Hattiesburg MS has a lot of romantic things to do. They are close to everything, but far from the ordinary. Hattiesburg is called the Hub City, because it is a short distance from New Orleans and other cities in Mississippi, including Natchez, Jackson Meridian, Mobile, Coastal Mississippi, and Natchez. Imagine Hattiesburg at the center of a wheel with spokes.
Hattiesburg’s attractions speak in all languages of love. This is our muse and trope for showcasing the super cute Mississippi town filled with delicious food and fun activities.
Hattiesburg, the Namesake Love Story
Hattiesburg, founded by William H. Hardy in 1882, is a city of civil engineers. He wanted to create a railroad hub that would connect the Gulf South with the longleaf timber. William’s life in his early years was not only successful, but also fairly ordinary. He was an officer during the Civil War, and he was married with 5 children.
The Reconstruction was a remarkable time. William was widowed in 1872. He met his second spouse, Hattie, one year later in 1873. Jenn and myself will attest to the power of a second marriage. Some things, like leftover lasagna are even better when they’re done a second time.
This is the story. William was a New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad employee and met Hattie while on a trip to Mobile. It’s not always easy to read, but my mind thinks that this is the most successful business nooner in history. He completes his visionary railroad connecting Jackson with the newly formed town of Gulfport, and he names the hub city after his beloved wife Hattie.
The Long Leaf Trace Explore the Tunnel of Love while Biking.
We began our exploration of Hattiesburg love language by using affirmations while riding the Longleaf Trace. Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bicycle? You remember that feeling of freedom as you sped around the world? It’s the same with bike dates. It’s the same as riding a bicycle.
Hattiesburg was made famous by the railroads, but this 45-mile rail-trail has put it on our map. Only a few people would enjoy a Longleaf Trace weekend. Anyone can rent bikes from the Gateway Bike Shop and explore the trail. Hattiesburg’s best free activity is to explore the trail.
We recommend focusing on the 10-mile stretch between the Long Leaf Trace Gateway and the Denbury Beaver Pond. There are many cool stops and places to eat along the way. Use affirmations to encourage the cycle.
If you want to be a winner, you can plan a whole bike trip from Hattiesburg Hub, with spokes leading to the best biking in Coastal Mississippi (Tammany Trace), the North Shore, New Orleans, Tupelo, and Jackson.
Practice Paddling on Okatoma Creek
It’s not in the 50 Shades of Gray sense. Paddling is deeply connected to relationships. There’s a good reason why tandem kayaks are also called divorce boats. Once you have established your relationship power dynamics, you are ready to get on the water.
You’ll get plenty of practice using your affirmations at Okatoma Creek, which is Mississippi’s only Class I rapid. After a warm-up of “paddle quicker,” “Stop leaning,” Draw Right,” and High Side,; you can progress to “I can’t believe that you made it” and “I am so proud of you for keeping your sandwiches dry .”
The limbic system, located in the temporal lobe of your brain, controls emotions such as love and terror from your amygdala. It’s like consuming oxytocin by doing adventurous things.
Take Your Beau to Hattiesburg Zoo
Hope all of you LSU Fans made the rhyme in the header… Moving on, bronze statues near the Hattiesburg Zoo tell the tragic tale of Hattie the Elephant and her deep friendship to a one-horned goat. In 1974, she lost her friend to a flash flooding. She lay down and never got up again, broken-hearted. You can find this kind of love without the death stuff at the zoo.
Visit the zoo as a way to give back for their efforts in the community. You can buy a wristband to support the conservation efforts of the zoo. The projects they support include the Giant Anteater Fund and the Jaguar SSP Conservation Initiative in Belize’s Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. They also recycle Mardi Gras Beads and save critically endangered frogs from the Mississippi Bayou.
Hattiesburg’s Zoo is not just for kids. It’s also a great place to take couples. The zoo is full of fun date ideas. One of them is the world-famous Sloth Experience. Adult-only nights are held for tequila, tacos, and blues.
