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    You are here: Home / Destinations / North America / 10 Reasons To Visit Natchez, Mississippi

    01/10/2021

    10 Reasons To Visit Natchez, Mississippi

    This post is done in cooperation with Visit Natchez to promote #VisitNatchezResponsibly.

    Our first visit to the state of Mississippi was to the riverside town of Natchez. We drove up to Natchez from Florida and found it to be a wonderful road trip destination. And we also planned our weekend away in 2020, so we were vigilant about doing things outdoors, wearing masks, and staying socially distanced — which Natchez was great about.

    Natchez visitor's guide on a small table with a bowl of lemons, drinking glasses, hand sanitizer, and cloth face masks.

    Located high on bluff overlooking the Mississippi river, Natchez might not be as well known as other southern cities like Baton Rouge and Memphis, but it should be! Locally, it’s called the “little easy” since it is similar to New Orleans but on a smaller, more easy-going scale.

    After spending a long weekend in Natchez, we were completely charmed. As the bed and breakfast capitol of the south, and with a history spanning over 300 years, there was plenty to see and do. Read below to learn more about Natchez and to see our road trip recommendations.

    A photograph of The Choctaw, with a large front porch framed by an old oak tree. One of the many antebellum mansions in downtown Natchez.

    HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE NATCHEZ

    First things first, how do you pronounce Natchez? In the south, things can be said a little differently. While traveling, we even had a few fun debates on social media about how to say praline (in Mississippi it’s prah-leen), pecan (it’s pick-AHN), or even the proper spelling of crepe myrtle trees (both crape and crepe are correct). But the city of Natchez, Mississippi is pronounced just one way, and it rhymes with “matches.” It is named for the Native American tribe, Natchez. Though, not to confuse you, the Native American Natchez tribe is pronounced like “nah-chee.” But when it comes to visiting the city, just remember Natchez like “matches” and you’ll be good.

    A metal sign showing a map of the states surrounding Mississippi and how Natchez is right in the middle of what they call the "music triangle" between New Orleans, Nashville, and Memphis.

    WHAT IS NATCHEZ FAMOUS FOR

    With its prime location on the Mississippi River, the history of Natchez is vast, spanning from the pre-historic era, to the Mississippi Delta history starting with Native Americans, then to French, Spanish, British Rule.

    Pete standing in a wood frame doorway at Mount Locust, an old inn along the Natchez Trace.

    Natchez is known for a few things, but it’s most well known as the start of the Natchez Trace Parkway. This 444 mile historic route is managed by the National Parks Service and goes from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. It follows prehistoric forest trails used by Native Americans, that were later used by colonists and merchants walking back up north from the Mississippi River.

    Natchez is also right in the center of music history with its location on the historic Mississippi Blues Trail, U.S. Route 61, between New Orleans and Memphis. And more recently, Natchez has been the filming location of several popular TV shows and movies including True Blood, Oh Brother Where Art Though, and Get On Up.

    A treeline sidewalk in Natchez surrounded by lush green plants.

    THINGS TO DO IN NATCHEZ

    There’s so much to do in Natchez. From simply walking around the tree-lined streets in the historic downtown area, to visiting historical sites, and great food and shopping too. As you’ll see below, there is plenty to do!

    Walk Along Downtown’s Historic Natchez Trails – Museum Of Streets

    The Natchez Trails and Walking Tour was something we really loved. The downtown area has five walking trails that take you through the city’s history; starting with the Natchez Indians before the 1700s, to the Spanish laying out the streets of the town, to the Civil Rights movement, and even music history too. A map is available at the visitor’s center, and arrows on the sidewalk also help to clearly mark the way. There’s also signage in front of important buildings so you can stop and read the stories and history of each location. It truly is an outdoor museum of streets! Since we visited during 2020, this was a fun socially-distanced way to explore the city. But we would have loved it anyway since there were so many fun opportunities for street photography too.

    A blue Natchez Trail marker on a brick street, and a map of the Natchez Trails in downtown Natchez.

