Top 12 Things to Do in Laurel, Mississippi

When Ben and Erin Napier brought their renovation and design skills to HGTV, their small town, Laurel, Mississippi, got a big boost. The couple co-host HGTV's Home Town, set in Laurel, as well as two spin-offs, Home Town Takeover and Home Town Kickstart, that feature their projects around the US. The shows are sprinkled with heartwarming stories, ideas and inspiration as they restore old homes and add modern, affordable updates.

Erin is a designer and author, and her husband Ben focuses on woodworking and construction. Together they're raising two daughters, Helen and Mae. Along with a few friends and family members, they also operate the Laurel Mercantile, their downtown flagship store. It's stocked with home goods, apparel and accessories made in the US. Their other popular stores, The Scent Library and Scotsman General Store and Woodshop, have helped revitalize their charming, historic town.

If you are planning a trip to visit Laurel, we have rounded up the top 12 things to see and do in the Napiers' hometown.

The Napiers are proud of their Scottish heritage, so finding a name for Ben's first woodshop was a natural choice. In 2016, Ben, Erin and a few partners launched Scotsman Manufacturing. The team made a committment — one they still embrace — to American workmanship and making things in small American towns. The woodshop later moved to a new home, the Scotsman General Store and Woodshop, and added the nostaglic fun and feel of an old-fashioned general store. You'll find glass-bottled soft drinks, candies that aren't sold anywhere else and all sorts of pantry goods, snacks and treats.

Originally opened in 1901, the Laurel Mercantile provided goods for the town for many years before closing its doors in the 1930s. In 2016, the Napiers partnered with their friends the Nowells and the Rasberrys (who make regular appearances on Home Town) to reopen its doors. Selling everything from apparel to homegoods, the Laurel Mercantile is a must-see when in Laurel, Mississippi.

Once called "The Yellow Pine Capital of the World," Laurel was a company town that eventually fell on hard times, especially during the Civil War and Depression. It began to recover during the 1980s and continues to grow. Today, Guild and Gentry honors the Gentry (wealthy Northern entrepreneurs) and the Guildspeople (crafters, lumberjacks and merchants), who've helped restore and expand the town. This self-described "distinctly masculine" store sells fine menswear, bags and leather goods, home goods and much more. Make an appointment with Jeremy or Grant in the barbershop and show off your good grooming.

While you're in Laurel, spend some time at Southern Antiques, where thoughtfully curated home decor, new and antique furniture and many unique items fill three stories and over 10,000 square feet of retail space. This is a must-visit destination for lighting, women's clothing, art created by local and regional artists and more.

Start with exhibits of Native American art, Japanese woodblock prints, American and European art and move on to exhibits of stunning British Georgian silver or workshops on photography, ceramics and watercolors. The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, the state's first art museum, is located one block from the center of Laurel on a shaded avenue of turn-of-the-century homes. Don't miss its extensive collection of Native baskets and explore the reference library, which offers over 10,000 volumes on art history and art reference. (Sorry, but you can't check them out.) The surrounding live oaks, English ivy, azaleas and Asiatic jasmine give this Georgian Revival building irresistible curb appeal.

Shug's Cookie Dough and Candy Bar will have you saying, "Gimme some sugah," when you browse the cases and counters filled with peanut butter balls, brownies, iced sugar cookies, cookie cakes and chocolate-covered strawberries. If that's not enough, go for the Oreo balls, pecan pralines, cornflake candies or other irresistable treats. Order online from this small business or go in and face the temptation in-person. You can always diet tomorrow, right?

The Mural Tour, organized by Visit Laurel and Jones County, was one of the town's first efforts toward revitalization, and its goal was to attract attention by promoting local crafts, craftspeople and entrepreneurs. Take a selfie (or 10) beside one of the many colorful murals, designed and painted by a variety of local artists, including some designed by Erin. This tour depicts the Amtrak Crescent Line, which runs between New York City and New Orleans and makes daily stops in Laurel.

Hillary and Thomas Steinwinder launched Longleaf Tea Company in 2018, planting tea seeds on family land that had been passed down in Laurel for generations. The idea for the company was born from a conversation with a shopkeeper in Shanghai who wondered why the US didn't grow much tea. Intrigued, the couple put in years of work and research and finally poured their first cup of Laurel-brewed tea in 2021. Today, they're among a handful of tea growers and makers in the country, and they invite tea lovers and curious sippers to sample their flavors on a Longleaf Tea's Tour and Tasting. Each tour includes a guided field excursion to see where the plants are grown and plucked by hand, weather and season permitting. The tours also feature a curated tasting of one or more seasonal teas, a tour of the company's farmhouse and an informative chat about the art and science of American tea farming.

Laurel's Historic District earned its spot on the National Register of Historic Places for its memorable past and the variety of high quality, elegant architectural styles. Stop by Laurel's Welcome Center for a brochure and take a walking tour of the Historic District. Be sure to look for a 1910 Italian Renaissance Revival home, a former Steamboat Gothic-style home that was later transformed to a more Colonial Revival style, a home built in a Prairie style developed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright and more.

Unwind from a busy day of sightseeing in Laurel with a hand-crafted cocktail and, when you're ready, climb into a comfy bed at Buzzard's Roost Bar and Inn. Inspired by American cocktail parties of the 1950s, the Prohibition era and drinks from the days of the Wild West, these libations are classics with a modern-day twist. Buzzard's also proudly serves the biggest selection of gins in town. Come for brunch, breakfast, lunch or dinner, share delicious appetizers or indulge in decadent desserts. Stay the night — or many nights — upstairs in the Inn, which was renovated by Ben and Erin. The rooms were inspired by stops on the Crescent Line Railroad, and guests sometimes hear the train's whistle blow as it runs through town. Don't worry — white noise machines in each room help mask sounds, and the Inn hasn't had any formal complaints.

Laurel locals and visitors alike head to Pearl's Diner for delicious, classic Southern fare. Owner Pearl Campbell was raised by her grandmother, who owned a restaurant and loved cooking, and celebrates her legacy by dishing up crispy fried chicken, black-eyed peas simmered to perfection, rice and gravy and everybody's favorite comfort food, mac and cheese. Bubbly Pearl often stops to hug, pray over and kiss her customers. Her diner was once a jewelry store, and as she says on her website, "God put me in a jewelry store where mac and cheese and fried chicken became the shining jewels!"