12 Things To Do In Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Ocean Springs has the rare Gulf Coast mix that makes a weekend feel longer than it actually is.
This Mississippi town gives you art galleries, bayou trails, beach views, live oaks, fresh seafood, local shops, and enough charm to make a quick visit turn into a full itinerary.
It is small enough to explore without stress, but interesting enough that you will keep adding stops. One hour might be spent wandering downtown.
The next could take you into a museum, onto the water, through a nature preserve, or straight toward a meal worth talking about later. Families, couples, solo travelers, and road-trippers all find their own version of a good day here.
That is the real magic. Ocean Springs, Mississippi does not shout for attention, but once you spend time here, it becomes very hard to treat it like a one-time stop.
1. Walter Anderson Museum Of Art
Few museums in the American South carry the kind of raw, electric energy that the Walter Anderson Museum of Art does.
Walter Anderson was a visionary artist who spent his life painting the Gulf Coast’s wildlife, plants, and landscapes with a passion that bordered on obsession. His work is bold, intricate, and completely unforgettable.
The crown jewel of the museum is Anderson’s “Little Room,” a small community center room he secretly covered floor to ceiling with vivid murals. You walk in and your jaw simply drops.
The paintings feel alive, like the walls are breathing.
Beyond the Little Room, the museum holds thousands of his drawings, watercolors, and carvings. The museum sits at 510 Washington Ave and is open Tuesday through Sunday.
Plan to spend at least two hours here because rushing through would be doing yourself a serious disservice. Admission is affordable and the staff genuinely loves talking about Anderson’s legacy.
Art lovers, nature fans, and curious travelers all leave with a new favorite artist. It is that kind of place.
2. Fort Maurepas City Park And Nature Preserve
Right on the waterfront, Fort Maurepas City Park is where Ocean Springs residents go to breathe. The park sits at 499 Front Beach Dr and offers one of the most relaxed, beautiful stretches of public space on the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast.
It is free, open daily, and almost always has a breeze rolling off the water.
History lovers will appreciate that this spot marks the site of Mississippi’s very first European settlement, established by French colonists in 1699. That is a seriously old piece of ground you are standing on.
The park does not let that history feel heavy though. It keeps things light with a splash pad for kids, a fishing pier, and a dog friendly beach that draws four legged visitors from all over the area.
Bring a blanket and stay a while. Sunsets from the pier are genuinely spectacular, the kind that make you reach for your phone but then put it down because no photo does it justice.
Fort Maurepas is the perfect starting point for a full day of exploring Ocean Springs at your own pace.
3. Shearwater Pottery
Pottery does not get more storied than what you will find at Shearwater Pottery. Peter Anderson, brother of the legendary Walter Anderson, founded this working studio in 1928.
Nearly a century later the Anderson family still runs it, still throws clay, and still produces pieces that collectors across the country actively seek out.
The studio and shop sit at 102 Shearwater Dr, just a short drive from downtown. Walking through the space feels like entering a living museum, except everything on the shelves is actually for sale.
The pieces range from simple, elegant dinnerware to hand painted figurines and decorative tiles that feature coastal animals and plants.
Each item is handcrafted, so no two pieces are exactly alike. That is part of what makes buying something here feel special rather than transactional.
The staff is warm and knowledgeable, happy to explain the history behind specific designs or glaze techniques. Shearwater is also a great spot to find a meaningful souvenir that will actually mean something back home.
Skip the airport gift shop and get something real instead. Your future self will thank you for it.
4. Twelve Oaks Nature Trail
Sometimes the best thing a town can offer is a quiet place to walk and think. Twelve Oaks Nature Trail delivers exactly that, and then some.
The trail winds through a beautiful stretch of natural habitat right inside city limits, which is a small miracle in itself. You can access it from 2695 Bienville Blvd without any fees or permits required.
The trail is popular with joggers, dog walkers, and birders who know that Mississippi’s coastal forests hide a surprising variety of species. Keep your eyes up and your phone on silent because the wildlife here does not perform on demand.
Patience gets rewarded with sightings of woodpeckers, herons, and the occasional red tailed hawk cruising overhead.
