The best place to stay in Laurel, MS is the downtown Historic District, within walking distance of Laurel Mercantile Co., the Scotsman General Store, and the oak-lined streets featured on HGTV's Home Town. Stay'ca manages more than 15 vacation rentals in Laurel — historic suites, downtown lofts, and whole homes — most within a few blocks of the shops and restaurants you've seen on the show. Book direct at stayca.life for the lowest rates, with no platform service fees.
What is Laurel, Mississippi known for?
Laurel is a town of roughly 17,000 people in Jones County, Mississippi, best known as the setting of HGTV's Home Town, which premiered in 2016 and launched its milestone tenth season on January 4, 2026. Long before television, Laurel was a lumber boomtown — its sawmill wealth built the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in 1923, the first art museum in Mississippi — and that craftsman-era architecture is exactly what Ben and Erin Napier restore on screen. Today more than a dozen blocks of brick storefronts, murals, and historic homes draw visitors from every state.
What Home Town filming locations can you visit?
Most of the show's landmarks are open to the public seven days a week, all within a short walk of each other downtown:
- Laurel Mercantile Co. (414 Front Street) — Ben and Erin Napier's flagship store: American-made home goods, candles, apparel, and the murals everyone photographs. Open Monday–Saturday 9–5, Sunday 1–4.
- Scotsman General Store & Ben's Woodshop (1 Spec Wilson Blvd) — an old-timey general store with glass-bottle sodas and a snowball stand, plus a viewing window into the woodshop where Home Town's workshop scenes are filmed. If you visit during filming season, you may catch Ben at work.
- Scent Library (314 W Oak Street) — Erin Napier's candle and fragrance shop, with scent collections inspired by her life in Laurel.
- The Historic District walking tour — a free self-guided tour past dozens of homes renovated on the show. Pick up the official brochure at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art or the Laurel Welcome Center.
- Lauren Rogers Museum of Art — free admission, open Tuesday–Sunday, with five permanent galleries of European, American, Japanese, and Native American art in a Georgian Revival building at the edge of the Historic District.
One note for 2026 visitors: The Heirloom, the 29-room boutique hotel restored in the spinoff series Home Town: Inn This Together (aired May–June 2026), suffered an accidental electrical fire in August 2025, shortly before it was due to open. The building at 400 Central Avenue has been stabilized, but bookings remain suspended with no reopening date announced. Until it opens, vacation rentals are the only way to stay in the heart of downtown Laurel — and the town is worth the trip now, while every episode of the new season is filmed here.
Where should you stay in Laurel?
Stay downtown or in the Historic District if seeing the town on foot matters to you — that's where the shops, restaurants, and filming locations are. Stay'ca's Laurel rentals include:
- The Artistry Boutique Hotel — individually themed suites celebrating Mississippi artists, photographers, musicians, and authors, in the middle of downtown. See the Walter Anderson Suite, MS Music Suite, and MS Authors Suite.
- Kalmia Luxe and the Kalmia Suites — centrally located downtown suites for couples and small groups.
- Pickering House and Heart of Historic Laurel — historic homes in the district featured on the walking tour route.
- Charming Condo in Downtown Laurel, Crescent Loft, and the Central Avenue suites — walk-to-everything lofts and condos.
- Larger homes like The Blue Bungalow and White House for families and groups.
Browse all Laurel availability on our properties page.
Where do locals eat in Laurel?
- Pearl's Diner — the blue-plate Southern lunch you've seen on the show: fried chicken, mac and cheese, banana pudding.
- Lee's Coffee & Tea — coffee, soups, sandwiches, and baked goods downtown.
- The Loft on Central — steaks, seafood, and pasta for a nicer dinner out.
- Mimmo's — Italian, a downtown favorite.
- Café La Fleur — New Orleans-style lunch spot.
- The Knight Butcher — local butcher shop known for sandwiches and Mississippi-made goods.
- Scotsman Food Truck Park & Snowball Stand — casual eats in the greenspace next to the General Store.
Local tip: many Laurel restaurants and shops close on Sunday and Monday. The Napier stores (Mercantile, Scotsman, Scent Library) stay open seven days a week, so plan your shopping for Sunday–Monday and your restaurant meals for Tuesday–Saturday.
What events should you plan a Laurel trip around?
- Loblolly Festival — the first Saturday in October (October 3 in 2026), 9 a.m.–4 p.m. downtown. Laurel's biggest annual event celebrates its sawmill heritage with vendors from several states, live music, and street food. Free admission. Book lodging well ahead — this weekend sells out.
- Home Town filming — the show films in and around Laurel much of the year; woodshop scenes are often visible through the Scotsman viewing window.
- Christmas in downtown Laurel — the lighted, decorated downtown draws December visitors, and it's the season the show's holiday specials celebrate.
How do you get to Laurel, MS?
Laurel sits on Interstate 59 in southeast Mississippi. Drive times: about 35 minutes from Hattiesburg, 1.5 hours from Jackson, 2 hours from Mobile, 2.5 hours from New Orleans, and about 1.5–2 hours from the Mississippi Gulf Coast beaches. The nearest commercial airport is Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional (PIB), about 25 minutes away; Jackson (JAN), Gulfport (GPT), and New Orleans (MSY) offer more flight options.