Just an hour’s drive from New Orleans lies Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, a quaint coastal town that’s recently been named one of the coolest coastal towns in America by USA Today. With its rich history, thriving cultural scene, and stunning natural beauty, it is the perfect escape for those seeking a mix of relaxation and adventure. A weekend in Bay St. Louis offers something for everyone. From its unique boutiques and art galleries to the serene beaches and lively marinas, I’ll share the favorite Bay St. Louis attractions, and all the things to do in Bay St. Louis to show why this charming town should be your next getaway destination.
Imagine a serene Gulf Coast vacation where every sunrise promises another day of pristine beaches, gentle waves, and unforgettable adventures. But with all the coastal destinations to choose from, why set your sights on Bay St. Louis? This hidden gem in Mississippi offers more than just sandy shores; it’s a haven where coastal charm meets sun and sand.
The Bay St. Louis area consists of Bay St. Louis, Waveland and several small communities. It has casinos, dining of all kinds, lodgings ranging from upscale hotels to quaint bed and breakfasts, and an interesting history. Throw in the unique Bay St. Louis attractions, and you’ll have more than enough to fill your weekend in Bay St. Louis. As said, there is a plethora of things to do in the area that make it a perfect vacation destination, if you are in for more than a weekend.
Bay St. Louis Attractions
Come along with me to visit some of Bay St. Louis attractions. Some of the places I will take you to are:
Pearlington
- Infinity Science Center in Pearlington
Waveland
- Ground Zero Museum
- Buccaneer State Park
In Bay St.Louis
- Bay Town Inn
- 100 Men Hall
- L and N Railway Depot/Visitors Center
- Starr Boarding House
- St. Rose de Lima Church
The Mississippi Bay Area is special to me as it was my home for several years long ago. Driving down along the waterfront on my recent visit, I recalled a bittersweet memory from the time when I lived in Bay St. Louis. It was on this road on August 16, 1977 as I was driving this same route to pick up my kids from swimming at the Buccaneer State Park pool when my radio broke the news that Elvis Presley had died. I can still recall the moment.
But on to happier times, and all the fascinating things to do in Bay St. Louis area.
Infinity Science Center
If you are driving from New Orleans, Infinity Science Center is your first stop. It’s where science meets fun in Pearlington. What’s more, it is a NASA Visitors Center for the nearby Stennis Space Center, and it’s one of the most surprising Bay St. Louis attractions.
As you might expect, the second floor is all about space exploration. There are many artifacts from our space program ranging from small parts used to build early rockets, information about past and ongoing space flights and there is an actual booster used to propel a rocket into space. It’s the first of three stages of the Saturn V rocket. A prize exhibit is a capsule that has been into space and returned to earth. The outer surface paint was burned off in the tremendous heat experienced on its return into the atmosphere.
You may also enjoy the first floor which is all about how weather is created. There are interactive and hands-on exhibits. Naturally, many deal with hurricanes.
Waveland
Waveland is known as “The Hospitality City.” It’s the only community along the Gulf Coast which prohibits commercial buildings on the beachfront.
Ground Zero Museum
Waveland, Mississippi experienced the eye of Katrina. It flattened and destroyed most of Waveland and Bay St Louis. Today, they have made a miraculous comeback. Ground Zero Museum in Waveland tells the story graphically. The museum shows how an entire city can be almost wiped out by one act of nature and how resilience can restore that town to an even better place. New Orleans got most of the news coverage so many people around the country didn’t realize tiny Waveland was ground zero for the eye of Katrina.
Ground Zero Museum is in what was once Waveland Elementary School, The only historic building left in Waveland and the only one left standing on Coleman Avenue after Hurricane Katrina destroyed Waveland and much of the Bay area.
The museum shows the timeline of the storm with a blue line near the ceiling marking the water level in the building. It was the first building cleared, and since every other municipal building was gone, it functioned as police, city hall, meeting room, and all other disaster needs.
There are photos, artifacts, and taped stories of survival during one of the 20th century’s worst disasters. Visiting the museum is eye opening, and one of the not to be missed things to do in Bay St. Louis for those who want to understand the community and their life in the area.