The path is well maintained and manageable for most fitness levels, making it a solid choice for families with older kids or anyone who wants to stretch their legs between meals and museum visits.
Morning visits are especially rewarding when the light filters through the canopy and the air still carries that cool, piney freshness.
Bring water, wear comfortable shoes, and give yourself permission to slow down. Twelve Oaks earns its reputation as a local gem.
5. Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR Fontainebleau Nature Trail
There are roughly 100 Mississippi sandhill cranes left on Earth. That number alone makes the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge one of the most significant natural areas in the entire southeastern United States.
The Fontainebleau Nature Trail, accessible from Hanshaw Rd, gives visitors a rare chance to walk through the wet pine savanna habitat these birds depend on for survival.
The trail is flat, peaceful, and genuinely educational. Interpretive signs along the route explain the refuge’s conservation efforts and the ecological importance of the savanna ecosystem.
Fall and winter are the best seasons to spot the cranes themselves, though the landscape is worth visiting year round for its quiet, almost meditative atmosphere.
Wildlife photographers especially love this spot because the open savanna terrain creates natural framing opportunities that dense forest trails simply cannot match. Even if you do not spot a crane on your visit, the birdlife here is remarkably diverse.
Red cockaded woodpeckers, gopher tortoises, and various migratory songbirds all call this refuge home at different times of year. It is the kind of place that reminds you how much beauty exists just off the main road.
6. Savor The Coast Food Tours
Ocean Springs has a food scene that punches well above the town’s size, and Savor the Coast Food Tours exists to make sure you do not miss a single bite of it.
Based at 1000 Government St, the tour company leads guided walking experiences through downtown that combine local history with serious eating. It is basically a history lesson you can taste.
Groups are kept small so the experience feels personal rather than crowded. Your guide walks you through the story of Ocean Springs while stopping at carefully selected local spots to sample dishes that reflect the region’s Gulf Coast culinary identity.
Expect fresh seafood, bold Southern flavors, and a few surprises that you would never have found wandering on your own.
Tours are a fantastic option for first time visitors who want to get oriented quickly without spending three days eating at the wrong places. They are also genuinely fun for repeat visitors who want to see familiar spots through a different lens.
Book in advance because spots fill up, especially on weekends. Good food shared in good company in a great town is honestly one of life’s simpler but more satisfying pleasures.
Savor the Coast nails that formula every single time.
7. Realizations
Shopping in Ocean Springs is genuinely fun, and Realizations is a big part of why. The boutique at 1000 Washington Ave has been a downtown staple for years, offering a carefully curated mix of clothing, jewelry, gifts, and accessories that lean toward the artistic and the one of a kind.
It is the kind of store where you walk in for one thing and leave with four.
The inventory changes regularly so repeat visits almost always turn up something new. Regulars make a habit of stopping in every time they are in town, and the staff makes everyone feel like a regular from the very first visit.
The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming rather than the intimidating, overly styled vibe you sometimes get at boutiques in bigger cities.
Realizations is especially strong when it comes to locally made and Gulf Coast inspired pieces. If you are hunting for a gift that actually tells a story about where it came from, start here.
The store sits right along the oak lined stretch of Washington Avenue, so pairing a shopping trip with a leisurely stroll through downtown is an easy and satisfying combination. Ocean Springs retail at its absolute finest is what you will find here.
8. Coastal Magpie
Coastal Magpie is the kind of shop that makes you question every boring gift you have ever given anyone. The store at 918 Washington Ave is a wonderfully eclectic collection of home goods, art prints, coastal decor, and handpicked curiosities that somehow all make sense together.
It has that rare quality of feeling both carefully curated and delightfully surprising at the same time.
The owners have a strong eye for what is charming without being kitschy, which is genuinely hard to pull off in a coastal tourist town. You will find things here that you simply cannot find anywhere else, including pieces from local artists and makers who do not have wide distribution.
That exclusivity is part of the appeal.
Coastal Magpie is also just a fun place to browse even if you are not planning to buy anything. The visual merchandising is creative enough that walking through feels like a small gallery experience.
Of course, most people end up buying something anyway because the price points are reasonable and the temptation is real. Washington Avenue is already a beautiful street to walk along, and Coastal Magpie makes it even more worth the stroll.
