Museums
Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum
792-A Howard Avenue
Long before Bourbon Street ever threw a bead, coastal Mississippi was already crowning its own Mardi Gras kings and queens — and this small downtown Biloxi museum makes the case with real costumes, not just claims. Sequined capes, feathered headdresses, and krewe memorabilia dating back to the 1950s fill a single storefront gallery a few blocks from the beach. It's a quick stop, but it changes how you think about a holiday most people assume belongs to New Orleans.
Getting There
The museum is on Howard Avenue in downtown Biloxi, on the block just east of the Merit Health Biloxi hospital — a useful landmark if the street number doesn't match your GPS. It's an easy add-on if you're already downtown for the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art or a beach walk. Parking is free and informal: grab a spot along Howard Avenue or pull around back, where the lot doubles as the ADA-accessible entrance. Downtown Biloxi is walkable enough that you won't need to move your car again before lunch.
What to Expect
This is the Gulf Coast's Mardi Gras, not New Orleans' — the museum makes an early claim that coastal Mississippi's Carnival celebrations predate the ones upriver. Glass cases run wall to wall with krewe costumes from the 1950s to last year's parade, including capes so heavy with sequins and rhinestones that two people have to carry them. You'll find ball invitations, hand-painted doubloons, jeweled crowns and scepters, and photos from the ceremony where the mayor hands the City Key to that year's King and Queen. There's a short video, artwork from float designer Salvadore Navarro, and a dress-up corner where kids can try on a crown for photos. Budget 30 to 45 minutes.
Good to Know
Hours are limited — Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Saturday visits by appointment if you call at least a day ahead. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, military, and students with ID, and $5 for kids 12 and under. The museum closes for the major holidays, Mardi Gras Day included, so call (228) 314-4747 before building a Carnival-season trip around it. It's ADA accessible with a back-door entrance, and small enough to pair easily with an afternoon at the beach or the casinos a few blocks away.
Our Take
Don't expect Mardi Gras World's warehouse scale — this is a one-room museum and it knows it. What it does well is context: ten minutes with the costumes and the City Key photographs, and you get why Biloxi treats Carnival as a local institution instead of a show borrowed from New Orleans. Worth the detour if you're downtown already; not worth rearranging your day around, given the tight hours. Call ahead for weekend visits.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and prices directly with the attraction.