Whether the weather agrees or not, Spring officially arrives in Mississippi on the day the Natchez Pilgrimage opens, which is this Saturday. Even if you’ve been to one or more of these pilgrimages before, there’s always something new to see, and new ways of interpreting old buildings (see Holly Springs especially), and besides, when else do people open their houses for you, a stranger, to traipse through and gawk? Many historic houses rely on the income from being on tour for their upkeep, so this is your chance to help save a piece of Mississippi history, learn something, and have fun all at once.

If you want to keep track of these tour dates in a calendar format, check out the MissPres calendar, which is always waiting to keep you on track on the toolbar above.

Natchez Spring Pilgrimage
March 7 – April 7, 2015

Twenty-four antebellum mansions, most of them private residences, open their doors to visitors during this four-week Pilgrimage every spring. Your guides are costumed family friends and descendants of the original owners, whose stories are as real as the bricks and mortar in their hearths. Each house is unique with 18th- and 19th-century furnishings, porcelain, silver, clothing, tools, documents, and diaries. See http://www.natchezpilgrimage.com/natchez-spring-pilgrimage.php

This Natchez Pilgrimage map is inserted here to whet your appetite for tomorrow’s post, which is all about this map.

Tapestry: The Pilgrimage to Vicksburg
April 3 – 26, 2015

Experience the rich Tapestry of Vicksburg life. Explore the fabric of Vicksburg society with tours of our historic homes and hallways. Enjoy interpretive presentations of Vicksburg’s history that bring to life the heritage and culture of this remarkable river city. Thirteen of Vicksburg’s most historic properties will tell their stories from antebellum grandeur to the Siege of Vicksburg to the turn of the 20th Century. Together these stories weave the Tapestry of who we are today. Ticket prices are $30 for three presentations and $15 for one presentation. Tickets are available at each venue and at the Vicksburg Visitors Information Center, 52 Old Hwy 27. For more information call 601-636-9421 or visit http://visitmississippi.org/mshomecoming/tapestry-the-pilgrimage-to-vicksburg/

Columbus Pilgrimage
April 6 – 18, 2015

We all know that some things get better with age. The Columbus Spring Pilgrimage, for example, has evolved from a tour of homes 75 years ago to today’s delightfully diverse and deeply satisfying 16-day celebration. Southern history, architecture, culture, food and fun – it’s all here. Columbus Spring Pilgrimage 2015: Historic, exciting, essential. Come savor this vintage year with us. See http://visitcolumbusms.org/images/uploads/Pilgrimage2015Web.pdf

Behind the Big House Tour
April 7 – 12, 2015

The south has a rich and varied history. The storybook life seen on the silver screen is often just one side of our past. Behind the grand mansions, beyond the freshly pressed linens, laid small and intimate slave dwellings where work, toil, and history also happened. In addition to touring five of the town’s historic mansions included on this year’s Pilgrimage, guests will be allowed a rare look into the lives of Holly Springs’ slave population during the “Behind the Big House Tour.” Another side of antebellum life will be seen through these surviving structures with a historic interpretation by Joseph McGill, a field agent with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  See http://preservemarshallcounty.org/

Aberdeen Pilgrimage
April 10 – 12, 2015

The people of Aberdeen sincerely believe that we originated Southern Hospitality, and we’re “fixin'” to show how it’s done during the 40th Aberdeen Southern Heritage Pilgrimage. You are invited to visit this magnificent old town and tour its beautiful historic homes, all of which are wonderful examples of antebellum and Victorian architecture. They were built by 19th century planters and merchants, and are the remaining symbols of a bygone era – an era that is truly “Gone With The Wind.” See http://www.aberdeenpilgrimage.com/

Gulf Coast Spring Pilgrimage
April 22 – 26, 2015

If you have attended our Spring Pilgrimage before then you know how exciting this 5 day event is. The Coast is still re-building , growing and changing. Visitors will be amazed at the many new shops, especially the art galleries that are opening in each of the towns from Moss Point to Pass Christian, in addition to the stellar house and garden pilgrimage. We would also encourage you to plan to attend our Saturday Workshops that will feature several well known speakers and enjoy the Silent Auction. This year the MS Gulf Coast Pilgrimage will be hosting the Rusty Dusty Treasures antiques appraisal as an added attraction. See http://www.springpilgrimage.com/

Categories: Aberdeen, African American History, Antebellum, Columbus, Gulf Coast, Heritage Tourism, Holly Springs, Natchez, Vicksburg

Tags: Featured