Go twice just to be safe.
9. Ocean Springs Mercantile
Every great small town has a place where the best of the local food scene and artisan community comes together under one roof. In Ocean Springs, that place is Ocean Springs Mercantile at 700 Washington Ave.
The shop carries an impressive selection of locally sourced products including hot sauces, jams, honey, bath goods, and handcrafted items that represent the Gulf Coast’s creative community.
It is a brilliant stop for food lovers who want to bring a taste of the Mississippi Coast home with them. The hot sauce selection alone is worth a dedicated visit.
Gulf Coast producers make some genuinely bold and creative sauces that you will not find in any grocery store chain, and Mercantile stocks a solid rotating variety of them.
The shop also works well as a one stop gift destination when you realize at the end of a trip that you forgot to pick up something for everyone back home. No judgment, it happens to the best of us.
The staff is helpful without being pushy, and the space itself is warm and well organized. Ocean Springs Mercantile represents exactly the kind of thoughtful, community focused retail that makes a downtown worth visiting in the first place. It is a keeper.
10. Weeks Bayou Nature Trail
Not everyone needs a dramatic landscape to feel refreshed. Sometimes a quiet bayou path through cypress and hardwood forest is exactly the right medicine.
Weeks Bayou Nature Trail, accessible from Shearwater Dr, offers a genuinely serene walking experience that feels miles away from the bustle of the main streets even though it is right in town.
The trail follows the edge of Weeks Bayou, giving walkers consistent water views and the kind of reflective stillness that is hard to manufacture anywhere else.
Turtles sun themselves on logs, herons stand motionless in the shallows, and the occasional osprey makes a pass overhead looking for a meal.
It is a naturalist’s casual afternoon and a photographer’s quiet playground.
The trail is relatively flat and accessible, making it a good option for families or anyone who wants nature without a serious workout. Early morning visits are particularly atmospheric when mist sits low over the water and the birds are most active.
Weeks Bayou does not try to impress you with size or spectacle. It earns its place on this list through pure, unassuming beauty.
Mississippi’s Gulf Coast has no shortage of natural wonders, and this bayou trail is one of the most underappreciated among them.
11. Ocean Springs Harbor Pier
The Ocean Springs Harbor Pier on Bienville Blvd is the kind of spot that makes you want to slow your whole life down. Locals bring fishing rods, fold out chairs, and a cooler and call it a perfect afternoon.
Visitors discover within about ten minutes why the locals are onto something very, very good.
The pier stretches out over the harbor and offers panoramic views of the surrounding waterway, the marina, and on clear days the barrier islands in the distance. It is a free, accessible public space that requires nothing from you except showing up.
Sunrise visits have a magical quality, with pink and gold light reflecting off the still water while the harbor slowly wakes up around you.
Fishing from the pier is a popular activity and you do not need to be an expert to enjoy it. Cast a line, wait patiently, and let the Gulf Coast rhythm take over.
Even if nothing bites, the experience of sitting above the water with a breeze on your face is its own reward. The harbor area also has nearby spots to grab food before or after, making it easy to build a full, satisfying afternoon around this one beautiful stretch of water.
12. Bending Pines Watersports
Ocean Springs is surrounded by water, and Bending Pines Watersports at 1160 Iola Rd makes it remarkably easy to actually get out on it. The outfitter rents kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards and also offers guided tours through the area’s network of bayous and waterways.
For anyone who has ever wanted to explore the Gulf Coast from water level, this is the starting line.
The bayous around Ocean Springs are genuinely stunning from a kayak. The perspective changes everything.
Marsh grasses tower above you, herons stand just a few feet away, and the whole coastal ecosystem feels immediate and real in a way that no nature documentary can replicate. It is hands on, slightly adventurous, and completely worth the effort.
Guided tours are a smart choice for first timers because the waterways can be tricky to navigate without local knowledge. The guides know where to find wildlife, which routes offer the most scenic payoff, and how to read the tides.
Equipment rentals are available for experienced paddlers who prefer to explore independently. Bending Pines keeps the whole operation friendly and accessible regardless of your experience level.
Mississippi’s coastal waterways are a world class natural resource, and getting out on them is one of the best decisions you will make all trip.