Buccaneer Park
Buccaneer State Park is one of Bay St. Louis top attractions, and a must for nature lovers. It has had some famous visitors over the years. It was a favorite of Jean Lafitte, the legendary buccaneer for whom it is named. Of course, it wasn’t a state park back in the 1700’s. Lafitte liked it for its seclusion and proximity to the Gulf. As you drive towards the park, there is a marker denoting “Pirate House,” once the site of a home Lafitte possibly owned. Andrew Jackson also visited the park area and had a home there as well.
Katrina destroyed all the park structure but it has rebounded and grown. The park includes a lovely playground, a 4.5 acre water park with a wave pool, and and 18-hole disc golf course, for young people, or those young at heart. The park also includes a nature trails through coastal marsh and forest, where wildlife is often seen, especially water fowl such as pelicans and osprey, lots of waterfront for fishing, and a small sliver of sandy beach for sun bathing.
For those who prefer to rough it, there is a campground with 276 campsites for both RVs and tents. You can choose whether you prefer a site in a woodland area, or one with views out over the gulf.
Bay St. Louis
Bay Town Inn
If you are looking for a place to stay for your weekend in Bay St. Louis, and one with all the comforts of home plus an interesting back story, try Bay Town Inn. You will have your own suite with complete kitchen and full bath plus wifi and free parking. There’s a pool and patio just outside your door. If you travel with your fur baby, it’s pet friendly. It’s right across the street from the marina and beach. There’s lots of restaurants and shopping in walking distance. For snacking, Owner, Nikki Moon, brings you fresh baked muffins each evening and a breakfast delicacy in the morning.
Nikkie Moon experienced Katrina in all its fury. She had bought the Bay Town Inn in 2003 and was just settling in as its owner when Katrina came calling. There were six people in the inn when Katrina struck. Moon, with her Scottish terrier, Maddy, held tightly, along with friends, Doug Niolet and Kevan Guillory, clung to the branches of an old oak tree in the back yard until the storm passed.
We had breakfast at Mockingbird Café just a few blocks away and Nikki told me a fascinating story of how the tree came to be there in the first place. She came to know Rene de Montluzin, who was the town pharmacist, and his wife, Venie. She told me that the de Montluzinses while still living in the home, donated the land to build Beach Blvd. “The kitchen faced away from the water so that the guest in the living room would have the best view. As they were clearing the land to build the road, the workers were cutting down the live oaks. There was one sapling that Venie could see from the kitchen and she loved that view. She said, ‘No, I want to keep seeing that view from my kitchen.’ So it continued to grow. When the storm came and the tidal surge literally wiped away the inn in 2005 it pushed us back towards that tree, no longer a sapling but a beautiful majestic live oak. It is amazing that Venie saved that tree and a hundred years later it saved us.”
When Nikki finally was able to rebuild Bay Town Inn in 2013, she recreated it to look almost the same as the home the family built in 1899. As soon as you meet her and her two adorable Scottish terriers, you feel you are a welcomed guest not a customer.
Bayfront and Old Town
There’s still another chapter to the saga of that oak tree. After the storm, Moon, Niolet, and Guillory posted a sign on the oak saying, “God Bless This Tree.” For all life, there is a cycle and there came the time when the precious tree died and had to be cut down. Its three refugees, wanted to honor its memory so they hiring Dayle Lewis, a chainsaw sculptor to memorialize it. He created a beautiful carving of two angels. The tree was moved just a few hundred feet from where the tree saved their lives. It now stands guard across Beach Blvd in front of the Inn.
Lewis created four “Angel Trees” in all. Look for them as you drive along the waterfront. One stands in the Cedar Rest Cemetery on Second Street; another on Beach Blvd in front of Our Lady of the Gulf Church; and one near Century Hall
Take time to walk along the water front of the bay. Bay St. Louis Marina is Mississippi Gulf Coast’s only Clean and Resilient Marina. You can walk out onto the Jimmy Rutherford Fishing Pier over 1,000 feet and stop to gaze over the water from one of the four covered platforms and or the fishing platform near the end.
Niolet was an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter and flew into Hurricane Katrina before it made landfall driving him into his favorite oak tree. After he retired, he and Guillory volunteered to help his mother-in-law, Ann Tidwell, open the first restaurant after Katrina, North Beach Food and Spirits. Niolet and Guillory run The Hurricane Hunter Bar just next door.
