ATTRACTIONS
Amusements
Columbus Speedway
2616 Tabernacle Road • Columbus, MS 39701
662-241-5004
This red clay oval track offers the excitement of auto racing. Action is guaranteed during the thrilling battles of the Weekly Racing Series more... mapGorilla Golf
3267 Highway 45 North • Columbus, MS 39701
662-251-8621
This miniature golf course is fun for the whole family! more... mapMagnolia Speedway
495 Highway 45 South • Columbus, MS 39701
662-328-0376
This track is a state-of-the-art race facility featuring a 3/8-mile dirt oval and lots of exciting speedway action! more... map
Historic Homes & Buildings
Columbus Welcome Center/Tennessee Williams Home (circa 1875)
300 Main Street • Columbus, MS 39701
662-328-0222
The first home of the South's most prolific playwright now serves as the Welcome Center for Columbus and Lowndes County. mapConcord CME Church
1213 Concord Road • Columbus, MS 39701
662-328-3356
This was the first African-American church in Lowndes County. Established in 1867, the church first met under a collection of limbs in an open grove until this church building was constructed in 1908. mapDr. Theodoric V. James Home
1104 Fifth Avenue North • Columbus, MS 39701
This is the home of Dr. Theodoric James, who is believed to be Columbus' first African-American doctor. He built this home between 1906 and 1912 and it is still owned by his descendants. mapFirst Baptist Church
202 Seventh Street North • Columbus, MS 39703
662-328-3915
The present structure was erected in 1908 on the site of the first building which was razed in 1907. The previous magnificent antebellum church was the largest church edifice in Mississippi when it was built in 1840, and it was also the only church in the State to host a meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. First Baptist Church was organized in 1832. more... mapHarrison-Imes Home (circa 1840)
419 Ninth Street North • Columbus, MS 39701
Located in the Historic District
This antebellum home was the site of the 1865 marriage of Stephen D. Lee and his bride, Regina Harrison. mapMissionary Union Baptist Church
1207 Fifth Avenue North • Columbus, MS 39701
662-327-4677
Organized in 1833, this is the oldest African American church in North Mississippi. The church formed during the era of slavery and first began meeting in the basement of another local church. This structure was built in 1871. Tours are available. mapPenny-Savings Bank
Corner of Second Avenue North and Fifth Street • Columbus, MS 39701
This was the first African-American bank in the early 1900's, but there are several other significant aspects regarding this location. This was also the location of Robert Gleed's grocery store. Gleed was the originator of the "Eight of May" Emancipation Celebration in Columbus, the first African-American City Councilman, and the first African-American state senator from Lowndes County. From the late 19th century through today, this has been the meeting spot of several African-American Masonic and fraternal lodges. mapQueen City Hotel Site
Fifteenth Street North and Seventh Avenue North • Columbus, MS 39701
This site was the center of the African-American business district in the mid-twentieth century. It was also the focus of lodging and entertainment for the African-American community. It was constructed, owned and operated in 1909 by Robert Walker, who was once a slave. The hotel played host to such luminaries as Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey, B.B. King, Duke Ellington, Little Richard, and James Brown, as well as many professional baseball players. mapRobert Walker Home Site
Seventh Avenue and Fourteenth Street North • Columbus, MS 39701
Robert Walker, born before the Civil War, was a slave who was a house servant for the Walker family. Here he was trained as a butler and caterer. He was the first African-American to own and operate an African-American hotel in Columbus in 1908. mapShadowlawn (circa 1848)
1024 College Street • Columbus, MS 39701
Located in the Historic District
Shadowlawn is a restored Greek Revival mansion with Gothic and Italianate details. It is listed on the National Register. mapTwelve Gables (circa 1838)
220 Third Street South • Columbus, MS 39701
Located in the Historic District