At Coleman Concierge, we take animal welfare very seriously. So, before posting about the sloth encounter, Jeremy Cumpton, Director for Conservation, Education, and Wildlife, sat down with us to discuss how the interaction affected the sloths. He said they appeared happy, but to be certain, they checked the cortisol level in their poo. Hattiesburg’s sloths had less stress than sloths that did not interact. Who would have guessed that sloths express their love through physical touch?
Muse Your Muse in the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum
If you don’t have a thing about men and women in uniform, visiting the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum isn’t romantic. The museum is open to everyone and free. Hattiesburg has many free things to do. It is a tribute to soldiers who have performed extraordinary acts of service during almost all wars in American history.
The museum’s vignettes provide a chronology of the conflicts, and Mississippi’s contributions. You’ll be able to impress your history-loving date. Since Camp Shelby is a base for the Army, there are plenty of tanks (sorry I had to do this ).
Downtown Hattiesburg
Downtown Hattiesburg will be your best choice if you love quality time. Downtown Hattiesburg is full of public art including murals and sculptures. It also has the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum. Spend hours exploring the hidden corners and discovering details that you never knew existed.
Hattiesburg has a great selection of events and festivals for those who prefer a more structured schedule. You can spend your time in Hattiesburg enjoying the Live at Five music concerts (spring and autumn), the HubFest art and musical festival, the Downtown Crawfish jam Music Festival and the HubFest. You can choose your favorite festival to anchor your romantic getaway in Hattiesburg if you enjoy festivals. If you’re not into planning, you can look for fun things to do this weekend in Hattiesburg. All is well.
Dine Around Hattiesburg Town
The classic language of love is dinner dates. It’s fun to explore each other’s favorite restaurants, especially when you live in a foodie town. Hattiesburg was a foodie town that surpassed all expectations: it was on the wall, off the hook and off the charts. After visiting the many restaurants in Hattiesburg we felt like we were eating foie gras so we didn’t look at our charts.
Southern Mississippi has all the favorite foods like kickin’ Creole, crispy chicken, and melt in your mouth BBQ. The Millennial Gastropub was another surprise.
Hattiesburg is home to the largest per capita population (35%) of Millennials. The city’s craft burgers were so delicious that it created the Hatties[Burger] Trail. Not to mention, the celebrity chefs of the town, Robert St John, and Katie Dixon. I could go on. I wrote a guide to Hattiesburg’s restaurants.
Lucky Rabbit Scavenger Hunt
OMG, we loved Lucky Rabbit so much! It’s like going thrifting at a museum of pop culture. You never know what’s going to turn up. We do have an idea for your Lucky Rabbit Date. Make it a scavenger-hunt for gifts.
Rules are easy. Choose a budget, like $20, and allow yourself an hour to look for the perfect gift. You have to keep it secret but the most important thing is that you get to see the world through your partner’s eyes for an hour. After the hour is up, exchange gifts at one of Hattiesburg’s delicious restaurants.
Enjoy a romantic hotel
Love language aficionados know what comes next – physical touch. We won’t tell you what to do but we will help you to find the where.
Hattiesburg offers a variety of romantic room options. Hotel Indigo is a modern boutique with neighborhood charm. Our room was spacious, quiet and very clean. We didn’t even hear any other guests, despite the fact that the hotel was packed. A shaving bar in our shower was a nice touch. Room service delivered a new stack of sweet potatoes pancakes, allowing us to enjoy our room for a bit longer.
The Meador Homestead Bed & Breakfast and Longleaf Piney Resort were also runners-up. We’ll just have to go back and do them all.
Wrapping up our romantic things to do in Hattiesburg
We expected a hot, sweaty weekend along the Longleaf Trace. We arrived in Hattiesburg during the worst winter storm to hit Mississippi since 2010. We found other ways to keep warm while the Trace was iced over.
Hattiesburg, Mississippi is a charming city. Hotel Indigo describes itself as “the intersection of history and hospitality” on its website. They look back at their past while looking forward to the future. Hattiesburg MS has plenty of romantic activities to offer.