** Due to Hurricane Katrina, many of the places on this page are either destroyed
or are terribly messed up. I will try to keep notes by each one to let you
know what is left and what is not, and what has been rebuilt.

Note: This page is not very current.

Other Places to Visit in Biloxi and on the Gulf Coast,
seasonal events to attend, and Recommended Restaurants:

Attractions: Updated 1/13/2007 (Note: All times and prices for all are subject to change.) J.L. Scott Marine Education Center & Aquarium 9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. (Point Cadet in Biloxi 374-5550) Features living displays of Coastal fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Shows wildlife and marine films continuously. Very interesting to visit. Very Badly Damaged - Probably will be torn down and rebuilt elsewhere.   Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art Features the works of The Mad Potter, Biloxi's own George Ohr. Major art exhibits rotate quarterly. A genius whose extremely thin pottery only recently became known; his work is now artistically acclaimed nationwide and they are $$$$ extremely valuable today. 136 G.E. Ohr Street Biloxi, MS Open Mon - Sat 9-5 -- Phone: 228-374-5547 Presently 2nd floor of Biloxi's Main Library on Lemeuse St; a new $12 million dollar Ohr Museum designed by renowned architect Frank Ghetty, is in the works. Ohr's pottery saved and stored elsewhere; museum badly damaged. Museum has been moved to a temporary location in the old Glenn L. Swetman Home, which was deeded to the city a few years back. It opened in December, and will house the museum until a decision is made to finish the new complex started on the beach.    Marine Life Oceanarium (Gulfport 863-0651) Trained dolphins perform daily along with exotic birds and sea lions. Includes a giant reef tank, underwater dive shows, touch pool for children plus a harbor train tour of the State of Mississippi Port (a large banana port). Destroyed. Dolphins washed out to sea & recovered. Dophins were sold to some development in a Carribbean Island at a great loss to the Coast. In doubt whether it will rebuild or not.   Ancient Indian Burial Grounds (Moran's Art Studio - Biloxi 435-9615) Ancient Biloxi Indian skeletons were discovered in the aftermath of Hurricane Camille... see them in a glassed-enclosed area in the back of Moran's Art Studio on Porter Avenue. Morans was destroyed. The discovered more skeletons after Katrina, and decided they were not Indians, but early settlers.   Lynn Meadow's Discovery Center Children's Museum - 246 Dolan Ave., Gulfport 897-6039 - $5.00 per person. Newly opened in June of 1998, this is a fantastic hands-on children's museum. Indoor and outdoor exhibits including Granny's Attic. Wonderful events are continually scheduled. A must for children! Very heavy damage; bottom floor flooded and surge tore up first floor. 2nd floor damaged. Vandals struck around Sept. 19-20 and stole valuable equipment. Lynn Meadows has reopened, as of the fall of 2006, and has several new features. Most programs are back to normal.   Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum (Biloxi 435-6320 Located at Point Cadet Plaza by the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge, it tells the history in photographs and realia of the Biloxi Seafood Industry and how European Heritage (French & Slavonic) played such an important part in the development of Biloxi. Washed Away. It may be rebuilt next to the new Ohr Museum, but nothing is being done about it. They are trying to raise money by running Schooner sails from their new pier across from the Ohr beach location.   Biloxi Shrimping Trip Biloxi Small Craft Harbor 385-1182 A seventy-minute long trip aboard a working shrimp boat lets you see what is caught on a real shrimping expedition. I believe this has started back running.   Biloxi Tour Train Departs at Biloxi Lighthouse - 374-8687 Three tours daily; 90 minute open-air tour includes 30 points of interest in and around Biloxi - $12.00 & $4.00 This has started back. Not sure of details.   Biloxi Lighthouse Tour US 90 and Porter Avenue - 435-6244 One tour daily, 10:00 A.M. Monday - Saturday $2.00 & $1.00 Note: At present,(summer of 2002) lighthouse tours have been suspended due to possible unsafe structures. The lighthouse survived. It had quite a bit of damage, and needs to be repaired. Nobody is allowed in it.   Mardi Gras Museum Biloxi 435-6245  Exhibits of Mardi Gras costumes and memorabilia worn by royalty in the courts of the many Biloxi Mardi Gras krews over the years. Was to go in the Danzler House that was destroyed. The Old Magnolia Hotel where it was located was badly damaged, but still standing. I think it was flooded, but don't know the extent of the Mardi Gras Museum's damage.   Art Shows & Festivals Throughout the year, all along the Coast, arts and craft festivals abound. There are some "Biggies", such as the George Ohr Festival in Biloxi in October, the Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs in November, the Biloxi Art Association's Memorial Day Art Festival; plus many more. To check the dates, times and places, you may want to look at the Sun Herald's "Marqueé", published every Friday with the paper, Biloxi's Calendar of Events, Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitor's Bureau's Events Calendar, and The Bay Press newspaper. As you may have guessed, I'm a member of the BAA, and exhibit as an artist and photographer. The arts didn't stay beaten for long. Art feeds the soul, and artists always have to find a way to express themselves and their desire to create. Although Katrina caused the cancellation of several festivals and shows, in November of 2005 the Peter Anderson Festival rallied and was held,and that seemed to herald the comeback for artists.  