Ocean Springs: Art, History, and a Bicycle Route

There are several distinct themes to consider when planning a trip to Ocean Springs: crafts, architectural history, an annual festival, and a marked bicycle route. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, first consider which of these themes will influence your travel dates and daily plans. Cultural offerings range from pottery and artistic activities to historic buildings; the bicycle route, meanwhile, is described by a specific out-and-back distance and wayfinding signs.

Crafts and cultural events

Shearwater Pottery was founded in 1928 by Peter Anderson with the support of his parents, George Walter Anderson and Annette McConnell Anderson. It has been producing art pottery, functional pottery, figurines, decorative tiles, and other ceramic pieces since the 1920s. Its range therefore extends from functional pottery to decorative and artistic works. If you want to buy pottery from Shearwater Pottery, the showroom is the only place where it is sold.

The Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival takes place every year on the first weekend of November in downtown Ocean Springs. It was founded to celebrate the city’s art scene and honor Peter Anderson. If you want to plan your stay around the festival, check the current event dates before your trip. This lets you base your choice of a particular weekend on a specific cultural event.

In addition to tours, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art offers art activities such as drawing, painting, or printmaking upon request. These activities should not be considered programs that are available at all times: participation is subject to a request. This offers a different kind of cultural experience than attending a festival with a set annual date.

Architectural history across different eras

The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center is located in the historic 1927 Ocean Springs Public School building in downtown. Here, a cultural center is connected with the history of a school building. The Charnley-Norwood House tells a story from a different period in architectural history: after a fire on February 18, 1897, it was rebuilt under Sullivan’s supervision, closely following the original design while also incorporating important improvements. The reconstruction therefore retained a close resemblance to the original house without forgoing the improvements mentioned.

These two buildings offer different points of reference for planning your trip: at the Cultural Arts Center, its former use as a public school and its construction date are part of its history; at the Charnley-Norwood House, the reconstruction after the fire is central. The architectural themes can thus be distinguished by their respective histories rather than grouped together as a single general attraction.

Plan for the Live Oaks Bicycle Route

The Ocean Springs Live Oaks Bicycle Route is a 15.5-mile out-and-back route. It connects the Davis Bayou Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore with the Old Louisville and Nashville Train Depot. The stated distance and the two endpoints give you a specific framework if you want to include a bike ride as a separate activity.

On the streets of Ocean Springs, the route is marked with green-and-white bicycle route signs. Maps are available at the Gulf Islands Visitor Contact Station and the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce. The Davis Bayou Area is located at 3500 Park Road, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564. Together, the distance information, signs, and maps help you plan the route as an out-and-back ride without confusing its distance with a travel time that has not been specified.

There are different factors to consider when choosing your travel dates and planning your stay: the festival is held on the first weekend of November, art activities at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art are available upon request, and the bicycle route is defined by its distance and marked wayfinding. Choose the focus that best suits your planned stay, then look for a hotel in Ocean Springs.

Discover more destinations: Moss Point, Latimer, Gautier, Pascagoula

For the overview of the wider area, see: Jackson County.