Accessible Travel In Mississippi
Mississippi welcomes all visitors with disabilities and special travel needs. The attractions listed below offer outstanding experiences and accommodations, demonstrating our state’s commitment to making Mississippi a state that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Ship Island, Gulf Islands National Seashore
Located 13 miles from Biloxi in the Gulf of Mexico, Ship Island offers travelers pristine beaches and the opportunity to explore a historic Civil War-era fortification.
Ship Island can be accessed through private boat, charter boat, or the Ship Islands Excursions ferry. Ferries depart from the Gulfport Small Vessel Harbor and the Margaritaville Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Boats are equipped with ramps for boarding and wheelchair tie-downs on the first deck and cabin. Expect the boat ride to last about an hour each way. Beach access is provided via a continuous pier and boardwalk.
All facilities on Ship Island, except for the second level of Fort Massachusetts, are accessible. Beach and street wheelchairs are available on Ship Island on a first-come, first served basis. (Ask a ranger or volunteer for information.) People with disabilities can bring qualified service animals, which must be leashed unless it interferes with their work. ASL translators are available upon request with two weeks’ notice, and additional accommodations can be requested via email.
Ferry service is available seasonally, from March through October.
Hattiesburg Zoo
The whole family can enjoy the wonders of the animal kingdom at the Hattiesburg Zoo. The zoo is home to more than 100 species of animals, with a variety of activities, animal encounters, and opportunities to learn about the importance of conservation and care for animals.
The Hattiesburg Zoo is wheelchair accessible, and wheelchairs are available for free at the main entrance upon request. Guests with mobility challenges can rent electronic convenience vehicles on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Hattiesburg Zoo was the first attraction in Mississippi to be certified by KultureCity as a sensory inclusive location. During scheduled sensory days, the zoo offers sensory bags at the zoo office which include noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads. Throughout the zoo, staff turn off the music, ensure train rides are quiet, and offer quiet animal encounters.
Grammy Museum Mississippi
In the Grammy Museum Mississippi, visitors can find inspiration in the best of American music and learn about Mississippi’s groundbreaking contributions to popular music worldwide.
The entire museum facility meets or exceeds ADA requirements. Manual or motorized wheelchairs are available upon request, and parking for disabled guests is available at the East and West garages for those with a state-issued placard or license plate.
Sensory bags with weighted lap pads are provided upon request at the front desk to individuals with sensory processing needs. The bags also contain KCVIP badges, fidget tools, noise-canceling headphones, and other resources available for checkout at no additional cost. Licensed service animals and guide dogs are welcome on the premises. Proof of certification is strongly suggested.
Handheld personal listening devices for all performances and films are available for free to guests upon request.
Vicksburg National Military Park
The Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates the campaign and 40-day siege of Vicksburg, events that changed the fate of the American Civil War.
The park recommends starting every visit at their Visitor Center, where guests can learn more about the park’s accessible areas and accommodations available to visitors with disabilities and special needs. Visitor facilities at the park are handicapped accessible with accessible parking available.
The Visitor Center presents an orientation film with closed captions, and visitors can request personal sound amplifiers upon entry. The Clay Street Visitor Center’s fiber optic map features a narration track detailing the Vicksburg campaign events, and the park’s updated wayside displays now include tactile features.
An audio CD of the entire park tour is available for purchase. Licensed park tour guides are also available for hire at the Visitor Center and will provide a two-hour driving tour in your own vehicle. The park and indoor facilities allow designated service animals throughout.
Mississippi Museum of Art
Mississippi’s largest art museum showcases extensive collections from Pre-Columbian times to the modern day and dedicates itself to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. Here, all visitors can experience and draw inspiration from the power of human artistic expression.
Along Lamar Street and behind the museum, visitors can find wheelchair-accessible parking. The parking lots feature four ramps, and the Art and Walker Gardens outdoor spaces offer four additional ramps. At the visitor services desk, visitors can request manual wheelchairs upon arrival.
Audio guides of the museum are available using the Bloomberg Connects app (headphones not provided). The app is compatible with screen reader devices, and audio and video within the app have transcripts and captions.
Mississippi Aquarium
The Mississippi Aquarium’s indoor and outdoor exhibits provides accessible opportunities to observe more than 200 species of aquatic animals including bottlenose dolphins, North American river otters, sharks, and stingrays.
The ticketing office located in the front of the building provides wheelchairs for rent on a first-come, first-serve basis. The entire building is accessible for everyone with wide hallways and open areas for viewing the enclosures.
Sensory bags are available inside the aquarium’s Changing Tides exhibit. Bags contain badges, a feeling thermometer, fidget tools, and noise canceling headphones. Quiet areas, marked and situated at the lower river habitat, contrast with headphone zones (loud areas) found at the touch pools in Aquatic Wonders and the rainforest habitat in Changing Tides. Service animals are also welcome at Mississippi Aquarium.
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center For Children
At the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, children of all abilities can learn about history, occupations, space, medicine and so much more as they engage in fun and educational activities.
The museum and its outdoor areas are wheelchair accessible. Service animals are also welcome on the premises to assist visitors. A limited number of wheelchairs and children’s crutches are available at the front desk.
Sensory backpacks including tactile, auditory, and visual aides are are also available upon request to accommodate children with special sensory needs. Additionally, the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center hosts Sensory Sundays for children on the autism spectrum every second Sunday of the month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Mississippi Children’s Museum (Jackson) and LeFleur’s Bluff Playground
Mississippi’s first and largest children’s museum offers an inclusive and inviting experience, designed for children of all ages and abilities..
The Museum is wheelchair accessible, with spacious exhibits inside and sidewalks and paved nature walks outside. KultureCity sensory kits and maps are available. The museum schedules Special Sensory Friendly Days during its summer season to accommodate children with sensory needs. These days feature fewer visitors, reduced lighting and sound, and assistance from Sensory Inclusive Certified staff.
Outside the museum, the LeFleur’s Bluff Playground is a 30,000 square feet playground designed to maximize inclusivity and accessibility. With different areas designed for certain age groups, the playground features one-of-a-kind structures and 73 total accessible activities. The playground’s unique Wedra and Hedra Tower provide children from 6 months to 12 years old with varying abilities the opportunity to enjoy activities specifically designed for them. Shade covers 75 percent of the playground, offering year-round opportunities for active play.
Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino
Guests of Biloxi’s Golden Nugget can enjoy exciting table games and luxurious hotel rooms and suites in an inclusive facility that welcomes all.
The casino features accessibility-focused design, including ADA-compliant guest rooms, concierge desk, restaurants, spa, salon, exercise facility, swimming pool with hoist, and business center. It also has elevators with braille floor buttons for the visually impaired and closed-captioned TV screens for the hearing impaired. TTY and other assistive devices are available upon request.
Bill Waller Craft Center
The Bill Waller Craft Center is home to the Craftsman’s Guild of Mississippi. Visitors to the center can view Mississippi-made crafts, participate in workshops and events, and purchase craft goods.
The 20,000 square feet center has a spacious retail gallery providing accessibility for all guests, with an elevator to provide access to the second floor. Accessible parking and ramps, inside and outside the center, offer wheelchair access to and throughout the facility.
