If you’re planning a day trip from Jackson, consider yourself lucky: The state capital sits at the crossroad of two major interstate highways, making it easy to get to nearby cities, north, south, east or west. Here are a few points of interest to help you make a decision.
Hattiesburg (91 Miles)
African American Military History Museum (305 E. 6th St., 601-450-1942, http://www.hattiesburguso.com)
Laser Mania (905 Hardy Street, 601-543-0072, http://www.lasermania.com)
Peps Point Water Park (382 Peps Point Road, 601-582-8461)
Tupelo (105.42 Miles)
Elvis Presley Pool (2107 Country Club Road, 662-841-6535, http://www.tupeloparkrec.com)
Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo (2272 Coley Road, 662-844-8709, http://www.tupelobuffalopark.com)
Birmingham (91.38 Miles)
Alabama Sports Hall Of Fame (2150 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., 205-323-6665, http://www.ashof.org)
Amistad Murals at Talladega College (627 W. Battle St., Talladega, 256-362-0206, http://www.talladega.edu/amistad-murals)
Birmingham Zoo (2630 Cahaba Road, 205-879-0409, http://www.birminghamzoo.com)
Desoto Caverns Park (5181 Desoto Caverns Parkway, Childersburg, Ala., 256-378-7252, http://www.desotocavernspark.com
New Orleans (157 Miles)
Haunted History Tours (97 Fontainebleau Drive, 504-861-2727, http://www.hauntedhistorytours.com)
National World War II Museum (945 Magazine St., 504-528-1944, http://www.nationalww2museum.org)
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum 724 Dumaine St., 504-680-0128, http://www.voodoomuseum.com)
Preservation Hall Jazz Band (726 St. Peter, 504-522-2841, http://www.preservationhall.com)
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.