Downtown Biloxi guide: the lighthouse and free Visitors Center, Howard Avenue museums, 35 murals, Rue Magnolia dining, the market and How Hop.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Sources: Biloxi Main Street, the City of Biloxi’s Visitors Center page and downtown mural map (PDF), and each venue’s own website. Hours change; check before you go.

Downtown Biloxi runs from the lighthouse on Beach Boulevard north along Howard Avenue, with Lameuse Street, Reynoir Street and the brick lane of Rue Magnolia in between. It is small enough to walk: park once, see the lighthouse, eat on Lameuse and walk the murals. The casino towers of Beau Rivage and Hard Rock sit at its southern edge.

Who to call

  • Biloxi Main Street (downtown events, First Fridays, vendors): 228-435-6339, mainstreetbiloxi.com
  • Biloxi Visitors Center: 228-374-3105 or 1-800-245-6943
  • Special events traffic plans: City of Biloxi

Start at the lighthouse

The Biloxi Lighthouse has stood on Beach Boulevard since 1848. Across the parking lot, the Biloxi Visitors Center, 1050 Beach Blvd., opened in July 2011 and is a free museum of the city, with about a dozen multimedia exhibits, a 67-seat theater showing the 10-minute film “We Are Biloxi,” and a second-floor porch at eye level with the lighthouse beacon, according to the city’s Visitors Center page.

  • Hours: daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Easter, Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and early on Christmas Eve.
  • Lighthouse tours: 9 to 10 a.m., weather permitting. Children 5 and under climb free.
  • Biloxi Town Green, 710 Beach Blvd., is next door, with a Katrina mosaic on its east side.

Museums on and near Howard Avenue

Museum Address Hours
Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art 386 Beach Blvd. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday
Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum 792 Howard Ave. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday
West End Hose Co. No. 3 Fire Museum 1046 Howard Ave. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment
Bond-Grant House (Biloxi Main Street office) 932 Howard Ave. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays
Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum 115 1st St., Point Cadet 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday

The Ohr-O’Keefe, home to the work of the potter George Ohr, lets visitors explore its campus at their own pace; the exhibition galleries charge admission. The maritime museum is east of downtown at Point Cadet. Our history and landmarks guide covers downtown’s National Register districts.

Walk the murals

The city’s September 2025 mural map (PDF) numbers 35 murals, each with its address and artist. A loop that takes in most of them:

  • Lighthouse parking lot: the Fred Haise statue and the “Moon Walk” street mural.
  • Howard Avenue, west end: Burger Burger and Barq’s (1039 Howard Ave.), Empanola on Howard (1036), Captain Hooks (1009) and Gulf Coast Strong (999).
  • Howard and Hopkins Boulevard: Biloxi Musicians, Biloxi Seafood and HUMS at the market site, 932 Howard Ave.
  • Howard Avenue, east: Casquette Girls (871), the Kress logo (814), 406 Club (808), the Osprey diptych (800) and Mardi Gras (792).
  • Rue Magnolia: The Piano Player (110-B) and The Cipher and the George E. Ohr mural (138).
  • Town Green: the Katrina mosaic by Elizabeth Veglia.

Eat and drink

From the restaurants’ own websites:

More in our brunch, date night and live music and nightlife guides.

Markets, First Fridays and How Hop

  • Biloxi Community Market: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays under the I-110 overpass at Howard Avenue and Hopkins Boulevard. See our farmers markets guide.
  • First Fridays: Biloxi Main Street held them March 6, April 3, May 1, June 5, July 4 (a Saturday, for the city’s Independence Day celebration on the Town Green) and Sept. 4 in 2026. The 2027 dates are not out yet.
  • How Hop: Main Street’s project under Interstate 110 has added two pickleball courts, an 18-hole disc golf course called The Bridge Course, a pop-up skate park and painted columns.

Coming up downtown: Halloween on Howard, a drive-thru trick-or-treat from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and Boo on the Rue, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, on Rue Magnolia. The full list is in things to do this month. The Christmas parade and tree lighting follow in December.

Shows

The Biloxi Saenger Theatre, 170 Reynoir St., has reopened after years of quiet. Its fall calendar runs from comedy on Oct. 23-24 and the Biloxi Civic Orchestra on Oct. 25 to “The Nutcracker” with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Ballet Theatre on Dec. 12-13.

Getting there and parking

  • Casino Hopper: Coast Transit Authority’s Route 2 links downtown with the beachfront casinos.
  • Beach Boulevard parking bays: no parking from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. under city ordinance.
  • Keesler Federal Park garage, 105 Caillavet St.: drivers pay through the Premium Parking app or by text.
  • Bikes: rental details are on the city’s Bike Biloxi page. More in getting around Biloxi.

What this means for you

  • Free first stop: the Visitors Center and Town Green cost nothing.
  • Sunday plans: Mary Mahoney’s is closed Sundays, and the Ohr-O’Keefe and Mardi Gras museums are closed Sundays and Mondays.
  • Park once: the lighthouse, Howard Avenue, Lameuse Street and Rue Magnolia are a few blocks apart.

More: free things to do in Biloxi.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in downtown Biloxi?

Downtown has the Biloxi Lighthouse and the free Biloxi Visitors Center at 1050 Beach Blvd., the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, the Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum, a fire museum, 35 murals on a city walking map, the Saenger Theatre and restaurants along Howard Avenue, Lameuse Street and Rue Magnolia.

Is the Biloxi Visitors Center free?

Yes. The Visitors Center at 1050 Beach Blvd. is free and open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lighthouse tours run from 9 to 10 a.m., weather permitting, and are free for children 5 and under.

Where can I see the murals in downtown Biloxi?

The city’s downtown mural map lists 35 murals, from the Moon Walk street mural in the lighthouse parking lot to the Katrina mosaic on the Biloxi Town Green and murals along Howard Avenue and Rue Magnolia.

When is First Friday in downtown Biloxi?

Biloxi Main Street ran First Fridays monthly from March 6 to Sept. 4 in 2026. The 2027 dates have not been posted; call Biloxi Main Street at 228-435-6339.

Who runs downtown Biloxi events?

Biloxi Main Street, the downtown revitalization program, at 228-435-6339. It runs First Fridays, pop-up events and the How Hop space under Interstate 110.