Historic Sites
Beauvoir: The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library
2244 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39531
Photo: "Beauvoir-Biloxi-09-11-2012" by Shocking Blue, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Beauvoir is the raised beach cottage where Jefferson Davis spent his last years, writing his memoirs within sight of the Gulf. Built in 1852, it was home to the only Confederate president from 1877 until his death in 1889, and today it's a National Historic Landmark, fully restored after taking a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina. Guided tours of the mansion run hourly, with a Civil War museum and Confederate cemetery spread across the surrounding grounds.
Getting There
From the casino strip, head east on Beach Boulevard (Highway 90) with the Gulf on your right; Beauvoir sits at 2244 Beach Blvd, about a 10-minute drive from the Beau Rivage and Hard Rock. You'll pass the small craft harbor and the Biloxi Lighthouse before the white wrought-iron gates and oak-lined drive come into view on the south side of the road, across from the beach. There's a free lot on site, and the visitor entrance and gift shop sit right off it — that's also where you buy tickets, since there's no online box office.
What to Expect
A docent-led tour takes you through the restored mansion room by room, including the library where Davis wrote his two-volume memoir, "The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government." Afterward you're free to walk the grounds on your own: the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum, a 9,500-square-foot building covering the Civil War and Davis's postwar life, the Confederate Memorial Cemetery where more than 780 veterans are buried, and the Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier. Golf carts are available to rent if the 60 acres feel like a lot to cover on foot in Gulf Coast summer heat. Budget close to two hours to see it all without rushing.
Good to Know
Beauvoir is open daily, 9am to 5pm, with mansion tours departing every hour from 10am to 4pm — arrive by 3:45 if you want the last one. Admission is $15 for adults and $7 for children 6-17; kids 5 and under get in free, and active-duty military in uniform get in free too. Closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The grounds and museum are wheelchair accessible. Tickets are sold at the gift shop when you arrive, not online, and it's worth calling (228) 388-4400 ahead for group rates or holiday hours.
Our Take
Time your visit around the hourly mansion tour, and don't treat the museum next door as an afterthought — it's more substantial than the "historic house" label suggests and deserves its own half hour. Skip the $99.95 Presidential Tour unless you're a serious Civil War researcher; the standard $15 ticket already covers the mansion, museum, and cemetery, which is plenty for a first visit. Slow down on the grounds walk between stops — the oak canopy and cemetery are the quiet part of the visit, and most people rush past them to get back to the beach.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and prices directly with the attraction.