Sacred Grounds 228-396-1777 A new discovery of mine, Sacred Grounds is a unique experience for Biloxi. Run by Dorri Forbess, it is located on the Biloxi River just north of I-10 on Lorraine Road. It is a coffee house, and offers canoe rentals, spiritual retreats, beautiful grounds, fishing, picnic areas, a labyrinth walk, primitive camping and a place for group gatherings. A truly charming and peaceful don't-miss place. Art works of local artists are offered for sale. Probably flooded as it was on the river. Biloxi Schooner Trips 435-6320 Sail on the Glenn L. Swetman or the Mike Sekul, both replicas (built this decade by Biloxi boatmen) of the traditional old two-masted Biloxi Schooner, unique to this area. These sailboats were used for fishing at the turn of the century, and are now used for races and for tourists. A sail on a schooner is wonderful, relaxing and exhilarating. I've had three sails, and intend to go on more. Schooners are safe and unharmed. They are back in operation (started back in the winter of 2005-2006) with walk-ons and chargers. I went on one sail in February of 2006. It was freezing cold, and the schooner carried only three of us, but we huddled in a blanket and surveyed the damage to our beautiful shore by boat. As the sun was setting, we headed back to the dock under a deep red sunset against the black, stark dead trees of Deer Island.   Magnolia Coast Tours Daily tours of the Mississippi coastline and the city of New Orleans by motor coach with free time in the French Quarter. $38.00 per person, departing from most Gulf Coast Hotels. Reservations: 228-896-8101 or 877-825-6597 New Orleans is a sad case, with crime and murder on the rise; however, the French Quarter and the Garden District are still there. Call to see if tours are still running.   Movie Theaters   Hardy Court Theater 8 Screens; Courthouse Road and Pass Road Torn down due to too much damage. Call to see if they are running tours. Crossroads Theater 16 Screens, Stadium seats, I-10 and Hwy. 49 Up and running. United Artist Theaters 10 screens, near Edgewater Mall It is still sitting there. They do not plan to re-open it. What a shame.   Imperial Palace Theater Inside the Imperial Palace It is open. The Silver Screen Edgewater Village Shopping Center 2nd run movies at bargain prices Edgewater Village was gutted. They are just now (1/07) starting to repair and remodel most of the units. Don't know if they will have the theater back or not. Cinema 14 Newest theater north of I-10 in D'Iberville. It opened maybe 6-8 months after Katrina. Crowded with unshaperoned teenie boppers; don't go on weekends.   Old Biloxi Cemetery George Ohr Monument & Grave Site  If you are a history buff, if you just enjoy the ambiance of old cemeteries, or if you are into headstone rubbings, a visit to the Old Biloxi Cemetery will be a rewarding experience for you. Located between Irish Hill Drive and Highway 90 in Biloxi, it has headstones dating back to the 1700's, and will provide hauntingly beautiful photographs of live oaks and Spanish Moss, as well as old and beautiful crypts. George Ohr is buried there. Heavily damaged. Some bodies washed out of crypts. Efforts have been made to clean and rebury bodies, and lift and replace grave markers. It is getting better.   Harrison County Skate Park & Hockey Complex Debuys Road, Gulfport Indoor Hockey Arena, Outdoor skateboarding ramps $10.00 a day, $5.00 protective gear rental This may be open now.   Book Stores: Books-a-Million Edgewater Square - Across from Edgewater Mall - Biloxi Took a long time to reopen, but it is back. Barnes & Noble Crossroads Shopping Center I-10 and Hwy. 49, Gulfport Opened late in 2006. Marshall's Downtown Gulfport and also Courthouse Road Not sure, but I doubt if it is open. Walden Books Edgewater Mall Shopping Center Opened under a new name; still pretty small. StennisSphere, Stennis Space Center Visitor's Center 228-688-3341 I-10 and Miss. 607 - Hancock Co. Miss. Visitor's Center Tours of Stennis Space Center where space shuttle rockets are tested. Tours leave the visitor's center every 15 minutes. Admission free; small charge for outdoor motion simulator. Open     For more to see and do, please click on the links to City of Biloxi and Biloxi Chamber of Commerce on my Biloxi Main Page.   Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitor's Bureau Their Web Site offers tons of information about where to stay, where to eat, what to do, etc. The Coast Coliseum and Convention Center opened in late 2006. Still isn't up to par, we didn't have our ice hockey program this winter. They are remodeling and adding on to the convention center part.   Also, if you are here on a Thursday; or are staying in a motel, purchase or ask for a copy of the "Marquee", a weekly magazine published by the Sun Herald. It gives you so much to see and do that you won't be able to say, "All there is to do on the Coast is to go to the casinos." It has restaurants, movies, exhibits, festivals, entertainment, and lots more. In fact, Thanks to the "Marquee" for most of the information above.

