Staff was amazing and would highly recommend. Found some amazing seashells, walking the island was…read moreso peaceful.

Listen up, Biloxi crew if you're just holing up in the casinos, stuffing your face at buffets, and…read morenever stepping foot on the sand or a boat, you're straight-up robbing yourself and disrespecting the good people of the Gulf Coast. Come on, y'all! This ain't what Biloxi is about. I rolled into town ready for some real adventure, and after chatting with locals (who know their stuff), they all pointed me straight to Ship Island Excursions. Best decision I made the whole trip. The boat ride out? Pure magic. About an hour across the sound, wind in my hair, and that captain man, what a character! He had us cracking up the whole way with his stories, pointing out dolphins like it was no big deal (spoiler: it was a big deal flipper squad escorted us like VIPs). The narration was gold: history, wildlife, tall tales, the works. Felt like we were in on some secret Gulf adventure. Once we hit Ship Island, it was game on. White sand beaches that look like they belong in the Caribbean, crystal-clear water way better than the mainland, and that old Fort Massachusetts to poke around in. I rented a chair and umbrella, plopped down, and let the sun do its thing. But let's be real I couldn't just sit still. Me and a couple new buddies from the boat got up to some harmless shenanigans: epic shell-hunting contests, splashing around like kids, trying (and failing) to build the world's saddest sandcastle before the tide won. One guy swore he saw a mermaid; I didn't argue. We were all just living our best lives, laughing our heads off. The whole vibe is chill but electric the crew keeps everything smooth, the people are friendly as heck, and you feel like you're part of something special. Pro tip: Pack snacks or hit the concession stand, but don't miss the ride back more dolphin sightings and that golden-hour glow over the water. If you're in Biloxi and you skip this, you're cheating yourself out of one of the top "had to do it" experiences on the coast. Casinos are fun, but this? This is the real deal. Boat cruise + beach escape + good folks + zero regrets. 10/10, do it every time you're here. Ship Island Excursions just earned a permanent spot on my Mississippi must-list. Can't wait to go back and cause more (friendly) trouble out there!

This was a fun and unique mini golf course. The person in the "pro shop" was friendly and funny.read more

This is a fun place. Very well maintained and clean. Groupon had a great special. Received a can of…read moresoda and a small cup icecream.

We had a lovely time here. I am a big fan of zoos, and of course an aquarium is just a big, wet…read morezoo. The Mississippi Aquarium was very cute and lots of fun. You can tell that the staff are educated and care very much about the animals. It is all very clean and well-kept. It took us about 2 hours to sidle through and look at everything. It's a good outing for an afternoon. Part of the facility is outdoors, with exhibits for the beavers (They have beavers!! So cute!!), the dolphins, the otters, and the local gators and wildlife. They have a penguin exhibit that is in the works and coming soon. The rest is indoors in a nice building. You go up to the top floor and work your way down through the various exhibits and tanks. A big part is outside, so you should check the weather before you go and be prepared to deal with whatever. There is a public parking garage right next door, but we parked across the highway at Jones Park and walked over to the aquarium. There is a nice pedestrian skybridge over the highway that makes it easy and safe.

Cute aquarium. Came here after getting some coffee and as a heads up: you can't bring outside…read moredrinks inside the facility! So don't even try it. Got here as it opened, they have a military discount at the ticket office. I enjoyed the outdoor exhibits, but the indoor exhibits are much more expansive and beautifully put together. They have a touch tank and a lot of interesting information posted everywhere, so come prepared to learn. They also have a bird exhibit that you can walkthrough and see animals close up! They also have a concession stand, and a gift shop at the exit.

This is wonderful winter wonderland! Amazing views of lights to get you in the Christmas spirit! I…read morehave not been in here in a while. They were not doing this when I use to live here. My understanding, they recently started doing this 7-10 years ago. Apparently it gets better and better each year. I found out it was featured on a hallmark movie Christmas in Mississippi for reference. But apparently they have been to this amazing event for a while now. Especially since they remodeled the park. And the icing on the cake. The new attraction of the new aquarium. Located in the heart of downtown Gulfport, in Jones Park on the corner of Highway 90 and Highway 49 at Gulfport harbor. They do not have any parking spaces next to the event. However, they do offer close proximity parking to either walk over from the west side of the marina. East parking in the aquarium garage. They offer free parking and shuttle/buses (provided by your local CTA for both ends. It's a free service but welcome a little Christmas gift if you desire. I recommend parking at the garage since it is well lit and easy to walk if you desire since they built the new overpass from the aquarium to the park. The west end has plenty of parking but not as well lit but closer to the event. In my opinion. Speaking of the bus service, they have plenty of them and service is great and quick. Do not be discouraged if you are waiting for a while for them. Cause you will not. A few minutes tops. That was my experience. I noticed that if you have person that requires extra attention. You can drop them off at the front of the park. And they will gladly assist you. Also guide you to find the best place to park. They encourage you to have the best experience possible. Admittance fee can vary on what day you go. They do accept cards. No discount at the booth that I am aware of. They have a train service that will take you around the park and enjoy the park lights. If you do not want to walk around the whole time. Please reach out to the ticket office for details. They also off few rides in the park (carnival) and delicious food (fair type) hot chocolate, and hot coffee ( or cold/frozen too) . They have plenty of the upscale portable restrooms on site for your convenience. Definitely recommend check it out if you are on the coast. Nice little trip to the coast and especially exploring what other great restaurants and attractions the hosts. Especially plan accordingly to go in the early evening to get the full experience of Christmas lights and weather permitting. Per this article, remember to dress appropriately, it can get kind of chilly in the evening since the temperature drops and of you get breeze. Fun for all ages and great group or family event. In my opinion. The staff is amazing and willing to help you out with your stay. World class experience! Service with a smile!

We're from the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana and have been to many a holiday light festival. We're…read moreso happy to drive out to see this Harbor Lights Holiday Show. Spectacular and very well done. Thank you so much to Gulfport and sponsors for a most excellent light show. Bravo and well done.

We started off a little rough...they were out of ribs and burnt ends. No ribs at a BBQ joint?!?…read more So we went with brisket and smoked sausage. My wife and I did not agree....but her brisket was very fatty. I also had a large helping of fried okra along with some yummy potato salad. I was pretty stuffed so I shared my leaner brisket pieces with my wife. So it was a split decision on the food but service was good.

I love this place. I come a few times every winter when I am down here. The pulled pork is always…read moregood. I had the pulled pork and pulled chicken too, and it was good. Today I had the brisket sandwich and enjoyed it as well. If you are lucky, Kaleigh will wait on you. She is a good and attentive waitress. Big bar, lots of seating, multiple tvs. But street parking fills in fast, so come early.

Be expected to pay double what you order…read more Ordered the $5 house wine while out with friends. Had 4 throughout the whole night. Once the tab came i noticed each glass was charged as $10 each. An original $25 night turned into over $50 with tax. Paid my tab without question, guessing I read the menu wrong. Waited outside for a ride just to have the customers sitting by me leaving and coming to me to say that as soon as I left the bar, the bartender confessed to them that she was out of the $5 wine the whole night and was giving me the $10 glass, hoping I wouldn't notice. Too bad, seemed like a nice bartender, she's obviously done this more than once. Want to get scammed? Then this is the place for you.

Delicious!!! I've been wanting to try this new restaurant for some time now. So glad we made it…read morethere tonight. I met my husband and kids after work. Such great atmosphere!! Very relaxing, warm, and welcoming. The waitress was friendly and efficient. The drinks and food were fantastic. I will be recommending this place to all of my friends! Duck bites- delicious, with the perfect amount of kick! Au Gratin - creamy and perfect! The Bistro Pasta - my son loved it! The Cuban - my husband said it was one of the best he's had in a while! Chicken wrap - my daughter devoured it before saying a word - she said it was amazing! Grilled Cheese - this is no ordinary grilled cheese- had Gouda, blackberry jam, bacon, jalapeños - amazing with a nice kick!