There were so many choices just on Beach Blvd that looked interesting but I had to choose only one of the many to eat dinner and picked one called Cuz’s Old Town Oyster Bar & Grill. I was not disappointed. Their soft shell crab was fantastic and the place had a real beach front vibe. Either way there are plenty of dining choices for your entire weekend in Bay St. Louis.
All together, there are 10 owner-operated eateries are located within three blocks. Including the Mockingbird Café where we had a delicious breakfast. The lunch menu looked pretty good also. Just next door to the Mocking Bird there is delightful antique mall, called The Shops of Century Hall, where I had to browse a bit. There are dozens of antique shops and boutiques in this area called “Old Town.”
100 Men Hall
100 Men Hall has been in Bay St Louis for over a century but it’s one of the town’s best kept secrets. Founded in 1894 by 12 African American men and named the “Hundred Members Debating Benevolent Association.” Their purpose statement was to “assist its members when sick, bury its dead in a respectable manner and knit friendship.” The members pledged from twenty five to fifty cents monthly so that when disaster struck a member, the group had funds to help out. It was an early form of insurance policy for a race of people who could not easily buy into mainstream systems.
When one of the members saw land for sale for $100, the association bought it and built an outdoor pavilion where they could hold events. By 1922 they raised enough money to build the hall. The hall became a popular venue for musicians on the Chitlin’ Circuit, a group of venues where African American musicians played in the South. Many of music’s all-time greats like Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Ernie Kaydo, Professor Longhair, Etta James, and James Brown played here. Today, it is a stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail, making it a must for music lovers among the things to do in Bay St. Louis.
It deteriorated over time and Katrina almost destroyed it. Kerrie and Jesse Loyas saw the value and restored it. They then sold it to Rachel Dangermond. Rachael is expanding the hall from its use as a music hall to a place to stage cultural events of every nationality. She plans to add writer workshops and retreats and is going to restore a shed on the property as a home/studio for an artist in residency.
L and N Railway Depot/Visitors Center
One reason 100 Men Hall was popular for Black musicians during Jim Crowe era was the proximity of L and N Railway Depot just a few blocks away. A musician could play at the Hall then walk over to the depot and hop the next passing train to New Orleans or Mobile.
Today, the Depot is renovated and serves as the city’s visitor’s center. It is also the Bay St. Louis Mardi Gras Museum, of of the fun Bay St. Louis attractions. Yes, this small town has two krewes and parades on Fat Tuesday. The museum showcases the costumes of its two krewes designed by Carter Church.
It is also a showcase for the Bay’s history. Upstairs is a museum of folk art by local artist, Alice Moseley.
Ms. Mosley moved to the Bay at the age of 79 and lived there until her death in 2014. Her home, the little “Blue House’ is visible from the Depot.
The Depot served as the centerpiece of the 1966 film, “This Property is Condemned” starring Robert Redford and Natalie Wood. The historic L and N Train Depot is designated a “Mississippi Landmark.”
Starr Boarding House
Just a short distance from the Visitors center, there’s an old building with a sign Starr Boarding House. It’s actual the home of the Bay St. Louis Little Theater. Built around 1920, it was a grocery store owned by Andreas Scafide. Scafide, his wife, and eleven children lived above the store on the second floor. The building was abandoned in the early 1930’s except for a short time when it housed a facility that made bottles for a once popular drink called “Dr. Nut.”
Then Hollywood worked its magic and transformed Bay St. Louis into Dodson, Mississippi, the scene of the Tennessee William play being made into a movie. In “This Property is Condemned,” the old grocery became Starr Boarding House where Robert Redford stared out of the second floor window at Natalie Wood seated on a bench out front. Today, a life-sized cutout of Redford is seen at the window.
After Katrina destroyed the original Little Theater, they looked around for a new home. Everything fell in place and today the old building has a new life. Each year on Tennessee Williams’ birthday, the theater honors his memory with a Tennessee Williams Day. They perform one of Williams’ plays and have a “Stella Yelling” Contest.
St. Rose de Lima Church
Visit St. Rose de Lima Church. The small church, built in 1926 to accommodate 350 African American people, is a Roman Catholic place of worship still. One of the most unusual features is an African Christ mural behind the altar. It was painted by Armenian artist Auseklis Ozols, founder of the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art, and called “Christ in the Oak” mural. It represents both the crucifixion and the resurrection.
