List of museums in Mississippi facts for kids

Old Mississippi State Capitol Museum

Welcome to the exciting world of museums in Mississippi! A museum is a special place where people collect, care for, and show off amazing objects. These objects can be about history, art, science, or culture. They help us learn about the past and understand the world around us.

Mississippi has many cool museums. Some focus on the history of Blues music, which is a very important part of the state's heritage. Get ready to explore some of the best museums Mississippi has to offer!

Museums in Mississippi
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Museums in Mississippi

Mississippi is home to many fantastic museums. They cover everything from ancient history to famous musicians and even cool cars! Here's a look at some of the places you can visit to learn and have fun.

Step Back in Time: History Museums

Many museums in Mississippi help us understand the past, from local towns to big events.

Museum of Mississippi History (Jackson): This museum tells the story of Mississippi over 15,000 years! You can see thousands of old objects that show how people lived and what happened in the state.
Old Capitol Museum (Jackson): This beautiful building used to be where Mississippi's laws were made. Now, it's a museum that teaches about the state's government and history.
Old Court House Museum (Vicksburg): Built around 1858, this museum shares the history of Vicksburg. It has old items, things from the Civil War, and local souvenirs.
Greenville History Museum (Greenville): Learn all about the history of Greenville, a city in the Delta region.
Amory Regional Museum (Amory): Discover the local history of Amory and the surrounding area.
Corinth Crossroads Museum (Corinth): Located in an old railroad depot, this museum covers local history, railroads, and the Civil War. It even has old Coca-Cola items!
Causeyville General Store and Mill (Meridian): This unique spot has a general store from the 1890s, a gristmill, and a collection of old mechanical music machines.
Kemper County Historical Museum (De Kalb): Explore the history of Kemper County.
Kosciusko Museum and Visitors Center (Kosciusko): Find out about the history of Kosciusko.
Kossuth Museum (Corinth): Learn about the local history of Kossuth.
Lawrence County Regional History Museum (Monticello): This museum, located in the Civic Center, focuses on the history of Lawrence County.
Marshall County Historical Museum (Holly Springs): See antiques, dolls, old clothes, and tools that show what life was like in Marshall County.
Museum of the Mississippi Delta (Greenwood): This museum has a mix of art, old artifacts, farming history, and even animal displays from the Delta region.
Neshoba County-Philadelphia Historical Museum (Philadelphia): Discover the history of Neshoba County and Philadelphia.
North Delta Museum (Friars Point): This museum has items from pioneers, the Civil War, and Native American groups.
Noxubee County Historical Society Museum (Macon): Learn about the history of Noxubee County.
Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum (Starkville): Explore the local history of Oktibbeha County.
Rankin County Historical Museum (Brandon): Run by the Rankin County Historical Society, this museum includes a recreated old store, house, and post office.
Tishomingo County Archives and History Museum (Iuka): This museum is all about the history of Tishomingo County.
Tunica Museum (Tunica): Learn about the natural history, the Tunica people, farming, and even the casinos in the Tunica area.
Union County Heritage Museum (New Albany): This museum complex has local history exhibits, a caboose, an old country store, a jail cell, a doctor's office, a blacksmith shop, and a barn.
Yellow Fever Martyrs Church Museum (Holly Springs): Learn about the yellow fever outbreak of 1878.

Art and Music: Creativity in Mississippi

Mississippi has a rich history of art and music, especially the Blues!

