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.

Weather: 59°F (15°C), Wind SW at 3 mph (5 km/h), 92% Humidity

ZIP codes: 39200-39299

Local time: Saturday 4:16 PM

Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and is just one of two county seats of Hinds County. Named after General Andrew Jackson, it was established in 1821 to be the state capital. After the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, General William Tecumseh Sherman's Union forces 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 market has a populace of 579,332. It belonged to the Choctaw Indians in the day. Mississippi Choctaw are currently part of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and reside in a number of Native-American communities in the state.

The initial European inhabitant was Louis LeFleur, and also Jackson was originally known as LeFleur's Bluff. In 1821, a state-commissioned summary stated LeFleur's Bluff was an attractive area and also had a lot of water and timber and access to the Natchez Trail. The area then came to be the seat of state government. It was plated in 1822 in a grid pattern, and city blocks include many parks. The railway was built through Jackson in 1840, which stimulated growth after the Civil War.

Jackson was a production center for the Confederacy throughout the Civil War, making it a target of Union troops in 1863. Given that the city was ruined, few antebellum structures have actually endured. Nevertheless, the Governor's Mansion, the Old Capitol, as well as the Jackson City Hall remain.

After the War Between the States, economic recovery was sluggish. Mule-drawn streetcars ended up being electrical in 1899. A brand-new capitol was built in 1903.

Born in Jackson in 1909, writer Eudora Welty won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for, "The Optimist's Daughter." The Jackson Public Library was named after her, and also her residence is a National Historic Site. Jackson experienced a boom in the early 20th century, and also a new Union Station was constructed. The King Edward Hotel opened in 1923 and was a facility for prestigious events. The 1919 Standard Life Building established the record for the biggest reinforced concrete structure at the time.

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

During Mississippi's extended ban on booze, drinking and also gaming prospered across the river in Flowood's Gold Coast. Those businesses closed down when Mississippi legalized alcohol in 1966. The state allowed riverboat gambling in 1990, and also many gambling establishments have actually opened up.

Hawkins Field ended up being a vital United States Army airbase in World War Two, housing the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School after Nazi Germany overran the Netherlands.

Jackson was a crucial hub of civil rights protests 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 took place at the University of Mississippi Medical Facility in 1963. Malaco Records calls Jackson its home base and is a leader in gospel, blues, and soul. Paul Simon recorded at Malaco in 1973.

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

Jackson is in Hinds County and some areas of Madison and Rankin counties. The eastern boundary is the Pearl River. It's bordered on the north by Ridgeland, on the east by Flowood and Richland, the south by Byram and the west by Clinton. It has an overall area of 113.2 square miles and is drained by the Big Black and Pearl Rivers.

Jackson rests on top of a dead volcano that's 2,900 feet underground. The buried peak is under the Mississippi Coliseum. Jackson-Evers International Airport terminal has non-stop service to six cities.