Small town · 34 min north
Laurel
Pretty historic downtown plus the free Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Day Trippin' › Mississippi › From Hattiesburg
Day trips from Hattiesburg
From Hattiesburg, the Hattiesburg Zoo is minutes away, the Longleaf Trace about 15, Paul B. Johnson State Park about 20, Laurel and the Lauren Rogers Museum about 35, and the Gulf Coast, from the Mississippi Aquarium to Ship Island, a little over an hour. The best day trips from Hattiesburg, by drive time.
145 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Hattiesburg
- Laurel 34 min north
- Lauren Rogers Museum of Art 34 min north
- Ship Island 1 hr 14 min south
- Ocean Springs 1 hr 19 min southeast
- French Quarter 1 hr 41 min southwest
- National WWII Museum 1 hr 41 min southwest
- Audubon Zoo 1 hr 49 min southwest
- Bellingrath Gardens and Home 2 hr 5 min southeast
- Vicksburg National Military Park 2 hr 12 min northwest
- Natchez 2 hr 23 min west
Within an hour from Hattiesburg 2 spots
Museum · 34 min north
Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
Excellent art museum in Laurel, free since 1923.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (check hours)
- Free
1 to 2 hours from Hattiesburg 73 spots
Small town · 1 hr 19 min southeast
Ocean Springs
Artsy, walkable downtown under live oaks, with galleries, cafes and shops. One of the best small towns on the coast.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Historic site · 1 hr 41 min southwest
French Quarter
The oldest part of New Orleans, with Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Royal Street galleries and the French Market all in easy walking distance. You can cross the whole Quarter on foot in about 20 minutes.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round; best Oct-Apr
- Free to walk
Zoo · 1 hr 49 min southwest
Audubon Zoo
A big, shady zoo in Uptown with a Louisiana swamp area, giraffes, jaguars and plenty of room for kids to roam. Ride the St. Charles streetcar to get close.
- Half day · Easy
- Daily 10am-5pm; closed Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving, Christmas
- Adult $30-$40, child/senior $25-$35, under 2 free (checked Nov 2026)
Island · 1 hr 14 min south
Ship Island
A ferry ride from Gulfport to clear water, white sand and Fort Massachusetts. The best beach day on the Mississippi coast.
- Full day · Easy
- Ferry runs spring to fall only (about mid-March to early November in 2026)
- Ferry fare (check current price on msshipisland.com); fort tours free
Museum · 1 hr 41 min southwest
National WWII Museum
One of the best history museums in the country, with planes, personal stories and big immersive exhibits about World War II. Plan more time than you think.
- Half day · Easy
- Daily 9am-5pm; closed Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day
- Adult $37, students $27, under 5 free (checked Nov 2026)
National park · 1 hr 34 min southeast
Davis Bayou Area
The only drive-in part of the Mississippi seashore. Bayou trails, bird watching, fishing and ranger programs a few minutes from downtown Ocean Springs.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free (boat launch fee)
State park · 1 hr 31 min southwest
Fontainebleau State Park
A big lakeside park in Mandeville with a sandy beach on Lake Pontchartrain, old oaks, a 4.8-mile trail and the Tammany Trace running right through it.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round; gate 7am-9pm
- $3 per person; 62+ and 3 and under free (checked Nov 2026)
Family fun · 1 hr 37 min northwest
Mississippi Children's Museum
Hands-on play museum in Jackson built for young kids, with outdoor gardens.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Tue-Sun; closed Mondays
- Admission charged (check)
2 to 3 hours from Hattiesburg 68 spots
National park · 2 hr 12 min northwest
Vicksburg National Military Park
16-mile tour road past the siege lines, monuments and the ironclad USS Cairo.
- Half day · Easy
- Tour road daily 8:30 am-5 pm
- National park entrance fee (under 16 free)
Small town · 2 hr 23 min west
Natchez
Historic river town with antebellum homes, river bluff views and great food.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round; Pilgrimage in spring and fall
- Free to wander; home tours charged
Garden · 2 hr 5 min southeast
Bellingrath Gardens and Home
A 1930s estate on the Fowl River with big formal gardens, azaleas in spring and a famous holiday lights show. The historic home is open for tours.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; azaleas Mar-Apr; lights late Nov-early Jan
- Paid admission (check)
State park · 2 hr 29 min southeast
Gulf State Park
Two miles of quiet Gulf beach plus Lake Shelby, a fishing and education pier, a nature center and a swimming pool. It is the big outdoor hub of the Alabama coast.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round; best Mar-May and Oct-Nov
- Alabama State Parks fee (check)
Historic site · 2 hr 32 min southwest
Oak Alley Plantation
Famous for its quarter-mile tunnel of 300-year-old live oaks leading to the big house. The site also covers the lives of the people enslaved there.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; hours (check)
- Adult $(check), child $(check)
Museum · 2 hr 25 min southwest
Whitney Plantation
A museum focused fully on the history of slavery, with original buildings and memorials. A moving, important visit.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- 9:30am-4:30pm; closed Tuesdays; last entry 3pm
- Fee (check)
Wildlife · 2 hr 8 min southeast
Weeks Bay Reserve
A free nature center with live animals and boardwalks through marsh, forest and a pitcher plant bog where Fish River meets Weeks Bay.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Visitor center Mon-Sat 9 am-5 pm; closed state and federal holidays
- Free
Scenic drive · 2 hr 22 min west
Natchez Trace Parkway
Slow, scenic parkway that starts in Natchez and runs north across the state. Stop at mounds, swamps and old inns.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 39401 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.