Mississippi Museum of Art (Jackson): This museum has over 4,000 artworks by Mississippi artists. You can see paintings, photographs, and sculptures.
Lauren Rogers Museum of Art (Laurel): This museum has American and European art, English silver, Native American baskets, and Japanese prints.
Meridian Museum of Art (Meridian): Explore different art exhibits in Meridian.
Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Of Art (Biloxi): This museum celebrates the unique pottery of George Ohr, known as the "Mad Potter of Biloxi."
Walter Anderson Museum of Art (Ocean Springs): See the amazing works of Walter Inglis Anderson, a famous Mississippi artist.
Lucille Parker Art Gallery (Hattiesburg): Part of William Carey University, this gallery shows regional and local art.
Marie Hull Gallery (Raymond): Located at Hinds Community College, this gallery features local and regional art.
Mississippi State University Galleries (Starkville): MSU has several galleries showing art, architecture, and design.
Municipal Art Gallery of Jackson (Jackson): This gallery focuses on contemporary art.
USM Museum of Art (Hattiesburg): Part of the University of Southern Mississippi, this museum features various art exhibits.
Gallery 130 (Oxford): Operated by the University of Mississippi Art Department, this gallery shows student artwork.
Wright Art Center (Cleveland): Part of Delta State University, this center has two galleries for contemporary art and the university's permanent collection.
B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center (Indianola): Learn all about the legendary Blues musician B.B. King and the cotton gin where he once worked.
Delta Blues Museum (Clarksdale): Dive deep into the history of Blues music and its famous performers.
Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum & Gallery (Greenwood): Discover exhibits on Robert Johnson and other central Delta blues artists.
Highway 61 Blues Museum (Leland): Explore the history of the Blues along the famous Highway 61.
Howlin' Wolf Museum (West Point): See items belonging to the famous Blues singer Howlin' Wolf.
Jimmie Rodgers Museum (Meridian): This museum has items from Jimmie Rodgers, known as "The Father of Country Music."
Mississippi John Hurt Museum (Carrollton): Visit the shanty home of Bluesman John Hurt. You need to make an appointment to visit.
Mississippi Music Museum (Hazlehurst): Located in a historic train depot, this museum celebrates all types of music born in Mississippi, including blues, country, and rock 'n' roll.
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame (Jackson): See exhibits about famous Mississippi musicians. It's located at the Jackson–Evers International Airport.
Rock & Blues Museum (Clarksdale): This museum has music items from the 1920s to the 1970s, covering both blues and rock 'n' roll.
Hartley Peavey Visitor Center (Meridian): See items related to Peavey Electronics, a company known for guitars and amplifiers, and famous musicians who used their gear.
Charles H. Templeton, Sr. Music Museum (Starkville): Part of Mississippi State University, this museum has musical instruments, recordings, and sheet music.
WROX Museum (Clarksdale): Learn about the history of the famous WROX-AM radio station. You need to make an appointment to visit.

Science and Nature: Discovering the World Around Us

Explore the natural wonders and scientific discoveries of Mississippi.

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (Jackson): Located in Lefleur's Bluff State Park, this museum has amazing exhibits about Mississippi's plants, animals, and natural history.
Clinton Community Nature Center (Clinton): This center has a museum and education building, plus 33 acres of woodland with walking trails and labeled native trees.
Center for Marine Education and Research (Gulfport): Part of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, this center has interactive exhibits, life-size models of sea creatures, and touch tanks. You need reservations to visit.
Dunn-Seiler Geology Museum (Starkville): Part of Mississippi State University, this museum displays rocks, minerals, fossils, and even meteorites!
Grenada Lake Visitors Center Museum (Grenada): See animal displays, learn about the lake's history, and watch informational videos. There's even a telescope to look out over the lake.
Gulf Islands National Seashore Visitor Center (Ocean Springs): This visitor center has exhibits about the barrier islands off Mississippi's coast.
Mississippi Entomological Museum (Starkville): Also part of Mississippi State University, this museum has displays about insects.
Mississippi Petrified Forest (Flora): Walk a nature trail among ancient petrified logs and visit a museum with petrified wood and fossils.
Scranton Nature Center (Pascagoula): Learn about the local nature in Pascagoula.

Cool Houses and Famous People: Step Inside History

Many historic homes and places dedicated to famous Mississippians are open as museums.

