Natchez, Mississippi

Natchez, Mississippi, the county seat of Adams County, celebrated its 300th birthday in 2016. Located along the Mississippi River, Natchez is the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

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Natchez was founded by French colonists in 1716. The city is famous in American history for its role in the development of the Old Southwest, particularly with respect to its location on the Mississippi River.

Natchez is well-known for the numerous antebellum mansions and estates built by its early 19th-century planter society, many of whom owned plantations in Louisiana but chose to locate their homes on the higher ground in Mississippi. Prior to the American Civil War, Natchez had the most millionaires per capita of any city in the United States, making it arguably the wealthiest city in the nation at the time. It was frequented by notables such as Aaron Burr, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor and Jefferson Davis.

Today, the city boasts that it has more antebellum homes than anywhere else in the United States, partly due to the fact that during the Civil War Natchez was spared the destruction of many other Southern cities. The population of Natchez was 15,269 in 2014.

Things to See and Do

• Silver Street Gallery and Gifts - Unique gifts, clothing, art and home decor. Great shopping with a view of the Mississippi River.
• Downtown Karla Brown Tours - Natchez History Tours, Natchez Ghost Tours and Greg Iles Book Tours
• Grand Village of the Natchez Indians - The Natchez Indians lived in present-day southwest Mississippi circa. AD 700-1730.
• Longwood - The largest octagonal house in the country.
• Natchez Antebellum Tour Homes - Several antebellum era homes and mansions are open to tour year round.
• Natchez Bluff Trail - The trail follows a path on top of Natchez Bluff with spectacular views of the Mississippi River and then down a 200' wooden staircase to the base of the bluff.
• Natchez in Historic Photographs Gallery - Located in the Stratton Chapel Gallery in downtown Natchez behind First Presbyterian Church is an outstanding collection of photographs taken from as early as 1860.
• Natchez City Cemetery - Located just north of downtown and overlooking the Mississippi River, the cemetery was established in 1822.
• Natchez National Cemetery - Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the cemetery sits on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River just north of downtown Natchez.
• Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture - Created in 1990 to research, collect, exhibit, interpret and preserve the cultural and historical contributions of African Americans in the growth of Natchez and the nation.
• Natchez Visitor Center - The visitor center is located in downtown Natchez on Main Street.
• William Johnson House - Known as the “barber” of Natchez, William Johnson was born into slavery in 1809, was emancipated at the age of 11, kept an extensive diary starting in 1835 that was later discovered and published in 1951.
• Natchez Pilgrimage Tours - Historic Home Tours in Natchez: Spring Pilgrimage of Antebellum Homes, Grand Fall Pilgrimage and Year-Round Home Tours

Places to Stay

• The Guest House Inn & Restaurant
• Brandon Hall Plantation Bed and Breakfast
• Choctaw Hall Bed and Breakfast
• Devereaux Shields House Bed and Breakfast
• La Perl Bed and Breakfast
• Linden Bed and Breakfast
• River Edge Suites
• The Burn Bed and Breakfast

• Directions, Map, Dining and Area Attractions
  
• Natchez Restaurants
• Natchez Festivals and Events
• Books (non-fiction and fiction) about Natchez
• Natchez Photo Galleries:
  • Tour Homes
  • Mississippi River
  • Church Buildings
  • Downtown Natchez
  • Bed and Breakfasts
• Natchez Trace - Natchez Access / Exit Roads:
  • US Highway 61
  • Liberty Road