Some of my favorite things to do in Pass Christian MS include enjoying Coastal Mississippi’s best beaches, seeing spectacular sunsets and phenomenal oak trees, savoring amazing Gulf seafood, and much more.
Pass Christian is not as well known as its Mississippi Gulf Coast neighbors Bay St Louis, Biloxi, and Gulfport Mississippi, but it is a fantastic small beach town that is well worth visiting.
The Pass—as Pass Christian is locally called—is also home to one of USA’s most famous women. More on her below.
How to get to Pass Christian MS? Pass Christian is only 10 minutes from I-10 highway and is located between Long Beach MS and Henderson Point and the Bay St Louis Bridge. Gulfport-Biloxi Airport is the closest airport to Pass Christian and New Orleans is only a 75-minute drive away.
Driving along the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Pass Christian to Biloxi is one of my favorite US coastal scenic drives.
Whether you visit The Pass for a day or a week, here are 8 fantastic things to do in Pass Christian Mississippi. You can also skip directly to my favorite Pass Christian restaurants or places to stay in Pass Christian.
Pass Christian Beaches
Visiting the beautiful Pass Christian beaches—one of the most gorgeous stretches of US Gulf Coast beaches—is my top thing to do in Pass Christian. The section between Henderson Beach (on the west end) to Sea Level is my favorite Pass Christian beach, followed by the east section from Davis Ave (across the street from Cat Island Coffeehouse) to Hayden Ave (across the street from Wal-Mart).
There are plenty of free and convenient parking spaces right along the sand and water. The above photo is one such parking spot. How remarkable is this incredible US Gulf Coast beach scene?
Pass Christian beaches have some of the softest and cleanest beach sand along the Coastal Mississippi shoreline. And as you can see below, Pass Christian beaches are fun and popular during every season!
Amazing Coastal Mississippi Sunsets
And enjoying the Pass Christian beaches at sunset and night are amazing things to do in Pass Christian MS.
While the Gulf sunset views from Pass Christian beaches are wonderful, we really enjoy heading a little bit west. On the west end of Henderson Point Beach, the shoreline veers north so sunset views looking west are right over the water.
Pass Christian beaches are a wonderful place to be any time of the day but bonfire pits can be reserved in advance and make a memorable and fun place to be after the sun goes down. Bring your own food and snacks, blankets (if it is a chilly spring or fall evening), and family and friends for a special Coastal Mississippi moment.
Things to Do in Pass Christian: Shopping
OK, I teased you earlier about one of USA’s most famous women being from Pass Christian. She is Robin Roberts, the host of Good Morning America. Her sister Dorothy Roberts still lives in Pass Christian and operates two small businesses.
Robin’s Nest specializes in unique and memorable gifts. Robert’s Place Cafe opened in January 2022.
Find copies of Robin Roberts’ latest book at Pass Christian Books. The bookstore shares a building with Cat Island Coffeeshop and the building is directly across the street from the gorgeous Pass Christian beach.
Check out Pass Christian Olive Oils and Vinegars while you are in town. Their crafted products are used by local restaurants (such as Thorny Oyster in Bay St Louis) and make an excellent souvenir or gift.
Other local small businesses and stores can be found along Davis Ave—including Sara Kate (clothing), Martin Hardware, and Art in the Alley.
McCool Travel note: comedian Tig Notaro was also raised in Pass Christian. Let me know of other famous people from The Pass.
Things to Do in Pass Christian: Walking Tour
Our short US Gulf Coast walking tour of Pass Christian Mississippi gives visitors a look at history, beautiful trees and nature, and the commercial district of The Pass.
Start at Cat Island Coffeehouse and cross Scenic Drive to read the Mississippi Blues Trail sign.
Next walk along Scenic Drive, around War Memorial Park (if you want), and turn left on Seal Ave (or a little further on Donlin Ave). Note the gorgeous houses and majestic live oak trees (some are hundreds of years old).
Imagine the storm surge from Hurricane Katrina, when the Gulf of Mexico water crossed highway 90 below and Scenic Drive where you are standing.
Turn left on 2nd Street and then left on Davis Ave (the downtown portion of Pass Christian). Explore any of the shops mentioned above or continue back to Cat Island Coffeehouse.
