2021 Visit Meridian Visitors Guide

4 5 VISITMERIDIAN.COM GETTINGHERE All roads lead to Meridian. All railroads, too. And airways. Union Station Meridian’s Union Station, a grand Mission Revival structure costing a then-princely $250,000, opened in August 1906. Today, it’s officially the Union Station Multi-Modal Transportation Center. The station operates as a unified hub for Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses. Amtrak’s Crescent passenger train stops in Meridian twice daily, once on the way from New York to New Orleans and once on the way back. Intercity Greyhound buses also use Union Station, with connections to cities all across the U.S. Mississippi Arkansas Tennessee Florida Oklahoma Texas Louisiana Alabama Georgia South Carolina North Carolina Dallas Atlanta New Orleans Birmingham Nashville 65 Meridian Regional Airport offers service to Houston on United Airlines. Amtrak’s Crescent Train between New York and New Orleans stops in Meridian. Greyhound connects Meridian to the entire U.S. I-20/59 provides convenient access from north and south to east and west. Road Trip Most visitors arrive by road, as the hotels, motels, restaurants, and other bustling businesses along Interstate 20/59 attest. I-20 is a major east-west route; I-59 provides access to another major east-west route, I-10, at New Orleans and major north-south interstates at New Orleans (I-59); Birmingham, Alabama (I-65); and Chattanooga, Tennessee (I-75). Other busy highways serving Meridian include U.S. 45, U.S. 11 and 11/80, and state Route 19. Meridian’s moderate climate means that winter weather seldom affects travel plans. • Dallas, TX: 493 miles • Memphis, TN: 232 miles • Nashville, TN: 335 miles • Birmingham, AL: 148 miles • Atlanta, GA: 290 miles • New Orleans, LA: 198 miles • Jackson, MS: 92 miles • Coastal Mississippi: 160 miles Take Flight Meridian Regional Airport offers commercial airline services through United Airlines with daily flights to/from Houston. Need a Ride? Or a Rental? Several rental car companies serve Meridian with locations throughout the city, and Avis has a counter at the airport. If you prefer to let someone else do the driving, you can Uber or call a taxi. Strolling in the Queen City Historic downtown Meridian rewards visitors who like to walk. The compact city center is enjoying a modern renaissance, with the new Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience boosting the momentum that the MSU Riley Center started a decade ago. Feast your eyes on both the nostalgic past and the hopeful present — robust buildings dating back to the 19th century in a variety of architectural styles, plus preserved façades and other tantalizing remnants of now-vanished landmarks as well as lovingly restored structures that house thriving new enterprises. You’ll come across plenty of places for a beverage, a snack or a full meal. And on weekends, you’ll usually find some sort of festival, especially near Union Station. ANDGETTING AROUND