Zoo, Brew, & Bites

Spend your trip taking a walk on the wild side!

It’s time to craft an adventure with the best Hattiesburg has to offer. For three amazing days, surround yourself with exotic animals, craft beer, and fantastic food.

PicturedHattiesburg Zoo | Credit: JJ 2024

Day One

Hotel: Hattiesburg hotels are comfortably open for you! Thanks to our incredible hotel partners, you’ll rest easy in any of our 30+ hotels.
Daytime: Visitors travel from across the country for a chance to shop at The Lucky Rabbit. This junk joint, open every Saturday and Sunday, is an eccentric exploration of vintage items, handmade goods, and repurposed furniture. Don’t miss out on their larger-than-life photo ops themed for each month and famous set recreations from your favorite flicks like Schitt's Creek and Stranger Things.
Dinner: Of course, good food is important, but any respectable restaurant on this itinerary must have the brews to match. Keg and Barrel offers a wide variety of elevated pub food, and is a premier beer emporium offering more than 120 varieties of brew. Housed in a 18th century home, the extensive tap wall features brews everywhere from Germany and Ireland to local Mississippi varieties.
Night: Was it an IPA or Stout that tickled your taste buds at dinner? Just a couple of blocks from the Keg, stop by Hub City Beers on your way back to the hotel and select from hundreds of beers or even mix and match for an array flavors. Not sure what you want? Visit the taste counter to sample any beer on draft.

PicturedKeg and Barrel Downtown

Day Two

Lunch: After a late night and relaxing morning, start day two at Murky Waters for mouth-watering BBQ and one of more than 20 craft beers on tap. Watch as Mississippi pecan smoke cooks quality meat (we hear the burnt ends are an unforgettable bite) and tap your toes to live music amongst a custom-built oak bar and local art.
Day: Walk across the street to the Hattiesburg Zoo, home to more than 90 species of animals. This stop will have you feeling wild with private animal encounters (like Chewie, the famous two toed sloth), keeper talks, and up-close feedings of jaguars, tigers, and alligators oh my! If you’re walking tall after your adventure, brave the High Ropes Adventure Course for the best view in town!
Dinner: Don’t miss happy hour at Chesterfields Grill and Bar This Hattiesburg original has been around since 1981 for a reason, and that’s unbeatable food and affordable prices. Live tunes are often found on their patio.
Night: It’s all fun and games in Hattiesburg! Stop by The Porter Pub in downtown for late-night bites, house-brewed beer, and a variety of board games to play on the comfy couches scattered throughout this historic bar and eatery. Check their schedule for comedy hour and open-mic nights, too!

PicturedHattiesburg Zoo High Ropes Adventure

Day Three

Daytime: Southern Prohibition beer can be found across the country but is brewed right here in Downtown Hattiesburg. Watch the process with a behind the scenes brewery tour and tasting, or visit the Taproom for a rotating selection of draft along with cans and bottles from the cellar to enjoy on-site or take home with you. Enjoy the ambiance of the newly redesigned interior with a full food menu and cocktails.
Lunch: Soak up the suds at Depot Kitchen and Market, also located in Downtown Hattiesburg. Whether it’s a steamy latte or a toasty sandwich, feel like a local at this Hattiesburger-favorite eatery. Then, walk to the operating Hattiesburg Train Depot across the street and explore Hattiesburg's railroad history that makes it well known as the “Hub City.”
Dinner: Columnist, cookbook author, and cook, Robert St. John has been named the state’s top chef three times and was honored as Mississippi Restauranteur of the Year. Owner of several local eateries, St. John’s Crescent City Grill specializes in creole flavors and fresh seafood, accompanied by broad beer and wine lists. A trip to Hattiesburg isn’t complete without a dining experience here.
Night: After you’ve had your fill of delicious and time-tested recipes, you don’t even have to leave the building to sample some of the most interesting brews in the ‘burg. Twice named Top 100 Beer Bars in America by Draft Magazine and selected as Best Beer Bar in MS by Thrillist, the ambience and selection of St. John’s Mahogany Bar can’t be beat!