Nicknamed the Crossroads of the South, the state capital Jackson MS is well known for its blues music tradition and Southern cuisine. It is also a city with interesting attractions, both for residents and visitors.
The city contains one of the oldest zoos, dating back to 1919. Jackson Zoo is the second largest in Mississippi with more than 525 animals. It welcomes school groups and has a variety of species on show. Animals include the African Elephant, Black Bear, chimpanzees, Black Tailed Prairie Dog and Cotton Top Tamarin. The Reptile House has tortoises and alligators and the aviary contains swans, flamingos, ostrich and peacocks. There is also the scary tarantula and a Black Widow Spider.
Sporting heroes are honored at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Memorabilia of various sports stars from the past is on display, including for Jake Gibbs, Dizzy Dean and Walter Payton. The museum presents hands on exhibits and archive footage of great sporting moments and interviews with top sportsmen and women. There are specialist exhibitions, including one on sports medicine. It's a great family day out in Jackson MS and children enjoy it immensely.
The history of the area is found at the Oaks House, also known as Boyd's House. It is one of the oldest residential houses in Jackson MS and was built in an elegant Greek revival style in 1853. It was fortunate to survive the Civil War as most houses in its vicinity were burned to the ground. Mr. Boyd was the original occupant, a man who was town mayor on four occasions. Subsequent generations of his family lived in the house until 1960. Now a museum, the mid-19th century furnishings give an insight into that period and old farm implements are also on display in the milk house and buttery. The lovely grounds are filled with azaleas, crepe myrtle and old oak trees.
An impressive art collection is on show at the Mississippi Museum of Art and the gallery is one of the major reasons to visit Jackson MS. There are changing exhibits and a permanent collection that mainly contains paintings and sculptures from the mid-19th century onward by American artists. Mississippi artists feature alongside famous names such as James Whistler, Georgia O'Keefe and Andy Warhol. European painters are also exhibited, including Pablo Picasso, Claude Renoir and Paul C?zanne. There is also a display of basket weaving by Native American craftspeople.
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