Twelve Gables is famous for being the meeting place for the local ladies who planned the decoration of Confederate graves in 1866, leading to our nation's first Memorial Day. It is listed on the National Register. mapUnion Academy
1425 Tenth Avenue North • Columbus, MS 39701
662-328-6188
Established in 1877, this school is on the former site of the Confederate Arsenal. The school began in late 1865 as an education center for freed slaves. more... mapW. I. Mitchell Home Sight
Corner of Seventh and Sixteenth Street North • Columbus, MS 39701
This historic building was the home of W.I. Mitchell, who served as first black principal of the first African-American school, Union Academy, in 1877. mapWaverley Plantation Mansion (circa 1852)
1852 Waverley Mansion Road • Columbus, MS 39701
662-494-1399
Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, this Greek Revival home is also a National Historical Landmark and is one of the most photographed antebellum homes in the South. Open daily year round, Waverley features a self-supporting curved stairway and an octagonal cupola. map
Historic Sites & Monuments
Catfish Alley (circa late 1800's)
Between Main Street and College Street • Columbus, MS 39701
Located Downtown
Catfish Alley was the central meeting place and business district for Columbus' African-Americans from the late 19th Century to the 20th Century. mapFriendship Cemetery (circa 1849)
Fourth Street South • Columbus, MS 39701
Friendship Cemetery was the site of the first Memorial Day Celebration in 1866. mapHorace King Bridge Site
West End of Fourth Avenue South • Columbus, MS 39701
This bridge, built by Horace King was completed in 1844. Horace King was a slave who had been freed by his master in 1846 and became one of the most respected bridge builders in the entire southeast. mapSanfield Cemetary
Martin Luther King Drive South and College Street • Columbus, MS 39701
This late nineteenth century cemetary is the resting place of several influential African Americans. Buried here are such esteemed leaders as Robert Gleed, W.I. Mitchell, Richard Littlejohn, Jack Rabb and Simon Mitchell. map
Libraries & Research Centers
Columbus Lowndes Public Library
314 Seventh Street • Columbus, MS 39701
662-329-5300
This library features some archives of particular interest. Visit the Billups-Garth Archives or the Buckley Geneology Room and browse the extensive records of Columbus history. more... map
Museums & Galleries
MUW Art Gallery
1100 College Street • Columbus, MS 39701
The Fine Arts Gallery is Located in Shattuck Hall
662-329-7341
Considered to be a world-class gallery, unique exhibits from various artists throughout the South and students are housed in the Fine Arts Center. mapPlymouth Bluff Museum
2200 Old West Point Road • Columbus, MS 39701
662-241-6214
This interesting museum contains artifacts and cultural history exhibits dating back to the Cretaceous and Pleistocene ages. more... mapRosenzweig Arts Center
501 Main Street • Columbus, MS 39701
662-328-2781
This center provides intereting classes, performances and exhibits representing the arts in Columbus. There is also a sales gallery for those interested in purchasing unique pieces. more... mapStephen D. Lee Home-Florence McLeod Hazard Museum (circa 1847)
316 Seventh Street North • Columbus, MS 39703
662-327-8888
The former residence of CSA General Stephen D. Lee, who gave the order to fire the first shot of the Civil War upon Fort Sumter, this restored Italianate home now serves as a museum and features Civil War collections and artifacts. It is listed on the National Register. map
Parks, Gardens & Zoos
Brickyard Mini Park
Nineteenth Street and Fifteenth Avenue North • Columbus, MS 39701
662-327-4935
A great little park for young and old. more... map
Tours & Cruises
Dinner Cruise & Scenic Tour Yacht
Wilkins-Wise Road • Columbus, MS 39703
Located at the Columbus Marina
The Grampa Woo, a 115-foot luxury vessel, offers scenic fall and dinner cruises along the historic Tenn-Tom Waterway. A spectacular view is always captured from the upper sun deck, which is great for mingling with other cruisers. Reservations and advanced tickets are required. It is also available for private charters. mapHistoric Homes Tours
300 Main Street • Columbus, MS 39701
Located Downtown
662-328-0222, 800-327-2686
Historical homes such as Rosedale, Rosewood Manor, and Waverley Plantation Mansion are on tour. more... map
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