For a little extra walk, turn right on Scenic Drive and walk about 0.2 mile to St. Paul Catholic Church. Along the way read a couple of historic marker signs and at the church read about Our Lady of Guadalupe. Note that the beautiful colorful shrine took 13 years to create by a local artisan.
McCool Travel note: Scenic Drive follows the route of the Old Spanish Trail, which was one of the first transcontinental roads. It was completed in the 1920s and ran from St Augustine to San Diego. The Old Spanish Trail Heritage Trace history marker in front of Hotel Pass Christian is the first of 20 scheduled to be installed along the Old Spanish Trail. The Old Spanish Trail was the 15th national historic trail established by US Congress.
Pass Christian MS Liquid Road Trips
Exploring the waters around Pass Christian is a superb way to get some exercise, enjoy nature, and see things that people on land do not. With the Gulf of Mexico, St Louis Bay, Wolf River, and bayous to choose from, your boating or paddling experiences in Pass Christian will be fun and memorable.
See Kayaking the Mississippi Gulf Coast for details about boating adventures in Pass Christian and all along the Mississippi coast—including kayaking on Wolf River to search for petrified wood. Other places to kayak in Pass Christian are Bayou Portage Coastal Preserve and Wolf River Marsh Coastal Preserve, and of course in the Gulf of Mexico waters.
Live Oak Cemetery
One of my favorite things to do in Pass Christian, and all along Coastal Mississippi, is visiting the beautiful cemeteries.
Make sure you see the phenomenal live oak trees in Live Oak Cemetery. Honestly you could include Live Oak Cemetery on the above guided walk but I like to stop here after I am in my car and heading west. Before I cross the Bay St Louis Bridge, I enjoy a visit to the Live Oak Cemetery to see the historic burials and the drop-dead gorgeous oak trees.
US Gulf Coast Favorites: Best Pass Christian Restaurants
Some of my favorite Pass Christian restaurants include:
Let chef Scott Meinka dazzle you with his boutique sushi rolls at Fatsumo Sushi. If you want something a little different (but with amazing fresh Gulf seafood), try the Jamaican Me Crazy or Cajun roll. See my Fatsumo Sushi pix.
Whiskey Prime is a casual elegant steakhouse open only for dinner service on Thursdays through Sundays. When fresh Gulf oysters are available here, order them! See my Whiskey Prime food pix.
Fill-Up with Billups is a fantastic breakfast spot and the Crawfish étouffée and Grits with a Biscuit is a tasty way to start the day. See our food pix from Fill-Up With Billups. They also have a location in Biloxi.
For casual, carryout food, give Sea Level a try. They serve burgers, dogs, nachos, and other fun foods. I love their shrimp tacos and fish tacos. See my pix from Sea Level.
See more Coastal Mississippi restaurants.
Best Pass Christian Mississippi Hotels
Hotel Pass Christian is my favorite place to stay in Pass Christian MS. The small boutique inn features 10 rooms—four of which have large balconies overlooking the Pass Christian harbor.
Elysian Salon Spa occupies the ground floor of Hotel Pass Christian and a pampering treatment might be one of your favorite things to do in Pass Christian Mississippi.
Check current rates and availability at Pass Christian hotels:
- Hotel Pass Christian
- Hotel Whiskey
- Pass Christian vacation rental across the street from the beach
For places to stay in other Coastal Mississippi towns, see Mississippi Gulf Coast Hotels and Best Places to Stay in Ocean Springs.
Things to Do Near Pass Christian
We love crossing the Bay St Louis bridge between Henderson Point and Bay St Louis. The views are inspiring in each direction and there is plenty of space for walkers, runners, and cyclists. It is 2.2 miles in each direction and there are magnificent art plaques at every 0.1 mile mark.
Some of my favorite things to do in Bay St Louis are eat (see my favorite Bay St Louis restaurants), walk around the small downtown (there is often a festival or fun event), see the Angel Oaks, and chill with a fantastic sunrise or sunset.
Heading east from Pass Christian, my first stop is usually to see the Friendship Oak at the University of Southern Mississippi campus in Long Beach.
Great things to do in Gulfport MS include Fishbone Alley, great restaurants and bars, Mississippi Aquarium, and Jones Park.
See also my other articles about things to do in Coastal Mississippi: