Homeschool Discounts in Mississippi (2026) — Mississippi homeschool days & co-op field-trip rates

Mississippi's homeschool deals cluster in two places: the museum row in Jackson and the science centers, zoos, and aquariums strung along the Gulf Coast from Pearlington to Gulfport. Most run through each venue's homeschool day or school field-trip program, and a co-op that gathers the 15-to-20-student minimum can book the Mississippi Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural Science, the Hattiesburg Zoo, and Gulfport's Lynn Meadows at roughly $3–$10 a student — well below gates that run $9–$15.

A couple of stops make it easy: INFINITY Science Center near NASA's Stennis runs a $10 Homeschool Wednesday four times a school year, the Mississippi Aquarium runs one Homeschool Day a month at $18.50 a student booked ahead, and the Museum of Natural Science charges school and homeschool groups just $3 a student. Others — Tupelo Buffalo Park and the Walter Anderson Museum — run real homeschool programming but quote rates by phone or email, so confirm on each venue's own site before you go.

Your Mississippi homeschool toolkit

Local resources worth bookmarking

Start here

Mississippi homeschool laws

Notice, recordkeeping & assessment rules — straight from the source.

Read Mississippi's requirements →

Check your local library

Free museum passes, classes, makerspaces & interlibrary loan — the cheapest field trips there are. Ask what they offer homeschoolers.

Find Mississippi libraries →

Always ask about homeschool rates

Many venues give 30–50% off (sometimes free) and never advertise it. Call ahead and ask for a homeschool, education, or co-op rate before you pay.

State parks & history

Free and cheap educational programming statewide — nature centers, historic sites, junior-ranger days.

State parks → · Mississippi history →

Free Mississippi homeschool printables

Print, pin & take along — no email needed

Free PDF worksheets to bring on any Mississippi field trip. Print as many copies as you like.

My Mississippi Study

A one-page state study your child fills in — capital, state symbols, flag, and a place to visit.

Download PDF →

Field trip scavenger hunt

A find-it checklist that works at any museum, park, or downtown outing. Reusable every trip.

Download PDF →

Nature journal

A draw-and-observe page for park, trail, and garden days — senses, sketches, and a leaf rubbing.

Download PDF →

Landmarks I want to see in Mississippi

A checklist to fill in — the parks and famous places in Mississippi you want to visit, with a box to tick off each one.

Download PDF →

See all our free printables →

Confirmed homeschool pricing

Published price on the venue's own homeschool page — most under $20 per child.

Offers

Field Trips

Weekdays, groups of 15+

per kid

Mississippi Children's Museum

Jackson · All ages · Book online ahead

Jackson's hands-on children's museum on the LeFleur Museum District campus runs five interactive galleries — a literacy garden, a wraparound climber, a Mississippi-themed gallery, and more. A homeschool group of 15 books the school field-trip rate from just $5 a student, a third of the regular gate, with optional curriculum-tied programs for a few dollars more.

Regular admission: $13 general admission — $5/student vs. $13 gate

Homeschool page at mschildrensmuseum.org →

Offers

Field Trips

Groups of 15–30

per kid · adult $8

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

Jackson · All grades · Reserve a program time ahead

Tucked into LeFleur's Bluff State Park in Jackson, the state natural-science museum holds a 100,000-gallon aquarium network, a dinosaur trail, and 73,000 square feet of exhibits. Homeschool and school groups pay just $3 a student and can add a curriculum-correlated hands-on presentation for groups of 15 to 30 — a cheap, science-standards-aligned outing.

Regular admission: $9 adult / $7 youth — $3/student group rate vs. $7 youth gate

Homeschool page at mdwfp.com →

Offers

Homeschool Days

Four Wednesdays a school year, 9 a.m.–noon

$10

per kid

INFINITY Science Center

Pearlington · All ages · Register online ahead

Mississippi's official NASA visitor center near the Stennis Space Center pairs space and earth-science galleries with a Saturn V engine and rocket-test viewing. Its Homeschool Wednesday, held four times a school year, gives co-op families three morning hours and a hands-on lab for $10 a person — a science-rich outing on the far western edge of the Gulf Coast.

Regular admission: $18 adult gate — $10 Homeschool Wednesday vs. $18 gate

Homeschool page at visitinfinity.com →

Offers

Field Trips

Weekdays, groups of 10+

$10

per kid

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center

Gulfport · All ages · Reserve a weekday ahead

Set in a restored 1915 schoolhouse in downtown Gulfport, the Gulf Coast's children's museum packs in a kid-sized Main Street, a treehouse village, art and science studios, and a NASA-tied Sun, Earth, Universe exhibit. Home-school groups of 10 book the self-guided field-trip rate at $10 a person, with free admission for teachers and staff.

