As the official marketing and management organization for Hattiesburg, the staff of Visit Hattiesburg has placed significant focus on regional and media outreach.
That effort has paid off in a big way, as the city recently was featured in the August edition of Southern Living, a lifestyle magazine aimed at readers in the southern United States featuring recipes, house and garden plans, and information about southern culture and travel. The city and its tourism was put on center stage in an article titled “The Best Things To Do In Hattiesburg, Mississippi.”
“When we can gain the attention of a publication that’s internationally recognized like Southern Living, that’s really a testament to the quality of work that we are achieving alongside all of our partners in tourism here in Hattiesburg,” said Marlo Dorsey, executive director of Visit Hattiesburg. “We were thrilled to see many partners throughout Hattiesburg highlighted in this excellent publication.”
The Southern Living article, which touts Hattiesburg’s status as a Mississippi Main Street Community and a Main Street America downtown, highlights such offerings as the Hattiesburg Public Art Trail, which features more than 100 works of art. That includes more than 40 murals, a dozen large-scale sculptures and 40 hand-painted utility boxes throughout the city.
Destinations mentioned in the article include the Saenger Theater on Forrest Street in downtown Hattiesburg, which was built circa 1929 as a movie palace and today offers a wide variety of shows and other events. Also highlighted is the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum, which is located in “an undisclosed alley in downtown Hattiesburg” and features a monthly-changing window display of miniature items donated from residents around the world.
The Mohawk Steel & Glass Company – which offers regular classes where novices can learn to blow their own glass flowers, paperweights, vases and more – is mentioned in the article, as is the Lucky Rabbit. That site offers 15,000 square feet of vintage and antique items, as well as displays such as classic arcade games, old drink machines, working payphones and other collectibles.
There’s also locations such as Walnut Square Gifts and Stationery, Main Street Books and Sacks Outdoors.
“At the local level, we know – because we’re residents here – all the wonderful things that our community has to offer, and the talent and entrepreneurs that are here in our community,” Dorsey said. “But to see so many highlighted not only on a national, but an international stage, it just fills us with such a sense of gratitude, that we have the opportunity to work alongside them to share with the world all the great things that Hattiesburg has to offer.”
The Civil Rights Movement is featured prominently in “The Best Things To Do In Hattiesburg, Mississippi,” with locations such as the Eureka School Civil Rights Museum. That building, which is part of the East Sixth Street Museum District run by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, was built in 1921 and was one of two brick high schools for Black Americans in Mississippi. The museum district also includes the African American Military History Museum.
Residents and tourists also can visit the Freedom Summer Trail, a collection of markers and significant locations that tell the story, via an audio tour, of Mississippi’s 1964 Freedom Summer.
As far as recreational activities, the Southern Living article mentions the Hattiesburg Zoo and the Longleaf Trace, a 44-mile biking/running path that stretches from Hattiesburg to Prentiss. Restaurants include – but certainly are not limited to – The Midtowner, Loblolly Bakery, Southbound Bagels & Coffee and Trattoria Pizzeria.
The “Best Places to Stay” segment of the article mentions Whiskey on the River, the Bay Bed & Breakfast and Hotel Indigo, among others.
“As part of our overall strategic plan, we want to make sure that we are sharing things that Hattiesburg has throughout the year,” Dorsey said. “We look forward to seeing more of these items in the coming months.”
