Family Attractions
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
246 Dolan Ave., Gulfport
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center opened in 1998 as Mississippi's first children's museum, built on the idea that kids learn best when they're allowed to climb on things. The museum fills the old Mississippi City Elementary School, built in 1915, a few blocks from the Gulfport beach, with hands-on exhibits inside and seven and a half acres of oak-shaded outdoor play space. A round of storm repairs finished in early 2026 — a rebuilt Treehouse Village and a reopened splash pad — left the outdoor half looking better than it has in years.
Getting There
Lynn Meadows sits at 246 Dolan Avenue in Gulfport, close enough to the beach to smell the Gulf from the parking lot. From Highway 90, turn north on Cowan Road and follow the signs — it's about 10 minutes from the Gulfport harbor and 20 minutes west of the Biloxi casino strip, an easy stop between a beach morning and a downtown Gulfport afternoon. A free lot sits next to the building, with overflow parking on Dolan Avenue on busy weekends. The entrance is clearly marked at the base of the old schoolhouse's red bell tower.
What to Expect
Inside, exhibits fill the old schoolhouse's classrooms: kids run a pretend grocery store in To Market, To Market, check in guests at the History Hotel, and work through What It's Like to Be Me, a hands-on exhibit about physical and sensory disabilities. Outside is where Lynn Meadows earns the Gulfport heat — the Super Colossal Climbing Structure, the bayou-themed Pelican Porch & Bayou Bait Shop, and a rebuilt Tree House Village, restored in spring 2026 after a giant oak split and took out two of the original treehouses. Seagull Splash, the splash pad on the Green, reopens every April 1 and runs through fall, included with admission — pack swimsuits if you're visiting between spring and early autumn.
Good to Know
Lynn Meadows is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, noon to 5pm. General admission runs $15 for children and adults, $12 for military and seniors 65 and up, and it's free for museum members and babies under a year. The last Friday of every month is Free Friday, 5 to 8pm — plan around it if you'd rather skip the crowd. EBT cardholders get in for $5 through the Museums for All program, up to four people per card. Check lmdc.org or call 228-897-6039 before visiting in a heat advisory — the splash pad and outdoor exhibits close in storms.
Our Take
Lynn Meadows is one of the Coast's better bets for families with kids under 10, rain or shine — the mix of old-schoolhouse charm and genuinely climbable outdoor space is hard to match elsewhere in Gulfport. Go on a weekday morning if you can; Saturdays fill up with birthday parties. Bring a towel for the splash pad and budget at least two hours, because between the treehouses and Seagull Splash, most kids don't want to leave.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and prices directly with the attraction.