Restaurants

Vern's and My Favorite Places To Eat:  O'Charley's by Edgewater Mall - Always Good! They have a fantastic house salad, good steaks, good soups, and good service. Just about our all-time favorite! Great weekend Breakfast Brunch. Wiped Away. There is one on Highway 49 north of Crossroads Mall. Cajun's Fried Chicken ... Has the best fried chicken, Cole slaw and biscuits on the Coast. I don't eat fried chicken anywhere else. Very informal. By Edgewater Mall. Wiped Away. Martha's Tea Room... For lunch, in Ocean Springs, and mostly for the ladies, but Vern really likes the food. Homemade bread for sandwiches; best chicken salad in the world! Leisurely lunch. A must when you are in Ocean Springs. Alive and wel, but moved further north on Government Street. BB's I should tell you it is awful because it is only open for lunch, and if you go at noon time, there is always a wait; however, we love to go there. The food is excellent, and the owners very friendly. In Ocean Springs on Highway 90. I always get the fried oyster platter. Lots of cajun food, po-boys and seafood. Tell them Linda sent you!   Ryan's Steak House - for a quick buffet menu items, real mashed potatoes. A good place to eat when dieting - they have baked chicken, veggies and a nice salad bar. Very casual; beach view. Clientele not élite; noisy. Wiped Away. There is a Logan's Texas Roadhouse at Crossroads. Food is good, and they have peanuts, also. We had a terribly long weight last Friday night. Outback Steak House in Gulfport... Wonderful steaks,nice atmosphere, blooming onions. Great food. Usually a waiting line. Wiped Away. Outback Steak House in D'Iberville, New just before the hurricane hit; supposedly open now. This one at Sangani's Blvd. in D;Iberville is nice, but crowded. Go early. Port O' Call in St. Martin on LeMoyne Blvd. has great seafood, especially the stuffed redfish platter. Not much atmosphere and their salad bar is quite lacking, but food is good. Attracts locals. Local artists exhibit. Opened after remodeling.  Mary Mahoney's in the Vieux Marché inBiloxi. Itis a formal restaurant serving dishes with a French touch. Is expensive for dinner, but good if you like rich French cooking. You should dine there at least once for the experience. Their lobsters are fabulous! Lunches are very reasonable, and a popular gathering place. Known for its bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Good, but mine is much better - even people who don't like bread pudding like it the way I cook it, and I use Mary's recipt. (sorry, I'm not open for business). Main restaurant just before Christmas of 2005. Looks great; food good as always. Gift shop just opened. Mary Mahoney's Cafe in the Vieux Marché Mary's cafe that serves bignéts and cafe au 'lait, Po-boys and other good fare where you can dine outside on the porch and watch the little birdies eat crumbs. Their breakfasts are great, and it's fun to eat on the terrace. Torn up. Cafe and tavern still closed. Road House Grill Throw your peanut hulls on the floor while waiting for great steaks and sweet potatoes. We've never had a bad meal there! Steakhouse. Destroyed. Gumbo Shop Our new favorite restaurant. Opened in the fall of 2003; has parent restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Food is wonderful - Cajun fare. Service wonderful, food fantastic. Good turtle soup, gumbo. Best pecan pie around. Most food is fairly spicy. Gutted Jazzeppi's On Porter Avenue - A fantastic upscale Italian restaurant... on the snobby side, but delicious food. Another special occasion eatery. Open now. The Chimneys Fine dining in an ante-bellum home; nice atmosphere, very good food. For special occasions or if you aren't watching your pennies, yet not overpriced. Wonderful Trout Martin and Crawfish Fetuccini. Hwy. 90 in Gulfport. Totally wiped away. Such a grand old building gone forever. Doubt if they rebuil, but wish they would. Phoenician Garden Restaurant Government St., Ocean Springs - Wonderful Lebanese food spiced just right. Open. King Buffet On Eisenhower Drive behind Edgewater Mall, it is a Chinese Buffet. On weekends they have a good assortment of sushi, crayfish, snow crab legs and shrimp in addition to lots of Chinese dishes. We like eating there occasionally. Open. Strami's Cafe A new Italian cafe on Sangani Blve. in 'Iberville. They serve the very best homemade pizza on the Coast. A little pricey if you get several toppings, but it is well worth it. Small, but good service. Opened after Katrina.   