St Mary Basilica

Mississippi


Celebrating its first Mass on December 25, 1843, this striking Gothic Revival church is the longest-operating Catholic building in Mississippi. The ornate sanctuary, with its soaring deep-blue ceiling, prominent stained-glass windows, Carrara marble altars and delicate statuary, is simply breathtaking. Self-guided tour pamphlets are inside.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Mississippi attractions

1. William Johnson House

0.28 MILES

A freed slave, Johnson produced 14 leather-bound diaries describing his life as a successful barber and community member in Natchez from 1835 to 1851…

2. Auburn Mansion

1.02 MILES

The red-brick Auburn Mansion, built in 1812, is famous for its freestanding spiral staircase. The architecture here influenced countless mansions…

3. Forks of the Road Slave Market

1.05 MILES

The marker at this small memorial site is simple: a cluster of iron shackles that look like they're trying to escape from the surrounding concrete. It…

4. Melrose

1.52 MILES

Tours of this Greek Revival home take a fascinating, multi-perspective look at life on the city estate of a slave-owning cotton magnate. A lawyer, state…

5. Longwood

1.52 MILES

This multistory confection is not what it seems. Commissioned by cotton baron Haller Nutt in 1861, the interior of the home – the largest octagonal house…

6. Emerald Mound

8.57 MILES

Just outside town, along the Trace, you'll find Emerald Mound, the grassy ruins of a Native American city that includes the second-largest pre-Columbian…