I kind of have a thing for finding small museums, attractions and so on for places that are in…read morecities I want to spend some time in. This fit the bill. I came on a Sunday not really realizing there was a larger city event going on in town, which only affected my visit here by slowing down traffic. Getting here was easy, the museum takes up several buildings, so there is plenty of parking. This place is freaking amazing. The employees are very friendly and more than happy to share information about the trains and the city in general. Though they were all about the cruise in that was going on, and I am not into large groups of people. There are model trains with whole cities around them, mock ups of famous buildings, large stores, all made from Legos and similar materials. There is a Jurassic Park, gnomes, dinosaurs and oh so much more. If you are in the area, I highly recommend a stop in here to spend a few hours, especially if you have small humans with you.

Our kids had so much fun at this place. The staff was super nice. Jake, who helped us build a water…read moretower at the STEM workshop, was fantastic. They also have a hand paddle train station, and the worker there helped my friend push when she was tired. Even my picky 10 years old girl enjoyed her time at this place. Too bad the train ride broke down, so the adults were a little disappointed. But we are all happy to visit this place.

I have been here before, not when they were at this location, but the one across the street. This…read moreis a much larger building, more room. They have things well organized in distinct areas, room for play. This would be a great spot to have a kids birthday party. The day I went it was not too busy. Plenty of room to move around. Great history. I liked the video about the history of how this came to be and the videos on how model trains work. Reasonable admission prices.

Fantastic place for the whole family regardless of age. Staff were super friendly! Highly recommend.read more

There is so much for kids to do here. My grandkids loved it. We easily spent 4 to 5hours here and…read morethey wanted to stay longer. There are 2 floors of different stations for kids to play at and there's more stuff outside. There's also a pretty affordable gift shop. The splash pad was awesome. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed our visit.

Such a fun place to do birthdays or to just go with your children! Tons of things to do for all…read moreages.

Wow the worst buffet ever. They were 12 of us in our group and everyone to a person was…read moredisappointed. The hot food and soup was cold, over cooked or burnt. I had a slice of lemon meringue pie and it was hot. I spoke with a manager to point out our displeasure and he told us he would address it. I told him it was unbelievable that their people would put this food out knowing how it was. The highlight was our server she did an excellent job so kudos to her. It'll definitely be a long time we before we return, we definitely like their Dock Side Deli restaurant. Kudos to Island View Casino's social networking specialist Lilly G, for taking the time to address our concerns I'll definitely let the group know, and that we might consider revisiting the buffet again at a later date to see if they've stepped up their food quality.

1 Star - RUN AWAY FROM ROOM 5033…read more Do yourself a favor and stay far away from Room 5033 at Island View Casino Resort. This was hands down one of the nastiest hotel rooms I have ever stepped foot in. The second we walked in, we were hit with the overwhelming smell of pot inside Not faint. Not subtle. It reeked. If that wasn't bad enough, we quickly discovered what appeared to be an entire colony of roaches that like to camp on top of the TV/fridge stand when you turned lights on and ran behind living behind the TV/refrigerator stand. Absolutely disgusting. The room itself looked like it hasn't been properly maintained in years. The paint was peeling off the ceiling. The bed comforter had multiple cigarette burn holes in it. The TV? A tiny 17" monitor that looked like it belonged in 2005. For what they charge, that's unacceptable. Cleanliness was clearly not a priority. There were hairs everywhere -- on the toilet, in the shower, on the bathroom surfaces. The carpet was stained and filthy. The refrigerator had mold inside it and packed between the door seal and interior lining. Even worse, there was white mold growing on the carpet directly in front of the refrigerator. The baseboards in that area were torn up in several places. There was black mold on the curtains and sheers -- a serious health hazard. As if that wasn't enough, there was ZERO water pressure and NO hot water. Taking a shower was impossible. Between the weak trickle of water and the freezing temperature, it was completely unacceptable for any hotel, let alone one that charges resort prices. And don't expect any peace and quiet. The walls are paper thin. You can hear everything happening in the next room. This room was unsanitary, poorly maintained, and completely unacceptable. Save yourself the money, the frustration, and the health risk. If the rooms are this dirty how clean are the restaurants delis and buffets? If there are roaches in the rooms where are they coming from, downstairs?? RUN. AWAY. FROM. ROOM 5033.