Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

📣 CALLING ALL DESCENDANTS! 📣

KREBS! LaPOINTE! GRAVELINE!

And all the branches, cousins and connected families that came after them, we want to see YOU at the La Pointe-Krebs House on October 2! ❤️

We're having a DESCENDANT ROLL CALL during Cattails & Cocktails on Krebs Lake and we'd love to see just how many descendants of these early Gulf Coast families we can gather in one place!

Come find your cousins. Compare family trees. Swap stories. And maybe even help us make a few new genealogy connections. 👀🌳

BONUS: there will be LOTS happening while you're here!

📜 Browse the family history binders, records and research we've been building during our monthly Family History Days.

🌳 Learn about the new La Pointe-Krebs Heritage Society and how descendants can officially join.

🏠 Tour the 1757 La Pointe-Krebs House and see the place where so much of this family history happened.

⚜️ Meet living-history interpreters and see colonial crafts and demonstrations.

🎶 Enjoy live music.

🚗 Check out our vintage-style antique car showcase.

🧱 See the engraved walkway bricks and get a look at plans for what's coming next at the museum.

🥂 And for our 21+ visitors, Toasting Traditions wristbands will be available for $25.

Cattails & Cocktails itself is FREE and open to the public!

Want to get a head start? You can use the same link to sign up for the La Pointe-Krebs Heritage Society AND purchase your Toasting Traditions wristband ahead of time. That means more time for cousins, history and cocktails when you get here! 😂🥂🌳

👉 https://lapointekrebs.org/store

📅 Friday, October 2
⏰ 4–7 PM
📍 La Pointe-Krebs House & Museum

So whether you've been researching your line for 30 years or all you know is, “Grandma always said we were related to the Krebs…” 😂 COME ON!

Krebs. LaPointe. Graveline. And ALL those branches in between and beyond...

👇 ROLL CALL! What family line are YOU coming from? 👇

Tag your cousins. Tag your genealogy people. And make plans to meet us at the House! ❤️🏠🌳

09/03/2026

🎬 Join us for a special screening of the Emmy® Award-winning documentary The Fisher People!

📅 Wednesday, September 23
⏰ 7:00–8:30 PM
📍 Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, Biloxi

The Fisher People tells the powerful story of Vietnamese refugees who resettled along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and rebuilt their lives through the fishing and seafood industry, creating new roots while preserving culture, family, and community.

The film was sponsored by the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, a program of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, in support of efforts to preserve and share the diverse stories and cultural heritage of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

We are excited to welcome the MSU Film team behind the documentary, including Director David Garraway and producers James Parker and Olivia Alysworth. A short panel discussion with the filmmakers and community members will follow the screening.

Come celebrate a story of refuge, resilience, heritage, and belonging on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. ⚓

Admission is free, but guests should RSVP using the link below to reserve a spot!

Join us for The Fisher People Screening—an exclusive showing on the big screen, followed by a panel discussion.

09/03/2026

🏡 Labor Day Closure

The Charnley-Norwood House will be closed on Labor Day in observance of the holiday.

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Labor Day! 🇺🇸

09/03/2026

🎂 Happy 170th Birthday, Louis Sullivan!

Born September 3, 1856, Louis Henry Sullivan was one of America’s most influential architects and a pioneer of modern architecture. Often called the “father of the skyscraper,” Sullivan believed buildings should reflect their purpose, an idea famously expressed in his phrase, “form follows function.”

In 1890–1891, Sullivan designed the Charnley-Norwood House in Ocean Springs as a winter home for Chicago lumberman James Charnley. A young Frank Lloyd Wright, then working as a draftsman for Adler & Sullivan, assisted with the drawings.

In 1897, the current Charnley-Norwood House was rebuilt and improved following Sullivan’s form follows function philosophy.

With its low horizontal design, wide porches, and connection to the surrounding landscape, the house offered an early glimpse of ideas that would help shape modern American architecture.

Today, we’re proud to preserve this remarkable piece of Sullivan’s legacy right here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Happy Birthday, Louis Sullivan! 🎉🏛️

📍 Charnley-Norwood House | Ocean Springs, Mississippi

09/01/2026

A Piece of Charnley-Norwood History Returns Home ✨

We’re excited to share that Lizzie Norwood’s dress is now on display at the Charnley-Norwood House!

The dress offers a special glimpse into the life of the Norwood family, who called this remarkable Gulf Coast home Bon Silene beginning in the late 1800s. Seeing an object that once belonged to Lizzie inside the house where she lived brings the history of Charnley-Norwood to life in a whole new way.

Come see the dress and explore one of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s most significant historic homes.

📍 Charnley-Norwood House
509 East Beach Drive
Ocean Springs, Mississippi

🕘 Open Monday–Friday during regular business hours.

Walk-ins are welcome when the gate is open. Guided tours are also available by appointment.

Charnley-Norwood House

08/31/2026

Nominations are now open for the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum’s 2026 Heritage Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognizes the people, businesses, tradesmen, fishermen, captains and boats that have played an important role in the maritime and seafood history of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Nominations are accepted in the following categories:

• Boat Owner / Captain / Commercial Fisherman
• Commercial Seafood Processing Company
• Supporting Industry Tradesman
• Boat Name

Nominees should have at least 10 years of involvement in the maritime or seafood industry, depending on the category.

The deadline has been extended to **December 1, 2026**.

Applications should include a completed nomination form, résumé or work history, photographs or other supporting documentation, and a letter of recommendation.

📄 **Download the Heritage Hall of Fame application here:**
https://www.maritimemuseum.org/

Applications may also be delivered to the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum at 115 1st Street in Biloxi or mailed to P.O. Box 1907, Biloxi, MS 39533.

If you know someone who has spent years helping build, support or preserve the Coast’s maritime and seafood industry, consider nominating them for the 2026 Heritage Hall of Fame.