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Every Tuesday through Saturday evening during the month of May, Natchez is host to a wide range of musical events featuring the rich musical history of Mississippi and world-class singers that come specifically for this event. The Natchez Festival of Music hosts a wide slate of shows spanning from operas, operettas, Broadway musicals, classical concerts and recitals to the more contemporary fare of Blues, Jazz, and more. Admission pricing varies by event, though there is usually one free event per season. Performances and concerts are held at the Natchez Performing Arts Center and other local Natchez venues such as Bowie's Tavern, Smoot's Grocery, the antebellum mansions and stately churches of the region, and other local historical sites.
Longwood is probably the most famous of the antebellum mansions in Natchez. It is the largest octagonal (eight-sided) house in the United States. Construction of Longwood was started in 1860. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, all of the workers (who were from Pennsylvania) returned to the north, leaving the house unfinished. Dr. Haller Nutt, the owner of the house, finished out the basement (6000 sq feet) for his family to live in. Dr. Nutt died of pneumonia in 1864 without ever having finished the house, and the upper floors of the house remain unfinished to this day. The house was donated to the Pilgrimage Garden Club in the 1970s and is on tour daily.