Things to Do in Ridgeland

A black-and-white flag hovers above the greens at Mac and Bones Miniature Golf, signifying the rowdy swashbuckling theme of this 18-hole course in a single glance. As waterfalls splash against the caves that flank the course, festive pirate-themed obstacles—from strategically placed treasure chests to captains who force players to polish their hooks before each shot—lure putts away from holes. NBA star Tracy McGrady co-owns the course, along with Tim Bennett, who calls the course layout “very competitive.” In addition to sun-drenched greens, Mac and Bones also invites players into its 8,000-square-foot indoor arena, packed with arcade games, prizes, and a menu of pizza, wings, and beverages.

Throughout the week, Fannin Lanes provides classic entertainment opportunities for bowlers of all ages with 24 tenpin runways and a stocked video arcade. The alley is also home to a full sports bar, which serves dishes such as santa ae egg rolls, fried dill pickles, potato skins, and mexican okra. Craft beer flows from the bar's 40 taps so guests can wet their whistles before refereeing games. Leagues are available seasonally and the alley pro shop houses a stockpile of balls that may be custom-drilled.

Inside the brightly-lit confines of Fat Cat Ceramics, shelves brim with bare-bisque pieces in the form of plates, mugs, and bowls. Visitors wield non-toxic, lead-free glazes and paints, embellishing items with designs such as flowers, abstract squiggles, or a squirrel's handprint before accommodating staff members fire the pieces, readying them for everyday use. Not just a paint-your-own pottery studio, Fat Cat Ceramics offers specialty sessions such as Clay Day, where participants learn to make their own pottery pieces, and summer camps, where campers delve into daylong or weeklong projects such as creating a mosaic plaque, building flower pots out of clay coils, and making clay jars to store one’s nosehairs.

After selling a successful mosaic shop in her native Texas, artist Wanda Hendrix followed her daughter's family to Mississippi, where she and her husband opened The Mosaic Shop in 2006. One relocation and six years later, the large and colorful studio's walls burst with more than 150 wooden shapes—from simple trays to elaborate figurines—ready to be converted into colorful mosaics. Each of the work tables share a common midsection, where glittering piles of glass stretch from end to end in a variety of shapes and colors. Visitors glue these prismatic shards to their forms before filling in crevices with grout, the same way park rangers finally made the Grand Canyon passable for golf carts. The Mosaic Shop also hosts parties for groups of anywhere from 5 to 50 guests.

The Russell C. Davis Planetarium transports patrons from the bottom of the ocean to the farthest reaches of the galaxy in a massive domed theater. Shows often replicate the night sky on a hemispheric screen, exploring nearby stars and planets as they appeared when viewed from different locations on Earth at various points in history. School groups can tour the facility with a program guide to learn about astronomy, physical science, and the likelihood of their ancestors being exceptionally good-looking space aliens. Large-format films portray the vast extremes of land and sea in natural-science documentaries, whereas occasional laser-light concerts pair contemporary tunes with vibrant beams of light and color.

Artist Melanie John's bright, colorful studio and retail shop surrounds visitors with her vibrant watercolor portraits and textured abstract paintings. Paintings, photos, and pottery also line the walls, inviting gazes to linger over aesthetically elegant pieces and check every design for hidden Magic Eye patterns. BYOB art classes help beginners and master palette wielders create their own masterpieces while sipping on toted-along beverages or purchasing tipples from the bar-licensed studio.