Free & Cheap Things to Do in Gulfport

Family & Kids

Mississippi's first children's museum, filling a restored 1915 schoolhouse in Gulfport with 15 hands-on galleries — a pretend grocery, a climbing tower, a water-play room, an art studio, and an outdoor 'imagination' park. Built for kids 0–12, it's a reliable, cheap rainy-day or beat-the-heat stop on the coast.

Address: 246 Dolan Ave, Gulfport, MS 39507

Tip: Weekdays after 3pm are just $3, Sundays $6, and the last Friday of each month is free (5-8pm). Hours vary by season. Plan on a couple of hours.

Family & Kids

A marine-science nonprofit and rescue center on the Gulfport harbor — home to Ocean Adventures Marine Park — where dolphin and sea-lion presentations, a touch tank, and reptile and bird exhibits center on conservation and animal rescue. Affordable encounters and shows make it a hands-on coastal-science afternoon.

Address: 10801 Dolphin Ln, Gulfport, MS 39503

Tip: Check the daily show schedule before you go — the dolphin and sea-lion presentations are the highlight. Paid up-close animal encounters can be added. Allow about two hours.

Parks & Nature

A barrier island 11 miles offshore in the Gulf Islands National Seashore, with an empty white-sand beach, clear gulf water, and the brick 1860s Fort Massachusetts (free ranger tours). The island itself costs nothing; you reach it on the seasonal Ship Island Excursions ferry from Gulfport Harbor.

Address: Gulfport Harbor (1040 23rd Ave), Gulfport, MS 39501

Tip: The ferry ($30 adult / $20 child round trip) is the only public way out; it runs roughly March–October, about 70 minutes each way. Bring water, sunscreen, and food — services on the island are limited.

Parks & Nature

A wide stretch of the 26-mile man-made Mississippi Gulf Coast beach, running along U.S. 90 through Gulfport. The sugar-white sand and shallow, calm water — sheltered by the barrier islands offshore — make it easy and family-friendly for wading and paddling, with the Gulfport Marina and Ship Island ferry close by.

Address: 1301 20th Ave, Gulfport, MS 39501

Tip: Free, with public parking along U.S. 90. The water is calm and shallow — good for little kids. Combine it with Jones Park and the harbor just to the east.

Parks & Nature

A 60-acre waterfront park at the heart of Gulfport, billed as the 'front yard of Mississippi,' wrapping the harbor with a splash pad, playground, walking track, amphitheater, a replica lighthouse, and a 319-slip marina and promenade. Free to enjoy, it hosts the Christmas Harbor Lights festival each winter.

Address: US-90 & Highway 49, Gulfport, MS 39501

Tip: Free; the splash pad and playground are a hit with kids. The promenade has great harbor views, and the Ship Island ferry leaves from the marina here. Sunset over the water is the bonus.

Shops & Downtown

A revitalized downtown Gulfport alley between 13th and 14th Streets, paved with rediscovered early-1900s bricks and strung with lights, murals, and local art. Free to wander day or night, it's lined with restaurants and bars and has become the colorful, walkable heart of downtown's revival.

Address: 2609 14th St, Gulfport, MS 39501

Tip: Free to stroll; best in the evening when the string lights and murals glow. Plenty of indie restaurants and coffee spots nearby. A quick, photogenic downtown stop.

History & Culture

A Greek Revival coast home first built around 1836 by Dr. Hiram Roberts and one of the oldest houses on the Mississippi coast. The original was lost to Hurricane Katrina; the City of Gulfport completed a faithful replica in 2012, now a Mississippi Landmark and visitor center on Beach Boulevard run by the local historical society.

Address: 720 E Beach Blvd, Gulfport, MS 39501

Tip: Free to visit; managed by the Historical Society of Gulfport as a visitors center — check current open hours. The beachfront setting and grounds are pleasant for a short stop.