Discover Hazlehurst

For a trip to Hazlehurst, there are two thematic ways to explore the town: its development and music from Mississippi. The Hazlehurst Historic District brings together aspects of rail transportation, community development, commerce, industry, and architecture. The Mississippi Music Museum puts artists from Mississippi in the spotlight. These highlights can help you shape your stay around local history, music, or a combination of both.

Hazlehurst’s Development in the Historic District

The Hazlehurst Historic District is locally significant in the areas of community planning and development, commerce, industry, transportation, and architecture. Its buildings illustrate Hazlehurst’s development from a small station on the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad line into an agricultural and industrial center. This makes it possible to view the town’s development as a sequence over time: the railroad station marks the beginning, while the focus on agriculture and industry describes a later period. In this way, the district connects the history of transportation with Hazlehurst’s economic transformation.

The Hazlehurst Historic District includes a very well-preserved concentration of buildings and other resources related to commerce, industry, religion, residential life, and government. This range adds a look at different aspects of local life to the town’s development over time: economic as well as religious, private, and public. The district can therefore be understood both through Hazlehurst’s transformation and through the diversity of its historic resources.

Music at the Mississippi Music Museum

The Mississippi Music Museum is located in downtown Hazlehurst, in the former railroad station. The museum’s location creates a link to the town’s railroad history; its exhibits focus on music from Mississippi. The museum features Robert Johnson and other locally known artists from Mississippi. This gives music a place alongside the broader history of the town and the buildings in the Historic District.

The Mississippi Music Museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Check the schedule before your visit if you plan to go to the museum.

Rockin’ Railroad Festival and Trip Planning

The Rockin’ Railroad Festival is an annual event in Hazlehurst, held at the Mississippi Music Museum. It features live gospel, blues, and rock ’n’ roll music. The two music offerings differ in format: the museum features artists, while the festival offers live music in several genres. If you choose the festival as the reason for your trip, check the specific event date before setting your travel dates.

There are two different points of reference when choosing your travel dates: the museum’s days of operation and the festival’s annual date. Music lovers can decide whether a museum visit or the event will shape their stay. Those more interested in local history will find a broader focus in the Historic District, which brings together transportation, economic development, and a variety of building uses.

For the broader travel overview: Copiah County.