Biloxi: Recreation
Sightseeing
Biloxi's bygone eras are captured in a number of historical structures. Visitors to Beauvoir, the last home of Jefferson Davis, only president of the Confederacy, can see where he lived, worked, and entertained the notables of his day. The house is set on a 52-acre estate containing museums with Confederate artifacts, two pavilions, and a cemetery with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. French and American architectural styles of the nineteenth century are exhibited in the Old Brick House, overlooking Back Bay. The restored TullisToledano Manor, built in 1856, is one of the area's finest examples of the antebellum style. The Pleasant Reed House was named for its builder, who was born into slavery in 1854 and moved to Biloxi after the Civil War. The Redding House is a Colonial Revival home that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Biloxi Lighthouse, erected in 1848, has been welcoming sailors since the days of the sailing schooners, and provides a wonderful view of the Gulf Coast area. The Spanish Captains Quarters and the Old French House, reflecting two distinct architectural styles and cultures that were once powerful in the area, date to the early 1700s; the Old French House is now a restaurant. Visitors to the Old Biloxi Cemetery can read the gravestones of the first French settlers. Fort Massachusetts, on the western tip of Ship Island, was inhabited by the Confederate Army and later recaptured by Union Troops who used it for a prison. On the grounds are a library, a summer cottage, and a Confederate cemetery; tours are offered during the spring, summer, and fall.
Nine casinos are located in Biloxi, with three others elsewhere along the Mississippi Gulf. They are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offer Las Vegas-style gaming, entertainment, hotel rooms, and retail shops, as well as other amenities. The Biloxi casinos are Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Boomtown Casino, Casino Magic–Biloxi, Grand Casino–Biloxi, Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino, Isle of Capri Casino Resort, Palace Casino Resort, President Casino Broadwater Resort, and Treasure Bay Casino Resort. Casino Magic–Bay St. Louis is located in Bay St. Louis, and Copa Casino and Grand Casino–Gulfport are both situated in Gulfport.
Biloxi also provides family entertainment. The J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium features 47 aquariums, a 44,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico tank, hands-on exhibits, and a touch tank. Time In Family Fun Center is the largest indoor playground on the Mississippi Gulf, and features putt putt, a two-story soft playground, video games, and food. Public swimming pools and miniature golf courses are also present in the city.
Arts and Culture
Biloxi is home to a diverse collection of museums. The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum traces Biloxi's 300-year history as the seafood capital of the world. The George E. Ohr Arts and Cultural Center exhibits work by "the Mad Potter of Biloxi," whose pottery was so unique that it is housed in the Smithsonian. The Mardi Gras Museum showcases the splendor of that celebration at the restored antebellum Magnolia Hotel, the oldest hotel structure on the Gulf Coast. Moran's Art Studio displays original works of Joe Moran, George E. Ohr, and Mary and Tommy Moran.
The Saenger Theatre for the Performing Arts is home to the Gulf Coast Opera Theatre, Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra, Gulf Coast Symphony Youth Orchestra, and KNS Theatre, a non-profit community theater. Biloxi Little Theatre, an all-volunteer community theatre, presents four major productions each year, and Center Stage presents a variety of regular performances, children's theater, and workshops.
Festivals and Holidays
The Gulf Coast's variety of festivals, many of them centering on water events, delight both hometown crowds and visitors. Country Cajun Crawfish Festival in April draws thousands who want to share in the delicious Southern fare. May brings
Vietnamese New Year and the Black Heritage Festival salute local ethnic groups in January, and the area's French heritage is celebrated at Coast History Week with its French Encampment. Queen Ixolib (Biloxi spelled backwards) presides over the festivities at Mardi Gras, which has been celebrated longer in Biloxi than in New Orleans. March brings the St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Irish Heritage Festival, and the Oyster Festival.
Sports for the Spectator
Biloxi has one professional sports team, the Mississippi Sea Wolves, one of 28 teams in the East Coast Hockey League. Up to 9,150 fans can watch their home games at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center, located in Biloxi. The coliseum is also the arena for the Professional Cowboys Championship Finals, held over four days each January.
Sports for the Participant
The city of Biloxi maintains 26 parks encompassing 170 acres, as well as five community centers, 13 baseball and softball fields, four soccer fields, and 13 tennis courts. The Natatorium offers an Olympic-sized indoor-outdoor pool with a retractable top. Biloxi boasts three of the area's 23 public golf courses that attract golfers from all over the country.
The Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo is the world's largest event of its kind. Held on the Fourth of July weekend, the event features a fishing competition open to all ages, as well as carnival rides, live entertainment, and fireworks. The Kingmaster 100 finishing tournament is held each May at the Isle of Capri Crowne Plaza Resort in Biloxi. The Great Biloxi Schooner Races are held in May, and the Race for the Case sailing regatta is held in July. In addition to organized events, boating and fishing enthusiasts can participate in the sports whenever they please. The Mississippi Gulf Coast houses more than 200 varieties of saltwater fish. Fishing and boating trips are available by charter, and the Biloxi Schooners take groups on a sail along the beachfront on two-masted replicas of nineteenth-century oyster schooners.
Shopping and Dining
Edgewater Mall is the largest enclosed mall on the Gulf Coast. Totaling more than one million square feet, the mall is anchored by four major retailers, including Dillard's and J.C. Penney, and is occupied by more than 100 specialty stores. Edgewater Village Shopping Center features more than 40 stores occupying 200,000 square feet of retail space. Nearby, more than 60 retailers offer discounted wares at the Prime Outlets of Gulfport. In all, more than 1,300 retail establishments were operating in Biloxi in 2002, generating $924 million in revenue.
Biloxi's cuisine is an enticing blend of Spanish, French, Cajun, and traditional Southern cuisine. Gumbo, a succulent blend of seafood, okra, celery, scallions, and chopped bell peppers, is the featured item on the menu of Mary Mahoney's Old French House Restaurant. The restaurant, which was built in 1737, was once the site of the headquarters of the Louisiana Territory.
Visitor Information: Biloxi Chamber of Commerce, 1048 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, MS 39530; telephone (228)374-2717; fax (228)374-2764. Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, PO Box 6128, Gulfport, MS 39506-6128; telephone (228)896-6699; toll-free (800)237-9493; email tourism@gulfcoast.org