Auburn (Natchez): A beautiful red brick mansion built around 1812.
Beauvoir (Biloxi): This historic house was the home of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. It also includes the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library.
Dunleith (Natchez): A grand old mansion with many outbuildings.
Eudora Welty House (Jackson): Visit the home of famous author Eudora Welty.
F.W. Williams Home (Meridian): An 1886 Victorian-style home.
Holliday Haven (Aberdeen): A restored Greek Revival mansion built around 1850, with original furniture.
Holloway-Polk House (Prentiss): A restored southern plantation home built around 1864. It's the only continuously lived-in antebellum home in Jefferson Davis County.
House on Ellicott's Hill (Natchez): A restored late 18th-century house owned by the Natchez Garden Club.
John Ford Home (Sandy Hook): Built around 1805, this is the oldest frontier-style building in the Pearl River Valley.
Kate Lobrano House (Bay St. Louis): An 1896 "shotgun" cottage with rooms decorated from the turn of the century, plus photos and Native American artifacts.
Longwood (Natchez): Started in 1860, this amazing house was never finished. It's the largest octagonal house in North America!
Magnolia Hall (Natchez): A mid-19th century mansion with a collection of old costumes and dolls.
The Magnolias (Aberdeen, Mississippi) (Aberdeen): An 1850s Greek Revival mansion.
Manship House Museum (Jackson): A restored middle-class home from before the Civil War.
McRaven House (Vicksburg): A plantation house with furniture from three different time periods.
Melrose (Natchez): A pre-Civil War estate that is part of the Natchez National Historical Park.
Merrehope (Meridian): A large 20-room Victorian mansion.
Mississippi Governor's Mansion (Jackson): The official home of Mississippi's governor.
Monmouth Plantation (Natchez): A restored early 19th-century plantation house that is now also an inn.
Mount Locust Inn (Natchez): Mississippi's only remaining frontier inn, part of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Oaks Museum (Jackson): A mid-19th century period house.
Pemberton's Headquarters (Vicksburg): Part of Vicksburg National Military Park, this was the headquarters for Confederate General John C. Pemberton during the siege of Vicksburg.
Rosalie (Natchez): A beautiful Federal-style house built around 1820.
Rosemont Plantation (Woodville): The family home of Jefferson Davis.
Rowan Oak (Oxford): The home of famous author William Faulkner.
Stanton Hall (Natchez): An 1857 mansion with many original furnishings and antiques.
Stephen D. Lee Home and Museum (Columbus): A mid-19th century house with Civil War collections and local history items.
Verandah-Curlee House (Corinth): An 1857 Greek Revival mansion. You can take tours by appointment.
Alice Moseley Folk Art and Antique Museum (Bay St. Louis): This museum is located upstairs in an old train depot and features folk art.
"Boo" Ferriss Baseball Museum (Cleveland): Learn about the life of baseball great Dave Ferriss. It's located at Delta State University.
Elvis Presley Birthplace (Tupelo): Visit the small home where Elvis Presley was born, plus a museum and a chapel.
Ethel Wright Mohamed Stitchery Museum (Belzoni): See amazing stitched pictures that show family life in the Mississippi Delta. Some of her work is even in the Smithsonian!
Jerry Clower Museum (Liberty): See items from the famous humorist Jerry Clower. You need to make an appointment to visit.
Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit (Leland): Learn about the childhood of puppeteer Jim Henson, who grew up in Leland, and how he created Kermit the Frog and the Muppets!
John Grisham Room (Starkville): Part of Mississippi State University, this exhibit features papers and items from author John Grisham.
Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana (Starkville): Also part of Mississippi State University, this collection has artifacts and exhibits from the time of Abraham Lincoln. It's in the same area as the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library.
Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Museum (Starkville): Part of Mississippi State University, this museum has exhibits about the Civil War, especially in Mississippi, and about Ulysses S. Grant.

Military History: Remembering Brave Stories

These museums tell stories of soldiers and wars.

