aquarium and Jones Park anchor a downtown that’s been steadily filling back in, the harbor launches the only public ferry to Ship Island, and Highway 90 runs the beach straight through town. I live a short drive east in Ocean Springs and I cover this whole Coast — here’s how I’d spend your time in Gulfport.
Four guides to Gulfport
Food & Dining →
Where to eat downtown and on the beach — Half Shell oysters, Salute, Patio 44, White Cap, Shaggy’s, and the coffee spots worth the stop.
Things to doActivities →
The Mississippi Aquarium, Jones Park and the harbor, Lynn Meadows for the kids, Fishbone Alley, and the aviation museum.
Get orientedTown Guide →
How Gulfport is laid out — the harbor, downtown, the beach on Highway 90 — getting around, and what to expect day to day.
Outdoors & day tripsExploration →
The Ship Island ferry to Fort Massachusetts and Gulf Islands National Seashore, the beach and harbor, and easy day trips along the Coast.
The 30-second version
Base yourself near the beach on Highway 90 and you’re minutes from the big three: the Mississippi Aquarium, Jones Park and the harbor, and the Ship Island ferry. Do the aquarium with kids; ride the ferry out to Fort Massachusetts on a clear day — it’s the trip people remember. Eat seafood at least once (you’re on the Gulf), wander Fishbone Alley downtown for a drink and the murals, and walk the harbor at golden hour. If you’ve got little ones, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center is one of the best children’s museums on the Coast.
House rule: everything below is a place I’d actually send a friend. Hours, ferry schedules, and menus change — call ahead or check the official site for anything time-sensitive, especially the seasonal ferry and the water park.
Want the rest of the Coast?
I cover all three counties — Jackson, Harrison, Hancock — in The Seawall, my twice-weekly newsletter on Coast events, music, food, and openings. More town guides going up here as I write them.
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.