Location: Oxford
Top Things to do in Oxford
Top 10 Free Things to do in Oxford, Mississippi (MS)
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1837, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract.
Restaurants in Oxford
1. Square Books
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 157 reviews
Square Books is a general independent bookstore in three separate buildings (about 100 feet apart) on the historic town square of Oxford, Mississippi, home of the University of Mississippi and many great writers, including William Faulkner, Barry Hannah, Larry Brown, and, for a time, both Willie Morris and John Grisham. The main store, Square Books, is in a two-story building with a cafe and balcony on the second floor; Off Square Books is a few doors down from the main store and has lifestyle sections such as gardening and cookbooks; and Square Books Jr, the children's bookstore, is in a building on the east side of the square. Our newest store, Rare Square Books, sells rare and collectible books and is above Square Books, Jr. Square Books is known for its strong selection of literary fiction, books on the American South and by Southern writers, a large inventory of reduced-price remainders, and its emphasis on books for children.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
My wife and I love to visit bookstores. Over the years, we have established some favorites, including any Barnes & Noble, Nelson's in Lexington, Virginia, Main Street Rare Books & Manuscripts in Galena, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln Bookstore in Chicago, Haslam's in St. Petersburg, Florida and Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi. Square Books is one of a kind. It gets bigger every time we visit. Today, it covers four stores on five floors in three buildings 100 feet apart on the historic Courthouse Square. Founded in 1979 in an upstairs location, it now encompasses 10,000 square feet, hosts 150 author events per year and features extensive literary fiction, southern fiction and history sections, a coffee bar, a children's section, books on travel, cooking, gardening, art, photography, fashion, games, etiquette, hobbies and collecting, also magazines, gifts, a section of bargain and used books and, last but certainly not least, a rare books inventory featuring collectible, vintage and first edition books that was introduced in 2019, on the 40th anniversary of the business. Square Books Jr. offers books for parents, babies and kids through the teen years, along with educational toys, puzzles and games. Square Books was named "Bookstore of the Year" in 2013 by Publishers Weekly. Perhaps the store's biggest distinction is derived from the many outstanding writers who have lived in Oxford, taught at the nearby University of Mississippi or visited the store over the years, including Barry Hannah, Larry Brown, Willie Morris and John Grisham. All of Oxford native and Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner's books still in print are sold at the store.Open 9 to 8 Monday through Saturday and 9 to 5 on Sunday, Square Books has four addresses--160, 129, 111 and 115 Courthouse Square. If you can't find what you are looking for at Square Books, it either is out of print or never was printed in the first place.
2. Square Books, Jr.
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By jrsmith8
This is one of my favorite shops in Oxford. There are books for children everywhere and clever gifts and odds n' ends for kids around every turn. My wife and I walked around the store twice, and even though we did not have a child with us, the kid inside of us had a wonderful and memorable time. This store is highly recommended for everyone, whether child or adult or somewhere in between.
3. Lyceum-The Circle Historic District
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
The Lyceum and the Circle Historic District is a historic area on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, Mississippi that includes eight buildings and several monuments and was significant for its association with the civil rights movement during the Ole Miss riot of 1962 which resulted in the enrollment of James Meredith as the school's first African-American student. The Circle was designated as a National Historic Landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The centerpiece of the Circle is the Lyceum, the university's administration building which was built in 1848 and is the only surviving original structure on the campus. In 1962, the confrontation between Federal troops and white students and outside segregationists took place in front of the Lyceum. Other buildings are Brevard Hall, Croft Institute for International Studies and Carrier, Shoemaker, Ventress, Bryant and Peabody dormitory halls. The Circle is surrounded by University Circle, a road designed for one-way traffic that is lined by oak and magnolia trees, beds of pansies and expanses of grass. Since the mid-19th century, the Circle has been the focal point and historic core of the Ole Miss campus. Brevard Hall, the old chemistry building, was built in 1923. Two-story Ventress Hall was built in 1889. Bryant Hall, which housed the university's library from 1911 to 1952, now is home to the Fine Arts Center and the departments of Philosophy, Religion and Classics.
4. Confederate Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Just to the south of old Tad Smith Coliseum on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, within the shadows of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, is a modest walled lawn with a single monument at the center. This is the Confederate Cemetery, called "God's Little Acre," a lonely and solemn place where Confederate soldiers who died after the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 are buried. During the Civil War, the 13 buildings of Ole Miss were converted into hospitals for the wounded and the ones who died were buried on the property. But how many? At one time, the cemetery had individual markers but a groundskeeper removed them to mow the lawn and forgot where they belonged. According to records, up to 4,000 Confederate soldiers were treated at Ole Miss and over 700 were buried in the cemetery. To date, about 340 have been verified. Only one is a University Grey, a member of the regiment made up of Ole Miss students and alumni, a unit that was virtually whipped out at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.
5. College Hill Presbyterian Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By CyndiG42 - Oxford, United States
I went to College Hill Presbyterian during my college years with my Granny who was a member along with her husband for many, many years. I knew then some of the history and enjoyed when the church ate on the grounds. I recently discovered a family member buried there through ancestry.com. Now my old and recent visits (to see the cemetery) are all the more richer.
6. University of Mississippi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 347 reviews
Reviewed By FLYDL - Boston, United States
My daughter chose this university as her number one choice when she was still in grade school. At the time it was based on pictures she saw. When it came time to tour colleges, and we toured several, Ole Miss did not disappoint. The campus is absolutely stunning! Brimming with southern charm. My daughter fell in love with this school, as did we. Although far away from her home in Boston, our daughter could not imagine herself at another school. The city of Oxford is charming as well, yet numerous amenities are still at your fingertips.
7. The University of Mississippi Museum
8. Bailey's Woods Trail
9. Lamar Park
10. Thacker Mountain Rail Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By CharlieB604 - Oxford, United States
Now renamed the South Campus Rail Trail it runs from a gravel parking lot at the end of Chucky Mullins Drive for about 3 miles to a gravel road near Thacker Mountain. Popular trail with walkers, cyclists and runners. No drinking water or toilet facilities. Mile markers every half mile a couple of benches and several exercise stations. Phone service is spotty in parts. Plaque marks where a bridge collapsed and a train was wrecked. Lots of shade on a scenic path.
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