Bring the family along to The Roost! There are many wonderful, kid-friendly places to visit and enjoy during your stay! Check out some of our favorites below!
university of southern mississippi’s Marine Education Center, 101 Sweetbay Dr.
Located just over a ten-minute drive from The Roost, the USM Marine Education Center boasts a steel reinforced pedestrian suspension bridge that transports visitors to the tree canopy of our Mississippi coastal forest. The globe exhibit inside the ecologically designed facility was a gift from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), and can be programmed to show the current cloud formations around the world, change into any of the planets, or even show the path of the infamous Hurricane Katrina which devastated the coast in 2005. Disability accessible trails throughout the property give kids and adults alike an immersive experience into the natural landscape and habitats of the Gulf Coast. You might walk past a snake, rabbit or come across an osprey, a type of coastal bird of prey. Take the kids to run around the trails and learn more about the wondrous natural world of the Mississippi Gulf Coast!
Parks & Beaches Within Walking Distance
Another way to let the kiddos run free and release some energy is to take a stroll to Fort Maurepas beach park, the Little Children’s Park, or Front Beach!
Fort Maurepas is the sight of the 1699 landing of the French settlers who named the spot a temporary capital for the French colony. Today, the park features a large green space with grilling options, a splash pad, and a playground area just across from the beach!
The Little Children’s Park is located just up the road from the beach on Washington Ave. and has two playscapes, a beautiful swing-set, musical games, and a zipline! While you’re at the zipline, make sure to try and spot our friendly, neighborhood white squirrel who lives in the tree nearby.
Check out the art at each park with a life-size statue of the explorer, Pierre Le Moyne d’iberville, at Ft. Maurepas and a wind sculpture by artist Anthony Howe at Little Children’s Park.
The beach is one of the best ways to relax with the kids. Make sure to ask our front desk about beach chair set up with Belly Up Beach Chair Rentals for sunset or all-day private beach chairs and umbrellas. Since Ocean Springs is one of the most walk-able cities on the MS Gulf Coast, you’re safe to walk down the road just two blocks to front beach with the kiddos!
Pascagoula river Audubon Center, 5107 Arthur Street, Moss Point MS
Take about a thirty min. ride down I-10 to Moss Point for the Pascagoula River Audubon Center. It “offers river boat tours, interactive exhibits, aquaria, bayou walkways & observation decks, a nature play garden, kayak rentals, and excellent birding.” As the longest free-flowing river in the US, the Pascagoula is home to an abundant wealth of wildlife. Take the kids on a river boat tour with McCoy’s River & Marsh Tours or on a two-seat kayak! Or just explore the exhibits and check out the children’s nature discovery garden!