    Drive The Natchez Trace

    The Natchez Trace is a 444 mile scenic drive with historic sites, hiking trails and places of interest along the way. It roughly follows a historic forrest trail that goes from Natchez all the way to Nashville. It’s origins date back to prehistoric times, so a drive along the old trace will take you through 10,000 years of history. We drove about 44 miles of it, visiting Mount Locust (an old inn along the Trace), enjoying a picnic lunch packed for us by Peter Hunter House, and driving up to the Sunken Trace to see what it used to look like as a footpath. It’s now on our travel bucket list to plan a road trip to drive the whole trace. 

    Pete wearing a red jacket walking in the Sunken Trace along the Natchez Trace Parkway. He's surrounded by moss covered roots and tall trees with fall foliage.

    Get Pampered At A Bed & Breakfast

    With over 45 bed and breakfasts in Natchez, there are many unique and wonderful places to stay that will pamper you and make you feel right at home in Natchez. And Peter Hunter House pampered us with a gorgeous gourmet spread delivered to our room every morning. Nothing beats gourmet breakfast in bed! (Due to local travel guidelines during 2020, breakfast was served in-room as opposed to the dining room). Our host, Hydie, also packed a lovely picnic for us for a day out driving the Natchez Trace mentioned above.

    Overhead shot of a breakfast board in bed. There's a cup of coffee, apples, and small cast iron skillets with eggs and grits.

    Visit The Grand Village Of The Natchez Indians

    Visit the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and learn about Native American history and the story behind Natchez, named for the Native American tribe, the Natchez. In addition to the Grand Village, there’s also the Emerald Mound, a prehistoric ceremonial center located near the start of the Natchez Trace. 

    Kayak Old Parts Of The Mississippi River

    The twists and turns of the Mississippi River have created oxbow lakes parallel to the mighty fast-moving river that are perfect for a peaceful afternoon of kayaking. Head out on a guided paddle with Robin Person of Outside IN Mississippi Adventure to spot local wildlife and enjoy the peace and quiet of being out on the water.

    Pete in a green kayak on an oxbow lake just outside of Natchez.

    Shop for Art & Antiques

    Natchez is a great place to shop for antiques, and some new galleries that have opened up make it ideal for art enthusiasts too. There are multiple antique shops along Franklin Street. And ArtsNatchez Gallery showcases multiple artists from Natchez and the surrounding area. We loved picking out some handmade kitchen items and home goods as souvenirs. 

    Two pictures: the one on top of a colorful old abandoned theater with alternating panels of color on the sign including green, red, blue, and yellow. The bottom picture is an antique store in a brick building that is the old site of the Bank of Mississippi.

    Indulge In Southern Food

    The variety of locally owned restaurants in Natchez really impressed us! For breakfast, Natchez Coffee Company will keep you caffeinated and feed your soul with comfort foods like biscuits and gravy and southern style grits. And, of course, I’d drive through multiple states again just for breakfast at Peter Hunter House.

    Overhead shot of tamales covered in sauce and cheese, pickled jalapeños, and chopped white onions, on a colorful yellow, blue, and red flowered table cloth. There are plastic wrapped pralines next to the plate (for dessert) and a yellow plastic cup filled with tea.

    For lunch and dinner, there are SO many choices. Stop by Fat Mama’s Tamales for spicy tamales, boudin, fire and ice pickles, and “knock you naked” margaritas. The Camp Restaurant down by the river has some of the best gourmet burgers in the south. And if you can’t decide on just one, The Camp offers burgers in smaller (3 ounce) sizes so you build your own burger flight.

    Rachelle holding a burger flight of three burgers on a small metal tray.

    We were also surprised to find authentic Mediterranean cuisine on the Mississippi at The Guest House Restaurant. (Homemade hummus and baba ghanoush, anyone?). And we got to sample the soon-to-open Church Hill Variety’s take on local flavors made with a gourmet twist.

    Overhead shot of a dish from Church Hill Variety: Sou vide stuffed chicken roulade, panko crusted and fried on a bed of mashed yukon gold potatoes and topped with fried julienne cut collard greens. Served with a side of green beans.

    And finally, two other places to note are Natzhez Brewing Company & Kitchen for craft beer and brick oven pizza, and Natchez Heritage School of Cooking for soul food and Creole cuisine. As you can see, you’ll be really well fed in Natchez.