Bonefish Grill A chain restaurant that doesn't look or taste like one; kind of like the Cheesecake Factory in that respedct. It opened just before Katrina, and was flooded and badly damaged. Kudos to them for taking the change to rebuild when most places on the beach won't. They only recently opened, but I've had a report that the service is still wonderful, as is the food. Not cheap, but sort of a celebration place. Now re-opened. Good if you like fish with a wooden taste. Upscale. McElroys Harbor House Located for years in the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, the food is great, and they offer a lunch menu daily. Seafood is their specialty. Watch boats come and go as you sit and eat. They also recently opened a restaurant in Ocean Springs. Not by the water, but is more relaxing. Same great food. Destroyed. They say they will rebuild. Looks like they will locate in a high-rise hotel that will be in the harbor and block everyone's view of the water. McElroys on the Bayou- Ocean Springs A new, very nice restaurant has been open in Ocean Springs for a few years. Different chef, great food, nice atmosphere with back deck overlooking Fort Bayou. Open. For a while after Katrina, food and service was terrible, but it has improved. Last meal we had there was good. The Shed If you want to drive to Highway 57 via I-10, turn north and go a tiny way, you will find a ticky-tacky shed-type building that is as cute as a button. Rugged decor, but amusing and fun. The best barbeque on the coast, but seved in a take-out box for everyone. Beer and Blues and Barqs provided. It's time to go back for a visit and good brisket and pulled pork. Back open. High Cotton Grill Located on Pass Road in Gulfpost by Courthouse Road, and a new one on Sanghani Boldvard in D'Iberville. Good is good, Steaks and fried searood. Lots of french fries. Restaurants cleared to open by the State Health Department Restaurants removed from our recommended list because of poor service or food that didn't live up to expectations or reputation: Chesterfield's (Now defunct) Fisherman's Warf (Now Defunct) Casino Magic Buffet- Biloxi (Abracadabra) - Gone Isle of Capri Buffet (Really bad) Palace Casino Buffet (Really Bad) Memphis Q -Used to be fantastic. After they rebuilt, their food is way too expensive, the menu changed,the service is bad (not just our opinion), and they charge $5-6.00 extra for a bowl of green beans and other sides. Besides, if you go late and the night club next door is open, you cannot hear any conversations, not even with the person next to you. They have gotten too "uppety" for local people to go and enjoy. Food not too good, either. Tug's Warf - New, but many say the food is bad In all fairness, you may wish to try them for yourself. Let me know what YOU think.     There were tons of good restaurants on the Coast. The Mississippi Gulf Coast used to be noted for really great seafood. We still are, but it is harder to find hopme town seafood restaurants since the casinos came in and took over. I prefer not to go to smoke-filled casino restaurants, although we do go at times. Some restaurants are highly overrated; we won't go back because of poor service or mediocre food. Some we return to week after week. Friday nights are our usual night out to eat. Actually, the casinos have great restaurants even if you don't like to gamble. The Beau Rivagé has the best buffet with the largest variety of food, but is the most expensive buffet and the waiting line is always way long for us to want to stand in line for over an hour ver often. Nearly every type of ethnic food is available somewhere on the Coast, including Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, French, Lebanese, German, French, Cajun, Southwestern Flavor and American and Tai. It's just a matter of knowing where to find it.

 

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Page started 6/5/1998,
Updated 8/27/04.

Special Katrina Update 9/21/05

Updated again 1/13/07

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