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The capital of Mississippi, Jackson maintains a demure Southern appearance while pursuing a penchant for down-home fun. Residents regard this “City with Soul” as a great place to work, play and live.

In a Forbes magazine report, Jackson ranked third on a list of the “Best Bang-for-the-Buck Cities.” The nation’s 100 largest metro areas were evaluated for their overall affordability, housing rates and employment potential.

If your visit to Jackson is brief, you can still pack in enough historic sites, entertainment venues and restaurants to create a lifetime of memories. A must-see family attraction is the Jackson Zoo, with its red pandas, Sumatran tigers and playful chimpanzees. The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science houses intriguing permanent exhibits, from a 100,000-gallon aquarium housing 200 species to an illuminating look at life in a swamp.

Nature lovers can walk the 1.5-mile trail through the Mississippi Petrified Forest, a frozen-in-time woodland formed thousands of years ago. The Russell C. Davis Planetarium is another must-gaze site.

Visitors will appreciate Jackson’s cultural activities, too. Literature buffs are drawn to the preserved home of Eudora Welty, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author and photographer. Welty spent most of her life in the two-story Tudor Revival home, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Mississippi Museum of Art boasts an enormous collection that reflects the state’s culturally diverse heritage. The Old Capitol Museum, built in 1839, is a National Historic Landmark and a fine example of Greek Revival architecture.

When the time arrives to savor Jackson’s top restaurants, you may want to loosen your belt first. Cerami’s prepares Southern-style Italian cuisine. Their signature dish is shrimp cerami; other options include veal, tilapia, crawfish and pasta.

Walker’s Drive-In consistently packs the house with a menu that is part-Southern, part-Cajun and 100% pure inspiration. Jackson’s “best pizza” honors go to the Pizza Shack, which serves up fresh handmade pies heaped with toppings.

The Haute Pig restaurant is famous in Jackson for its mouth-watering barbecue and Hershey bar pie. Cool Al’s, another Jackson favorite, is known on a national scale for serving award-winning classic burgers, veggie burgers and fries.

Hal & Mal’s fits the bill with fabulous food and great live music. You can find the Jackson landmark in an old freight depot downtown. The kitchen serves up traditional Gulf Coast and New Orleans specialties, and the stages showcase live music from old favorites to popular rockers.

Fenian’s Pub is a true neighborhood bar, with a friendly atmosphere and one of the Mississippi’s widest selections of Irish whiskey. To explore other Jackson hot spots, check out Underground 119, Ole Tavern, Parlor Market and Sportsman’s Lodge.

Year-round events draw tourists to Jackson for more live music, entertainment, parades and cattle rustlin’. The Dixie National Livestock Show & Rodeo in January brings in champion cowboys from across the world. Canton Flea Market Arts and Crafts Show, held in May and October, attracts thousands of locals and visitors. Tourists in Jackson before the holidays can start their shopping at the Mistletoe Marketplace. Doctors in Cleveland, OH
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