Homeschool Discounts in Mississippi (2026) — Mississippi homeschool days & co-op field-trip rates

Mississippi's homeschool deals cluster in two places: the museum row in Jackson and the science centers, zoos, and aquariums strung along the Gulf Coast from Pearlington to Gulfport. Most run through each venue's homeschool day or school field-trip program, and a co-op that gathers the 15-to-20-student minimum can book the Mississippi Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural Science, the Hattiesburg Zoo, and Gulfport's Lynn Meadows at roughly $3–$10 a student — well below gates that run $15–$25.

A couple of stops make it easy: INFINITY Science Center near NASA's Stennis runs a $10 Homeschool Wednesday each month, and the Museum of Natural Science charges school and homeschool groups just $3 a student. Others — the Mississippi Aquarium, Tupelo Buffalo Park, the Walter Anderson Museum — run real homeschool programming but quote rates by phone or email, so confirm on each venue's own site before you go.

Confirmed homeschool pricing

Published price on the venue's own homeschool page — most under $20 per child.

Year-round

School & group field trips

Weekdays, groups of 15+

per kid

Mississippi Children's Museum

Jackson · All ages · Book online ahead

Jackson's hands-on children's museum on the LeFleur Museum District campus runs five interactive galleries — a literacy garden, a wraparound climber, a Mississippi-themed gallery, and more. A homeschool group of 15 books the school field-trip rate from just $5 a student, a third of the regular gate, with optional curriculum-tied programs for a few dollars more.

Regular admission: ~$15 general admission — $5/student vs. ~$15 gate

Homeschool page at mschildrensmuseum.org →

Year-round

Field trips + hands-on presentations

Groups of 15–30

per kid · adult $8

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

Jackson · All grades · Reserve a program time ahead

Tucked into LeFleur's Bluff State Park in Jackson, the state natural-science museum holds a 100,000-gallon aquarium network, a dinosaur trail, and 73,000 square feet of exhibits. Homeschool and school groups pay just $3 a student and can add a curriculum-correlated hands-on presentation for groups of 15 to 30 — a cheap, science-standards-aligned outing.

Regular admission: $9 adult / $7 youth — $3/student group rate vs. $7 youth gate

Homeschool page at mdwfp.com →

Recurring

Homeschool Wednesday

Monthly, 9 a.m.–noon

$10

per kid

INFINITY Science Center

Pearlington · All ages · Register online ahead

Mississippi's official NASA visitor center near the Stennis Space Center pairs space and earth-science galleries with a Saturn V engine and rocket-test viewing. Its monthly Homeschool Wednesday gives co-op families three morning hours and a hands-on lab for $10 a person — a science-rich outing on the far western edge of the Gulf Coast.

Regular admission: ~$15 adult gate — $10 Homeschool Wednesday vs. ~$15 gate

Homeschool page at visitinfinity.com →

Year-round

Field trips & group visits

Weekdays, groups of 10+

$10

per kid

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center

Gulfport · All ages · Reserve a weekday ahead

Set in a restored 1915 schoolhouse in downtown Gulfport, the Gulf Coast's children's museum packs in a kid-sized Main Street, a treehouse village, art and science studios, and a NASA-tied Sun, Earth, Universe exhibit. Home-school groups of 10 book the self-guided field-trip rate at $10 a person, with free admission for teachers and staff.

Regular admission: ~$12 gate — $10/person group rate

Homeschool page at lmdc.org →

Year-round

Field trips + first-Tuesday Homeschool Days

per kid

Hattiesburg Zoo

Hattiesburg · 2–12 ($9 for 13+) · Submit the field-trip form ahead

The Hattiesburg Zoo in historic Kamper Park runs more than 100 species across an Africa expansion, a wallaby walkabout, a splash pad, and a ropes course. Homeschool co-ops of 20 book the customizable field-trip rate at $7 a student (ages 2–12), one free chaperone per 10, and the zoo adds monthly first-Tuesday Homeschool Days with themed animal programming.

Regular admission: $12 adult / $10 child (gate) — $7/student field-trip rate vs. $10 child gate

Homeschool page at hattiesburgzoo.com →

Worth calling about

These venues run homeschool programs but don't publish pricing online. Call before you go.

When

Field trips + monthly Homeschool Days

Call

no public price

Mississippi Aquarium

Gulfport · K-12 · Submit the field-trip request form

Gulfport's 5.8-acre aquarium walks visitors from Mississippi River habitats out to the Gulf, with otters, sharks, rays, and an aviary. School groups choose self-guided or instructor-led programs tied to state science standards, and the aquarium runs monthly Homeschool Days — but rates come by request, so contact the education team before planning a co-op visit.

Regular admission: ~$25 adult (regular gate)

How to reach them: Self-guided or instructor-led field trips aligned to Mississippi science standards, plus monthly Homeschool Days — but pricing is quoted by request, so submit the field-trip form or email fieldtrips@msaquarium.org. Title I schools may qualify for Project SAIL grant funds toward admission.

Homeschool page at msaquarium.org →

When

Customizable school field-trip packages

Call

no public price

Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo

Tupelo · All grades · Call or submit the field-trip form

North Mississippi's offbeat animal park near Tupelo combines a bus or van safari past a roaming bison herd with a walk-through zoo of zebras, giraffes, and big cats. The staff customizes school field-trip packages with pavilions and educational stops, but the homeschool rate is quoted by phone or form — call ahead to build a co-op visit.

