Free & Cheap Things to Do in Biloxi

History & Culture

Biloxi's signature landmark, an 1848 cast-iron tower standing in the median of U.S. 90 and one of the first iron lighthouses in the South. Famous for its long line of female keepers — Maria Younghans tended the light for 53 years — it survived Hurricane Katrina's surge and reopened after a FEMA-funded restoration.

Address: 1050 Beach Blvd (US-90 at Porter Ave), Biloxi, MS 39530

Tip: Guided tours run daily 9-10am, weather permitting; no reservations needed. Climbs to the top are paused for decking repairs — call ahead. The new Visitors Center sits just across the highway.

History & Culture

A National Historic Landmark on Beach Boulevard, the 1852 raised-cottage last home of Jefferson Davis, where he wrote his memoirs. Hourly guided tours cover the restored house and grounds, and the adjacent Jefferson Davis Presidential Library holds exhibits on his life and the Civil War era.

Address: 2244 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39531

Tip: Open daily 9am-5pm with hourly house tours 10am-4pm. The grounds, gardens, and cemetery are a cheaper $7 grounds pass. Allow about 90 minutes for the full visit.

History & Culture

A waterfront museum telling 300 years of Gulf Coast maritime and seafood history — shrimping, oystering, net-making, and the Biloxi schooners — through exhibits, restored boats, and a moving Hurricane Camille memorial. Hands-on displays make it a genuine, affordable few hours for families.

Address: 115 1st St, Biloxi, MS 39530

Tip: Open Mon-Sat 9-4:30, Sun 12-4. Group tours (15+) run $7-11 per person. The museum's working schooners sometimes sail — ask about the Sea & Sail program and on-water trips.

Arts & Culture

A striking Frank Gehry–designed campus of curving steel-and-glass pods celebrating George Ohr, the self-styled 'Mad Potter of Biloxi,' whose wildly inventive 1900s pottery was decades ahead of its time. Rotating regional and contemporary exhibitions and a hands-on clay studio round out the visit.

Address: 386 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530

Tip: Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm (last entry 4:15). The buildings themselves, set among live oaks that survived Katrina, are worth the visit. Check for free community days.

History & Culture

A historic graveyard along Beach Boulevard whose oldest section held French settlers from the early 1700s. Free to wander beneath moss-draped oaks, it's the resting place of figures like Juan de Cuevas, 'Hero of the Cat Island War of 1812,' and a Medal of Honor recipient — a quiet walk through three centuries of coast history.

Address: Beach Blvd & Irish Hill Dr, Biloxi, MS 39530

Tip: Open daily 7am-7pm; free, with donations welcome. The Discover Biloxi self-guided cemetery tour maps the notable graves. Pair it with the lighthouse and beach nearby.

Parks & Nature

Part of the 26-mile man-made Mississippi Gulf Coast beach — the longest of its kind in the world — running right along U.S. 90 through Biloxi. The free, sugar-white sand is calm and family-friendly, with piers, public access points, and gulf breezes; barrier-island ferries leave from nearby harbors.

Address: Beach Blvd (US-90), Biloxi, MS 39530

Tip: Free, with public parking along U.S. 90. The water is shallow and calm (the barrier islands take the surf). Check current beach advisories before swimming; sunrise over the gulf is the payoff.

History & Culture

Biloxi's $11 million visitor center, opened in 2011 just north of the lighthouse, with a series of free multimedia exhibits tracing the city's colorful history — from French settlement and the seafood boom to Hurricane Katrina and recovery. A good, free orientation stop before exploring the coast.

Address: 1050 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530

Tip: Free admission; the exhibits and short films are worth 30-45 minutes. Staff can point you to current events and attractions. Right across U.S. 90 from the lighthouse, so combine the two.