Historic Downtown Biloxi Walking Tour

Biloxi boasts a long and sometimes turbulent history, dating from 1699 when Pierre Lemoyne, Sieur d’Iberville sailed into the Mississippi Sound. The city grew from a quiet village into a thriving seafood center by the 1890s, with immigrants from Croatia/Slovenia, Bohema and later Louisiana Acadians harvesting the abundant shrimp and oysters. For most of the early 20th century, the seafood industry sustained the city’s economy. With the creation of Keesler Army Field in 1939 (now Keesler Air Force Base), Biloxi grew in national significance and population. During the 1970s Vietnamese immigrants settled in the city, locating primarily on Point Cadet – a district that was a cultural blend of new and old. In 1992 a new industry grew in Biloxi – casino gambling. With the economic boom spurred by legalized gaming in 1992 and the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Biloxi continues to strive to balance its ties to the past with its vision for the future.

For a video tour of the sites you will visit during the Historic Downtown Biloxi Walking Tour, select a stop from the list.