Regular admission: ~$11 adult (regular gate)

How to reach them: The drive-through buffalo safari and walk-through zoo build customizable school field-trip packages to a group's budget, but the per-student rate isn't posted online — call 662-844-8709 or submit the school field-trip form. Regular admission runs about $11.

Homeschool page at tupelobuffalopark.com →

When

School tours + Educator Nights

Call

no public price

Walter Anderson Museum of Art

Ocean Springs · K-12 · Contact the education team

Ocean Springs' art museum centers on the visionary nature paintings of Walter Anderson, including the recreated murals from his secret Little Room. The education team runs docent-led school tours and STE(A)M field trips and hosts Educator Nights for homeschool teachers; tour rates are by request, but students and educators in the lower six coastal counties get free membership.

Regular admission: ~$10 adult (regular gate)

How to reach them: Docent-led school tours of the Anderson collection and the murals in the Ocean Springs Community Center, plus after-hours Educator Nights open to homeschool educators — tour rates aren't posted, so contact sandra@walterandersonmuseum.org. Students and educators in the six lower coastal counties qualify for a FREE membership with free admission.

Homeschool page at walterandersonmuseum.org →

Plus more free and cheap educational outings in Mississippi

Already on DiscoverCheapUS — free and low-cost Mississippi attractions homeschool families plan whole field-trip days around.

Jackson

10 free or cheap

Mississippi Civil Rights MuseumFree Sundays / $15 adults, $8 youth other days
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science$9 adults / $7 youth / $8 seniors
Old Capitol MuseumFree
Mississippi Governor's MansionFree (reservation required)
Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National MonumentFree
Eudora Welty House & GardenHouse tour $10 / $8 seniors & military / Free on the 13th of each month / Garden always free
Mississippi Museum of ArtFree (special exhibitions ticketed)
Museum of Mississippi History$15 adults / $8 youth 4-22 / Free Sundays
Mississippi Children's Museum$13 / Free under 1
Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum$8 adults / $6 children 3-17 / $7 seniors

See all Jackson attractions →

Natchez

11 free or cheap

Natchez Bluff ParkFree
Natchez National Historical ParkFree (grounds & visitor center) / $11 guided tours
Natchez Trace ParkwayFree
Forks of the RoadFree
Historic Natchez City CemeteryFree
Grand Village of the Natchez IndiansFree
Emerald MoundFree
St. Mary BasilicaFree
Mount Locust Historic HouseFree
William Johnson HouseFree
Rosalie MansionGuided tour (~$20 adults)

See all Natchez attractions →

Vicksburg

9 free or cheap

Vicksburg National Military Park$20/vehicle (7-day pass) / $10 per person on foot or bike / Free under 16
USS Cairo Gunboat & MuseumFree with $20 NMP park admission
Vicksburg National CemeteryFree with $20 NMP park admission
Old Court House Museum$10 adults / $9 seniors 65+ / $5 students K–12
Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River MuseumFree
Vicksburg Riverfront MuralsFree
Biedenharn Coca-Cola MuseumSmall fee (~$3.50 adults / $2.50 children — call to confirm)
Old Depot Museum$7 adults / $4 students / $5 seniors-military
Jacqueline House African American MuseumFree (donations welcome)

See all Vicksburg attractions →

Biloxi

5 free or cheap

Biloxi Lighthouse$5 adults / $2 youth 6-11 / Free under 6
Beauvoir$12 house tour / $7 grounds pass / Free under 6
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum$10 adults / $8 seniors/military / $6 students 5-15
Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art$12 adults / $10 seniors / $6 students 6-17 / Free under 6
Old Biloxi CemeteryFree

See all Biloxi attractions →

Gulfport

4 free or cheap

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center$10 / $8 seniors & military / Free under 1 / Free last Fridays 5-8pm
Institute for Marine Mammal Studies$17 adults / $15 children 3-12 / $16 seniors & military
Ship Island & Fort MassachusettsIsland & fort free / ferry ~$30 adults / $20 children round trip
Historic Grass LawnFree

See all Gulfport attractions →

Tupelo

7 free or cheap

Elvis Presley BirthplaceFree grounds / $12 single attraction / $25 all three
Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo$11 adults / $9 seniors / Free under 1 (bison ride +$3)
GumTree Museum of ArtFree
Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor CenterFree
Tupelo National BattlefieldFree
Brices Cross Roads National BattlefieldFree
Oren Dunn City MuseumFree

See all Tupelo attractions →

Hattiesburg

3 free or cheap

Hattiesburg Zoo$10 adults / $8 children 2-12 / $9 seniors (online)
African American Military History MuseumFree (donations welcome)
Mississippi Armed Forces MuseumFree

See all Hattiesburg attractions →

Meridian

6 free or cheap

Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX)$14 adults / $8 youth 6-17 / Free under 5 (free first Saturdays)
Dentzel Carousel & Highland ParkFree park / $1 per carousel ride / $2 tour
Soulé Steam Feed Works$10 adults / $7 students / Free under 6
Meridian Museum of ArtFree (donations welcome)
MerrehopeGuided tour (~$10 adults)
Rose Hill CemeteryFree

See all Meridian attractions →

Ocean Springs

3 free or cheap

Walter Anderson Museum of Art$10 adults / $8 seniors/military/students / $5 children 5-15 / Free under 5
Gulf Islands National Seashore — Davis BayouFree
Charnley-Norwood HouseFree

See all Ocean Springs attractions →

See all 76 Mississippi attractions on the directory →