Do you want to take a tour of Mississippi that includes the scary things to do there such as the “Candlelight Ghost Tour” during Halloween week in Vicksburg or the Ghosts and Legends tour in Columbus? If ghosts aren’t your thing how about going to Noxubee and seeing the restored 1907 jail with it’s operative gallows? If you want beauty rather than ghosts and scary things then maybe you should visit the Magnolia mansion which was built in 1850 with the antebellum architecture features showcasing the exquisite mahogany staircase and the stunning furnishings of the time. You can visit the mansion in Aberdeen.
Another site you may enjoy while on your Mississippi tour is the Tom Bevill Visitors Center and Museum which is a replica of an 1830 - 1860 Greek revival antebellum plantation mansion built on the Tombrigbee River. This museum is located in Pickensville and would love to have you tour it and learn about the life on the river.
Racing is big in Mississippi and you can visit one of the tracks in Columbus, the Columbus Speedway where there is racing on Saturday nights from March through September. The 3/10 mile, high banked clay oval track will give you lots of thrills as the cars speed around amidst the dirt and noise! The track is just 7 miles east of Columbus on Hwy 82 so it’s easy to get to and offers a great Saturday night of enjoyment.
If you are interested in the African-American Heritage of the area you may want to schedule your Mississippi tour to come during the month driving tour that celebrates Black History Month. Here you can take a tour of the African-American Heritages sites of Columbus. Friday night, during the celebration, you can enjoy “Catfish in the Alley,” featuring Catfish and blues music downtown on Catfish Alley. The driving tours are at 9 a.m. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. with stops at historic sites around town. The tours on Saturday are free.
A visit to the small town of Magnolia will be something you will really enjoy. There are two National Historic Districts in town, the Myrtle Street District is representative of a typical neighborhood at the turn of the century. The Southtown Historic District has a variety of late nineteenth century residential homes to take you back in time. There are three of Mississippi’s premier Queen Anne residences and an antebellum Greek revival cottage in this area that will be well worth seeing.
To get there Magnolia can be reached by Interstate 55, north or south, at exit 10, from the east on Highway 48 from Hattiesburg, Ms., and from the west on Highway 24 from Liberty, Ms.