Ocean Springs, MS Summary

Ocean Springs is primarily a “bedroom town” for the nearby centers of Biloxi and Gulfport, with its tranquil setting a pleasant respite from the industrial bustle of its neighbors. A community of nearly 15,000 residents, it has a large artist colony, and many art galleries line the downtown sidewalks.

It is worth seeking out the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, which showcases the work of a twentieth-century local painter known for his striking canvasses of gulf plants and animals. Also on view in Ocean Springs is the stunning architecture of Louis Sullivan, whose young protègè was Frank Lloyd Wright.

Though Biloxi is often considered the landing point and site of the first settlement in Mississippi, this honor actually belongs to Ocean Springs.

French explorer Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville, who was commissioned by King Louis XIV to settle the Louisiana Territory, arrived at present-day Ocean Point in 1699.

Ocean Springs is served by Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport, as well as bus along I-10, and also by train.