Regular admission: $15 gate — $10/person group rate vs. $15 gate

Homeschool page at lmdc.org →

Offers

Homeschool Days

per kid

Hattiesburg Zoo

Hattiesburg · 2–12 ($9 for 13+) · Submit the field-trip form ahead

The Hattiesburg Zoo in historic Kamper Park runs more than 100 species across an Africa expansion, a wallaby walkabout, a splash pad, and a ropes course. Homeschool co-ops of 20 book the customizable field-trip rate at $7 a student (ages 2–12), one free chaperone per 10, and the zoo adds monthly first-Tuesday Homeschool Days with themed animal programming.

Regular admission: $12 adult / $10 child (gate) — $7/student field-trip rate vs. $10 child gate

Homeschool page at hattiesburgzoo.com →

Offers

Homeschool Days

One Wednesday a month, 8:45–10am

$18.50

per kid · adult $20

Mississippi Aquarium

Gulfport · Pre-K–12 · Buy online ahead ($26.95 at the window)

Gulfport's 5.8-acre aquarium walks visitors from Mississippi River habitats out to the Gulf, with otters, sharks, rays, and an aviary. Its Homeschool Days run one Wednesday a month from 8:45 to 10am with educator-led activity stations and a meet-an-animal-ambassador stop, and the ticket lets families stay in the park all day afterward — $18.50 a student booked in advance, against a $29.95 regular gate.

Regular admission: $29.95 adult / $23.95 child online — $18.50 advance vs. $23.95 child gate

Homeschool page at msaquarium.org →

When everything’s free

Big-ticket museums with a recurring free-admission day — open to everyone, no homeschool sign-up needed.

Year-round

8 museums

FREE

Admission days

Free-for-all guide

Free museum days across Mississippi

Jackson · Meridian · Laurel · Tupelo · Vicksburg

No group minimums and no booking forms — just show up on the right day. From free weeknights and weekend days to resident-free museums, these are the recurring free-admission days at Mississippi’s major museums, each verified on the museum’s own site.

Why it’s here: the cheapest field trip there is — no per-kid ticket and no reservation.

See all Mississippi free museum days →

Worth calling about

These venues run homeschool programs but don't publish pricing online. Call before you go.

Offers

Field Trips

Call

no public price

Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo

Tupelo · All grades · Call or submit the field-trip form

North Mississippi's offbeat animal park near Tupelo combines a bus or van safari past a roaming bison herd with a walk-through zoo of zebras, giraffes, and big cats. The staff customizes school field-trip packages with pavilions and educational stops, but the homeschool rate is quoted by phone or form — call ahead to build a co-op visit.

Regular admission: $12 drive-thru / $15 walk-thru

How to reach them: The drive-through buffalo safari and walk-through zoo build customizable school field-trip packages to a group's budget, but the per-student rate isn't posted online — call 662-844-8709 or submit the school field-trip form. Regular admission is $12 drive-thru, $15 walk-thru, or $25 for both; under 2 free.

Homeschool page at tupelobuffalopark.com →

Offers

Field Trips

Call

no public price

Walter Anderson Museum of Art

Ocean Springs · K-12 · Contact the education team

Ocean Springs' art museum centers on the visionary nature paintings of Walter Anderson, including the recreated murals from his secret Little Room. The education team runs docent-led school tours and STE(A)M field trips and hosts Educator Nights for homeschool teachers; tour rates are by request, but students and educators in the lower six coastal counties get free membership.

Regular admission: ~$10 adult (regular gate)

How to reach them: Docent-led school tours of the Anderson collection and the murals in the Ocean Springs Community Center, plus after-hours Educator Nights open to homeschool educators — tour rates aren't posted, so contact sandra@walterandersonmuseum.org. Students and educators in the six lower coastal counties qualify for a FREE membership with free admission.

Homeschool page at walterandersonmuseum.org →

Gear up for your field trip

A few inexpensive things that turn a museum or nature day into a richer lesson — favorites from homeschooling families.

