Jackson hotels you can book at 18

If the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History are the reason you're coming, give Downtown some weight in your hotel search. They belong to a cluster of museums within a few blocks of one another, including the Mississippi Museum of Art. That's a useful concentration to plan your stay around when you want to visit more than one museum.

Fondren is worth considering if eating out is a large part of your trip. Restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops are concentrated in a four-block area, and the historic district has visitor lodging.

At the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), an overnight visit and a place to sleep are two different things. Adult inpatient rooms allow two overnight visitors aged 18 or older. Adult critical-care rooms and the Mississippi Burn Center allow one visitor aged 18 or older to remain overnight, but they do not provide sleeping accommodations for that visitor.

You may still want a hotel room for sleep, even if you plan to spend much of the visit at the hospital. Some area hotels offer discounts to UMMC and Children's of Mississippi patients and their families, so ask about a patient or family rate when reserving. Those offers depend on the hotel.

Families of pediatric patients have another possibility at Ronald McDonald House in Jackson. Referrals come from a hospital pediatric social worker or patient navigator, and you must be eligible to visit the patient under hospital rules. The program covers families of patients aged 18 or younger, as well as older patients being treated by a pediatrician.

Being 18 meets the house's ordinary guest-age requirement, but does not replace that referral. Families admitted to the house have a private bedroom and bathroom, as well as shared common areas. Donations are optional. For an eligible family, asking about a referral can be worthwhile before committing to paid hotel nights.