Things to do in Jackson MS

Jackson is the capital city of Mississippi. The statewide Mississippi Freedom Trail runs through the city, encompassing a number of historic sites that were significant in the civil rights movement. These include the Medgar Evers Home Museum and the landmark Mississippi State Capitol building. In leafy LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science includes an aquarium and nature trails.

ZIP codes: 39200-39299

Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and also is one of two county seats of Hinds County. Named after General Andrew Jackson, it was developed in 1821 to be the state capital. After the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, General William Tecumseh Sherman's Union troops captured Jackson and burned it to the ground. There was a gas boom in the 1920s, and also it's nicknamed "The City with Soul."

The Jackson area has a population of 579,332. It was part of the Choctaw Indians in the day. Mississippi Choctaw are now part of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and reside in several Native-American towns in the state.

The first European settler was Louis LeFleur, and also Jackson was initially referred to as LeFleur's Bluff. In 1821, a state-commissioned summary claimed LeFleur's Bluff was a beautiful area and had a lot of water and timber and also accessibility to the Natchez Trail. The site then became the seat of state government. It was mapped in 1822 in a grid pattern, and also city blocks include many parks. The railway was built through Jackson in 1840, which stimulated development after the Civil War.

Jackson was a manufacturing facility for the Confederacy during the Civil War, making it a target of Union troops in 1863. Because the city was destroyed, few antebellum structures have actually survived. However, the Governor's Mansion, the Old Capitol, and the Jackson City Hall continue to be.

After the War Between the States, economic recovery was sluggish. Mule-drawn streetcars became electric in 1899. A brand-new capitol was built in 1903.

Born in Jackson in 1909, author Eudora Welty won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for, "The Optimist's Daughter." The Jackson Town library was named after her, and her house is a National Historic Landmark. Jackson experienced a growth explosion in the very early 20th century, and also a new Union Terminal was constructed. The King Edward Hotel opened in 1923 and also was a center for distinguished occasions. The 1919 Standard Life Building set the record for the biggest reinforced concrete structure at the time.

Gas fields were discovered in 1930 leading to another boom that lessened the impacts of the Great Depression. This sector trailed off in 1955.

During Mississippi's extended ban on booze, drinking and also gaming thrived across the river in Flowood's Gold Coast. Those organizations shut down when Mississippi legalized alcohol in 1966. The state enabled riverboat betting in 1990, and lots of gambling enterprises have opened up.

Hawkins Field became an important United States Military airbase in World War II, containing the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School after Nazi Germany overwhelmed the Netherlands.

Jackson was an important center of civil liberties demonstrations in the '60s and was the terminus of the James Meredith March. Meredith was the first African American to register at the University of Mississippi. The first lung transplant occurred at the University of Mississippi Medical Facility in 1963. Malaco Records calls Jackson its home base and also is a leader in gospel, blues, and soul. Paul Simon tape-recorded at Malaco in 1973.

Harvey Johnson, Jr. ended up being Jackson's first African-American mayor in 1997, and he was a champion for the Convention Facility. Jackson was signified as one of the 10 friendliest cities in the United States in 2013.

Jackson is in Hinds County and also some areas of Madison as well as Rankin counties. The eastern line is the Pearl River. It's bordered on the north by Ridgeland, on the east by Flowood as well as Richland, the south by Byram and the west by Clinton. It has a total landmass of 113.2 square miles and is drained by the Big Black as well as Pearl Rivers.

Jackson rests on top of an extinct volcano that's 2,900 feet below ground. The buried peak is under the Mississippi Coliseum. Jackson-Evers International Airport terminal has continuous service to six cities.

Things to do in Jackson MS

Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

Lou's Full-Serv

Sal and Mookie's New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint- Jackson

Saltine Restaurant

The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen

The Pig & Pint