Kids' field journal

Sketch and note what they see at each stop

Shop on Amazon →

Compact binoculars for kids

Zoos, nature centers, living-history farms

Shop on Amazon →

Bug viewer & magnifier

Turn any nature trail into a science lesson

Shop on Amazon →

Kids' sketchbook

Art-museum and outdoor sketching days

Shop on Amazon →

Scavenger hunt cards

Keep little ones engaged on long visits

Shop on Amazon →

Junior ranger activity book

Pairs with park and museum trips

Shop on Amazon →

Homeschool resources we love

Homeschool curriculum Science experiment kits Kids' art supplies Educational workbooks

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Plus more free and cheap educational outings in Mississippi

Already on DiscoverCheapUS — free and low-cost Mississippi attractions homeschool families plan whole field-trip days around.

Jackson

10 free or cheap

Mississippi Civil Rights MuseumFree Sundays / $15 adults, $8 youth other days
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science$9 adults / $7 youth / $8 seniors
Old Capitol MuseumFree
Mississippi Governor's MansionFree (reservation required)
Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National MonumentFree
Eudora Welty House & Garden$10 house tour / $5 students / Free on the 13th
Mississippi Museum of ArtFree (special exhibitions ticketed)
Museum of Mississippi History$15 adults / $8 youth 4-22 / Free Sundays
Mississippi Children's Museum$13 / Free under 1
Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum$8 adults / $6 children 3-17 / $7 seniors

See all Jackson attractions →

Natchez

11 free or cheap

Natchez Bluff ParkFree
Natchez National Historical ParkFree grounds / $11 house tour / Free 17 & under
Natchez Trace ParkwayFree
Forks of the RoadFree
Historic Natchez City CemeteryFree
Grand Village of the Natchez IndiansFree
Emerald MoundFree
St. Mary BasilicaFree
Mount Locust Historic HouseFree
William Johnson HouseFree
Rosalie Mansion$20 adults / $15 youth 12-17 / Free 11 & under

See all Natchez attractions →

Vicksburg

9 free or cheap

Vicksburg National Military Park$20/vehicle (7-day pass) / $10 per person on foot or bike / Free under 16
USS Cairo Gunboat & MuseumFree with $20 NMP park admission
Vicksburg National CemeteryFree with $20 NMP park admission
Old Court House Museum$10 adults / $9 seniors 65+ / $5 students K–12
Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River MuseumFree
Vicksburg Riverfront MuralsFree
Biedenharn Coca-Cola MuseumSmall fee (~$3.50 adults / $2.50 children — call to confirm)
Old Depot Museum$7 adults / $4 students / $5 seniors-military
Jacqueline House African American MuseumFree (donations welcome)

See all Vicksburg attractions →

Biloxi

5 free or cheap

Biloxi Lighthouse$5 adults / $2 youth 6-11 / Free under 6
Beauvoir$15 adults / $7 children 6-17 / Free 5 & under
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum$10 adults / $8 seniors/military / $6 students 5-15
Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art$12 adults / $10 seniors / $6 students 6-17 / Free under 6
Old Biloxi CemeteryFree

See all Biloxi attractions →

Gulfport

3 free or cheap

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center$15 / $12 military & seniors 65+ / Free 0–12 months / Free last Fridays 5-8pm
Institute for Marine Mammal Studies$17 adults / $15 children 3-12 / $16 seniors & military
Historic Grass LawnFree

See all Gulfport attractions →

Tupelo

7 free or cheap

Elvis Presley BirthplaceFree grounds / $12 single attraction / $25 all three
Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo$12 drive-thru / $15 walk-thru / Free 2 & under
GumTree Museum of ArtFree
Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor CenterFree
Tupelo National BattlefieldFree
Brices Cross Roads National BattlefieldFree
Oren Dunn City MuseumFree

See all Tupelo attractions →

Hattiesburg

3 free or cheap

Hattiesburg Zoo$10 adults / $8 children 2-12 / $9 seniors (online)
African American Military History MuseumFree (donations welcome)
Mississippi Armed Forces MuseumFree (temporarily closed for renovation)

See all Hattiesburg attractions →

Meridian

6 free or cheap

Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX)$14 adults / $8 youth 6-17 / Free under 5 (free first Saturdays)
Dentzel Carousel & Highland ParkFree park / $1 per carousel ride / $2 tour
Soulé Steam Feed Works$10 adults / $7 students & children / Free 5 & under
Meridian Museum of ArtFree (donations welcome)
Merrehope$10 adults / $5 students
Rose Hill CemeteryFree

See all Meridian attractions →

Ocean Springs

3 free or cheap

Walter Anderson Museum of Art$10 adults / $5 children & students / Free 5 & under
Gulf Islands National Seashore — Davis BayouFree
Charnley-Norwood HouseFree

See all Ocean Springs attractions →

See all 75 Mississippi attractions on the directory →