A trip to Gulfport can focus on the coast, walking trails or city history. The city has beaches with soft, white sand, as well as named walking routes and attractions centered on marine life. The Gulfport Museum of History adds the city’s history to these themes. You can plan your days around whether you prefer to spend time at the beach, on a trail or focusing on local history and culture.
Beach and trails: different distances
The Discover Gulfport Walking Trail has sidewalks and, where appropriate, marked pedestrian crossings. The trail map shows public parking and restrooms. This provides practical guidance when planning a walk and getting your bearings on the map beforehand.
A clear comparison of distances can help you choose a route: the First Discovery Loop is a 1.3-mile route for pedestrians; the Discovery Path is 3.3 miles long and has scenic sections along the water. This offers a shorter distance and a longer route with an added connection to the water—two points to consider when planning a walk.
Marine life and touch pools
The Mississippi Aquarium features 12 freshwater and saltwater habitats and more than 200 species of aquatic animals. These include bottlenose dolphins, North American river otters, sharks and rays. An interactive touch pool adds a hands-on encounter to animal viewing: guests can experience crustaceans, rays, horseshoe crabs and sharks, among others.
The IMMS Discovery Center also has touch pools and display aquariums in its Discovery Room. Exhibits may change; if specific exhibits are important to your visit, it’s best to check what’s currently on display beforehand. At Ocean Adventures Marine Park, the Tweeter Post is a walk-through aviary where visitors can feed the parakeets that live there. Animal programs may change.
At the Stingray Encounter, visitors can feed, touch and interact with rays in waist-deep water. Participation details may change; check them before your visit if the experience is important to your plans. The attractions differ not only in the animals on display, but also in whether the focus is on observing them or having a direct encounter.
History and seasonal planning
The Gulfport Museum of History is housed in the historic Union Station Railroad Depot, built in 1904. It displays artifacts and documents about Gulfport’s more than 125-year history. The site combines a historic railway station building with exhibits about the city’s development—a different focus from beaches, trails or marine life.
The departure point for Ship Island Excursions is the Small Vessel Harbor in Gulfport. The service is seasonal; check the current operating dates before your trip. This makes the excursion a separate point to consider in your planning, rather than grouping it with interests such as beaches, walking trails or city history, which are generally available year-round.
Discover more destinations: D'Iberville, Biloxi.
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