Overview
Columbus is a city in eastern Mississippi, near the border with Alabama.
In some ways, the history of Columbus parallels that of Jackson's, as both were established around 1820 after Mississippi was admitted to statehood and both served as logistics centers for the Confederacy during the Civil War. However, unlike Jackson, Columbus was largely spared destruction because General Nathan Bedford Forrest prevented Northern forces from accessing it. As a result, Columbus was briefly made Mississippi's capital following Jackson's plight at the hands of Sherman and is noted for its historic preservation.
Another unique detail about Columbus is that it features the oldest public school in Mississippi as well as the country's first public women's university, as noted below.
4 sights · 4 things to do · 5 places to eat · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Columbus
Friendship Cemetery
Home to the first Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day) in 1866.
Mississippi University for Women
The oldest public college for women in America, founded in 1884 (and coeducational since 1982) . It has several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Waverley Mansion
Noted for its octagonal cupola.
Tennessee Williams Home
The first home of playwright Tennessee Williams serves as the official welcome center in town. It is designated a National Literary Landmark.
Columbus Spring Pilgrimage
Information available at the Visitor's Center, 300 Main Street +1-662-329-3533. In April several package tours are offered of local historic homes. Walking tours of neighborhoods, candlelight tours of homes and cemetery …
Historic Homes Tours
Several area homes from the antebellum period are open year round. The Visitor's Center can arrange tours of these homes. Prices vary according to how many and which homes you want to view.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–May, Sep–Nov. Summer highs reach about 91°F; winter lows dip to about 35°F. Very hot (Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Mar and Jul. (climate data from nearby Birmingham)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- GTR Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Columbus/W Point/Starkville — 11 mi away. Directions
- TUP Tupelo Regional Airport, Tupelo — 57 mi away. Directions
- BHM Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Birmingham — 96 mi away (major hub). Directions
For passenger service, the nearest Amtrak stop is in Tuscaloosa, which is about a 60-minute drive to Columbus.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Mississippi University for Women, Tennessee Williams Home
- Lunch Cafe on Main
- Afternoon Columbus Spring Pilgrimage, Ghost and Legends Tour
- Dinner Little Kitchen
Day 2
- Morning Friendship Cemetery, Waverley Mansion
- Lunch J. Broussard's Restaurant of Columbus
- Afternoon Historic Homes Tours, Tales From the Crypt
- Dinner Harvey's
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Chain restaurants operating in town include Chili's and Applebee's. Other options include:
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
- From points north and south, take US Route 45
- From Tuscaloosa, Alabama: take Hwy 82 W.
By plane
Go Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR)
The Golden Triangle Regional Airport is centrally located between Columbus, Starkville and West Point. The airport is about 15 minutes from the Mississippi University for Women and Old Waverly Golf Club. Commercial flights are provided by Delta Connection.
By train
For passenger service, the nearest Amtrak stop is in Tuscaloosa, which is about a 60-minute drive to Columbus.
See
See Tennessee Williams Home
The first home of playwright Tennessee Williams serves as the official welcome center in town. It is designated a National Literary Landmark.
Do
Do Columbus Spring Pilgrimage
Information available at the Visitor's Center, 300 Main Street +1-662-329-3533. In April several package tours are offered of local historic homes. Walking tours of neighborhoods, candlelight tours of homes and cemetery tours are also offered. Musical presentations and living history exhibits are also showcased throughout town for this yearly event.
Do Historic Homes Tours
Several area homes from the antebellum period are open year round. The Visitor's Center can arrange tours of these homes. Prices vary according to how many and which homes you want to view.
Do Tales From the Crypt
This graveyard tour promises to be a memorable experience for lovers of history and drama, for it is a combination of both. Tales from the Crypt recreates the lives of noted local personalities interred at the historic Friendship Cemetery, site of the Confederate Decoration Day that inspired the poem, "The Blue and the Gray."
- River Walk Trail, trailhead at College St and 1st St S, below Island Road bridge, a 2.5 mile paved trailway along the Tennessee Tomigbee Waterway where you can get closely acquainted with this big muddy.
Buy
Shop Leigh Mall
Shop Magnolia Place
Shop Dick's Sporting Goods
Eat
Chain restaurants operating in town include Chili's and Applebee's. Other options include:
Eat Cafe on Main
For traditional southern cuisine (now open for lunch and dinner).
Eat Little Kitchen
Chinese and Southern cuisine.
Eat J. Broussard's Restaurant of Columbus
New Orleans Cuisine. Good, but high price.
Eat Harvey's
Decent but moderately to high priced.
Drink
- Zachary's
- The Princess Theater, 215 5th Ave S. Used to offer up a pizza buffet in addition to being a karaoke bar in an old theater space, may be undergoing a transition.
Sleep
Go next
- Luxapalila Park: A nice place to fish and have outdoor fun.
- Columbus Lake: On the Tombigbee River good fishing and Marina.
- Columbus Spillway: fishing.
Nearby
My experience
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