    Explore Music & Blues History

    The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of the Blues, a soulful music genre with African American roots. The Mississippi Blues Highway, U.S. Highway 61, runs through Natchez with several historic Mississippi Blues Trail markers located in downtown. Plus, the Rhythm Night Club Memorial Museum and Delta Music Museum are both nearby and a must-visit for music-lovers.

    Rachelle standing on the porch of the old, rusty, wood historic building of Wagner's Grocery. There are light blue shutters closing up the old place and vintage CocaCola signs on the roof.

    Visit TV and Film Locations

    Natchez row of historic buildings along the Mississippi River in Natchez Under The Hill, the countless antebellum mansions, and old cemetaries makes the area perfect for storytelling. Over 76 films have featured the city and local area, including the late Chadwick Boseman’s biopic of James Brown in Get On Up. The Longwood was featured in the vampire series, True Blood, and scenes from Oh Brother, Where Art Though? were also filmed nearby.

    An old blue and red cottage in downtown Natchez.

    Sip Local Libations

    Natchez Brewing Company has an extensive list of locally made craft beer and a fun beer garden with picnic tables. There’s also the Old South Winery for a taste of sweet southern wine and Charboneau Distillery for stronger spirits and the first legally distilled rum produced in Mississippi.

    A pink and green cottage framed by palm trees in downtown Natchez.

    WHERE TO STAY IN NATCHEZ

    With over 45 bed and breakfasts and historic inns, bed and breakfast capitol of the south. While some historic homes are extravagantly decorated and can make you feel like you’re staying in a museum, Peter Hunter House was casually elegant, full of southern charm, and made us feel right at home.

    Peter Hunter House: A white, two story historic wood home.

    We stayed in 2020, so social distancing protocols in place, breakfast delvered outside our door each morning on a beautiful large charcuterie board prepped with everything from sausage and grits to french toast. I would gladly drive across three states again just for one of Hydie’s breakfasts.

    Rachelle having breakfast in bed at Peter Hunter House.

    Two other places we visited for a delicious meal (but didn’t stay overnight) were Monmouth Historic Inn and The Guest House. There truly are countless charming places to stay when visiting Natchez, and thankfully most are small boutique properties that make you feel like part of the community. 

    HOW TO GET TO NATCHEZ

    Pete and Rachelle inside a car preparing for a road trip.

    Road Trip – If you live in the southeastern part of the United States (or are visiting), Natchez is a wonderful road trip destination. From Nashville and surrounding areas, there’s the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway that will take you all the way to Natchez. From Texas, Louisiana, and other states, the interstate highways are probably your best bet. We drove up from Florida with a stop in South Walton on the way for a relaxing road trip. 

    River Boat – Taking a cruise with one of the many river boats planning trips up the Mississippi River, such as Viking River Cruises. Natchez is definitely one of the must-see stops and our recommendations above can be used as a guide to help plan your day.

    Flights – For flights, the closest airports to Natchez are New Orleans (MSY) or Baton Rouge (BTR). Be sure to see if Delta Airlines or the new budget friendly Avelo airlines have routes to this destination.

    Have you visited Natchez or driven the Natchez Trace? Tell us about it below! Driving the whole 444 miles of the Trace is now on our travel bucket list. And we’ll definitely be back to visit Natchez again.

     

    Filed Under: North America

    About Rachelle Lucas

    Rachelle is the founder of TheTravelBite.com and was named one of USA Today's 10Best Food and Travel Bloggers. She believes the best way to learn about a destination is through its flavors and collects recipes from her trips to recreate them here on The Travel Bite. In her spare time she enjoys running and yoga to balance out her food obsession.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lucy Sanguinetti says

      01/19/2021 at 12:29 pm

      My husband’s family is from Natchez so it is our getaway city of choice for weekend visits! It never gets old and is always welcoming! The food and the people accentuate the beautiful town to create a unique and wonderful experience with every visit. Thank you for your great article on a great town!

      Reply
      • Rachelle Lucas says

        01/19/2021 at 1:23 pm

        Thanks, Lucy! We loved Natchez.

        Reply
    2. Trixie Sheffield says

      02/16/2022 at 12:15 pm

      Are the shops open on sundays?

      Reply
      • Rachelle Lucas says

        02/16/2022 at 7:24 pm

        They were when we visited. But I’d double check any specific store hours.

        Reply

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