1. This Slithery Mississippian Proves Two Heads Are Better Than One
The two-headed snake is on exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science creeps out visitors and begs the question: who gets first bite?
2. This Mississippi Oddity Gives A Whole New Meaning To “Son Of A Gun”
Vicksburg is the home of a Yankee bullet, housed in the Old Court House Museum. This pesky pellet is infamous for having impregnated a woman without compromising her honor.
Huh? Stay with me here.
Supposedly, the bullet passed through the scrotum of a Union soldier before lodging in the woman’s reproductive tract.
3. Even Death Can’t Keep A Good Mississippi Woman Down
In the Old Aberdeen Cemetery there is an aboveground crypt containing a woman who was entombed seated in a rocking chair with her knitting in her hand.
The cemetery also has some other interesting gravestones, including one that depicts a woman on fire.
4. This Prickly Plantation Is One Of A Kind
Edwards is home to the world’s only cactus plantation. Or so the sign says upon arrival. The cactus farm isn’t always open—the owner is an older gent with health problems—but when you catch him there you are sure to get great (if pokey) plants and entertaining stories.
5. Haunted House? P’Shaw! Mississippi Has A Bewitched Town
A cracked tomb bears evidence of a witch’s escape in Yazoo City.
As legend has it, a local woman was arrested and executed for witchcraft. Her casket was chained shut and she was buried underneath a stone slab. But upon returning to her gravesite, the townspeople discovered the slab was cracked in two and, when they exhumed her casket, the chains broken. Pretty spooky!
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6. You Can Feast Like A King In Tupelo
The booth where Elvis parked his rockin posterior and dined on cheeseburgers is marked by a gold plaque that reads “The Elvis Booth” at Johnnie’s Bar-B-Q Drive In. The greasy spoon is still open and dishing up barbecue, burgers, and ham cooked a bajillion different ways.
7. This Mississippi Has More Art Than One Can Bear
The Great Delta Bear Affair in Rolling Fork started with one bear chainsaw sculpted in 2002, marking the 100th anniversary of President Theodore Roosevelt’s famous bear hunt in Sharkey County, during which he refused to shoot a baby bear. Aww.
Every year the artist creates a new 12-ft. chainsaw teddy bear to leave behind.
8. Dive, Dive, Dive Into This Piece Of Prohibition History
In Port Gibson there are remnants of an old submarine that was customized to ferry hooch undetected during Prohibition.
The sub was powered by a Model T Ford engine and it transported illegal whiskey from Davis Island to Vicksburg. These homemade subs were widely used back then but this Grand Gulf sub is the only survivor.
9. Seeking Out This Tucked Away Ruins Won’t… Um… Ruin Your Day
Antebellum columns are all that remain of the Windsor Ruins. It was once the largest antebellum plantation in Mississippi. The foundationless columns give the ruins an ethereal look, like something from ancient Greece.
10. Roma Royalty Rests In Meridian
The Rose Hill Cemetery in Meridian is home to the graves of the King and Queen of the Romas. The king, Emil Mitchell, died in 1942 and his queen, Kelly Mitchell, died in 1915 while giving birth.
More than 20,000 Romas showed up for her funeral.
11. Some Say You’ll Fell Swell If You Drink From This Well
The famous red water that comes from the artesian well in Shubuta is said to have special healing properties. Though it pumps out a decidedly unappetizing red color, it is said to be potable. Soooo, let us know how that goes.
12. Alert The Illuminati! This Washington-Like Monument Hides Its True Purpose
The miniature Washington Monument in Ridgeland on I-55 conceals its true purpose—a cell phone tower. The town’s mayor thought the replica would be easier on the eye.
13. You’ll Be Tickled To Discover The Mississippi Post That Has Your Back, Literally
The 4×4 white-painted, wooden post in downtown Lucedale bears the order “Scratch Your Back” in black paint. According to reports, when President Ronald Reagan visited the town he used the serrated side to get his sweet spot.
Feature Image Source: Flickr user Jenn Durfey
Did we miss anything? Tell us your favorite secret spot in Mississippi? Tell us in the comments below!
