Looking for new places to go, explore? Jackson, Mississippi, is one of 23 cities that Good Housekeeping named the best city vacations for 2026. Whether you should add the City with Soul to your travel bucket list or live nearby and need to get a different view of local history and attractions, there’s something here for you.
Good Housekeeping pointed out that the city has a range of fun and educational experiences, “the state capital is far from one-note. A vibrant music and culinary scene gives this vacation spot an appealing rhythm.”
To pick the best travel destinations for cities, tours, cruises, resorts and more, Good Housekeeping worked with 125 testers to pick the best of the best. They worked with experts and consumers to evaluate trips, experiences and services around the world.
“Music flows from historic venues and neighborhood stages, and the culinary scene is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most diverse and dynamic in the South. From family-friendly attractions and engaging museums to lively festivals and a thriving arts community, Jackson offers travelers an experience that is authentic, soulful, and entirely its own,” Visit Jackson wrote in a news release.
Each tester shared photos and video from their trip and filled out a detailed survey. The considered things like value, attractions, available lodging and safety.
Jackson checked the right boxes. Here’s what the tester said about their trip and the three placed to visit or stay that Good Housekeeping says you “won’t want to miss.”
What can I do in Jackson? Good Housekeeping has suggestions
Good Housekeeping highlighted three specific places to visit that highlight the City with Soul’s place in Civil Rights history and show how it’s a creative, vibrant community:
Explore Mississippi: Five places to visit that are worth the drive from Jackson
Medgar & Myrlie Evers monument highlights Civil Rights icons
At the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Visit Jackson says you can walk “in the footsteps of legends.”
“The city was — and remains — the beating heart of the American civil rights movement, inviting visitors to engage deeply with this legacy through powerful landmarks,” Visit Jackson wrote.
Medgar and Myrlie Evers worked together in the American Civil Rights Movement. Medgar, the NAACP field secretary for Mississippi, was assassinated at their home on June. 12, 1963. His death, the first slaying of a national leader in the movement, helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Mylie Evers-Williams has also served as chair for the NAACP and published books about Civil Rights. She worked for more than 30 years to get justice for her husband.
Learn about Mississippi, Civil Rights history
Two Mississippi Museums have immersive exhibits that help people understand how the decisions of the past affect the state today, and Good Housekeeping specifically highlighted the Civil Rights museum.
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum shows how leaders like Fannie Lou Hamer and James Meredith continue to influence change. From the struggle for freedom to looking at modern Black empowerment, exhibits inform and ask visitors what comes next for us.
“Visiting the city’s Mississippi Civil Rights Museum was an incredibly moving experience for me,” said the Good Housekeeping tester, a Black mom of two.
She said the best bit of the trip came from the museum. “The gumbo I ordered at the museum’s Nissan Café was by far one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in my life!”
The Museum of Mississippi History also takes you through 15,000 years, from mound builders to juke joints. Exhibits introduce you to the first people who lived here; walk through eras including the Civil War and Reconstruction; and take a look at the creative soul of the state.
More: How are flights out of Jackson going to be for the holidays? Do this for a smoother trip
Stay in historic Jackson property
The Good Housekeeping tester stayed at The Orchid Bed & Breakfast. Mississippi’s first Black-owned bed and breakfast is on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was built in 1888 for the founder of Millsaps College. According to the B&B’s website, Webster Millsaps served in the Confederate army, and his family owned enslaved people in Copiah County.
Owners Jason and Katrice Thomson have renovated and restored the home. Ten of the 11 rooms are named after strong women in their families, according to the website. The 11th, Lily, is “dedicated to all of the other Black women—known and unknown—who have made a significant impact on our lives, our communities, and our great state.”
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Good Housekeeping names 23 best city vacations. Why Jackson made the list