The altar is made from a rooted stump found near St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis. Ellsworth Collins was the woodwork artist who created it. Most of the wood work in the church is made from wood gleaned from the Bay area.
Today, the church, the entire Bay area, is multi-ethnic and welcomes all. If you spend your weekend in Bay St. Louis on an actual weekend, you may enjoy the service. Whether you are a church-goer or not, seeing the church, with its unique alter is one of the important things to do in Bay St. Louis to understand the unique culture and history.
Other Things to Do in Bay St. Louis
- Bay St. Louis has a beautiful soft, sandy beach, perfect for picnicking, sunbathing and splashing around.
- Cast a line from the Jimmy Rutherford Fishing Pier.
- Rent a kayak or paddle board and get out on the water.
- Hire a fishing charter, and head out to the big water.
- Take a walk across the bay on the pedestrian aisle of the Bay St. Louis Bridge.
- Rent a bike an take a ride along the coast on Beach Boulevard.
- See the wildlife on a swamp tour.
- Get spooked on a haunted cemetery tour.
- Take a street art tour. Yes, this small town has some beautiful murals.
- Attend the Second Saturday Art Walk.
- Enjoy live music and street food from May through September, at Wednesdays at the Depot. (It’s worth it to plan your weekend in Bay St. Louis starting on a Wednesday!)
- Visit the Alice Mosely Folk Art & Antique Museum. Although it was mentioned in the narrative, she is a local favorite, making the museum one of the top Bay St. Louis attractions.
- Enjoy a festival by visiting furing the season, from May through early October. May is the best bet though.
- Attend a production at Bay St. Louis Little Theater.
- Try your luck at the Silver Slipper or Hollywood Casino.
- Take a day trip over to New Orleans.
- Try a day trip in the other direction and visit Gulfport or Biloxi.
You’ll Love a Weekend in Bay St. Louis
Bay St. Louis stands out with its inviting, family-friendly beaches that offer a peaceful retreat from the bustling tourist spots. Here, you can enjoy sunbathing, swimming, and beachcombing without the crowds., When it’s time to come in out of the sun, you’ll wander charming boutiques, delve into some unique history, be moved by an exploration of the arts, and savor delectable food. What more could anyone want in a vacation town?
What is more, the waters around Bay St. Louis are a paradise for anglers and boaters, with ample opportunities for fishing charters and sailing adventures. Kayaking along the serene Gulf waters or paddle boarding as the sun sets is not just an activity; it’s an experience that captivates the soul. But you can also move your spirit in more social ways, by day-tripping to nearby New Orleans or Biloxi, which are both less than an hours drive.
As our weekend in Bay St. Louis concludes, it’s clear that this small town packs a big punch. Whether you’re exploring the historic sites that tell the stories of resilience and recovery, enjoying the peaceful beaches, or indulging in the local cuisine, there is an abundance of things to do in Bay St. Louis, and a weekend in Bay St. Louis offers a rich and diverse experience. Bay St. Louis is more than just a destination; it’s a vibrant community that welcomes all who visit with open arms and a warm smile
If you are on a venture to explore the gulf coast you’ll find we have a host of other articles on fun destinations near the water.
- New Orleans Weekend Itinerary
- The Ultimate List of Things to Do in New Orleans
- A Weekend in Lake Charles, Louisiana
- A Weekend in Coastal Mississippi (Biloxi and Gulfport)
- Visiting Falling Waters State Park
- A Vacation in Tampa Bay
- A Weekend in Punta Gorda
- Kayaking Silver Springs State Park
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About the Author
Kathleen Walls, former reporter for Union Sentinel in Blairsville, GA, is publisher/writer for American Roads and Global Highways. She is a photographer with many of her original photographs appearing in her travel ezine as well as other publications, contributing to many online and print publications.
She is the author of travel books, Georgia’s Ghostly Getaways, Finding Florida’s Phantoms, Hosts With Ghosts, and Wild About Florida series. Her newest book is American Music: Born in the USA in color with pictures of places related to music history.
Member of International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers (IFWTA). You can find her on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter.
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