African American Military History Museum (Hattiesburg): This museum tells the story of 150 years of African-American military history with artifacts, photos, and displays.
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site (Baldwyn): Visit this Civil War battlefield and its visitor's center with exhibits.
Camp Van Dorn World War II Museum (Centreville): Learn about Camp Van Dorn, a training camp for 40,000 soldiers during World War II.
Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center (Corinth): Part of Shiloh National Military Park, this center helps you understand the Civil War battles in the area.
G.I. Museum (Ocean Springs): This museum is mostly about World War II, with uniformed mannequins, old weapons, a 1943 Jeep, and items from the home front.
Greenville Air Force Base Museum (Greenville): Located at the Mid-Delta Regional Airport, this museum shares the history of Greenville Air Force Base.
Military Memorial Museum (Brookhaven): Learn about military history.
Mississippi Armed Forces Museum (Hattiesburg): Located at Camp Shelby, this museum covers the history of Mississippi's armed forces.
Vicksburg National Military Park (Vicksburg): This park has a visitor center with exhibits, over 1,330 monuments, a 16-mile tour road, a restored Union gunboat, and a National Cemetery.
Veterans Memorial Museum (Laurel): This museum has books, newspapers, documents, and movies about all war eras.
USS Cairo Museum (Vicksburg): See a restored Union ironclad gunboat that was raised after being underwater for a century. It's part of Vicksburg National Military Park.
Seabee Heritage Center (Gulfport): Learn about the history of the Seabees, the U.S. Navy's construction battalions. It's located at the Naval Construction Battalion Center.

Transportation and More!

From trains to cars and even motorcycles, these museums explore how we get around.

Bench Mark Works Motorcycle Museum & Campground (Sturgis): See pre-1970 Bench Mark Works motorcycles.
Biloxi Lighthouse (Biloxi): Tour this historic 1848 lighthouse.
Busted Wrench Garage Museum (Gulfport): A free museum with classic and vintage cars and other vehicles.
Canton Train Museum (Canton): Located in a historic train depot, this museum is all about trains.
Key Brothers Aviation Exhibit (Meridian): Located at the Meridian Regional Airport, this exhibit honors Meridian's Key brothers and local aviation history.
Lake Hills Motor Bike Museum (Corinth): See a collection of motorcycles.
Lower Mississippi River Museum (Vicksburg): Learn about steamboats, trade, life along the river, floods, and the natural and military history of the Mississippi River.
Martin & Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum (Cleveland): This museum has railroad items and a model train layout.
McComb Historic Railroad Museum (McComb): See railroad artifacts, equipment, and photos.
Meridian Railroad Museum (Meridian): Explore historic railroad cars.
Mississippi Coast Model Railroad Museum (Gulfport): Enjoy a museum dedicated to model railroads.
Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum (Meridian): Located in the Soulé Steam Feed Works, this museum features old steam engines.
Sam Wilhite Transportation Museum (West Point): Learn about the history of transportation in the area, including a model railroad display.
Scranton Museum (Pascagoula): See a 70-foot shrimp boat, learn about shrimping, and explore wetlands dioramas and aquariums.
Tupelo Automobile Museum (Tupelo): See over 100 antique, classic, and collectible cars.
USS Cairo Museum (Vicksburg): This museum features a restored Union ironclad gunboat and artifacts found on board. It's part of Vicksburg National Military Park.

Specialty Museums and Fun for Kids!

Some museums focus on very specific topics, and others are designed especially for younger visitors.

1927 Flood Museum (Greenville): Learn about the history of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.
American Contract Bridge League Museum (Horn Lake): This museum is about the game of bridge.
Biedenharn Museum and Gardens (Vicksburg): Discover the history and memorabilia of Coca-Cola!
Biloxi Mardi Gras Museum (Biloxi): Located in the Magnolia Hotel, this museum has costumes, photos, and items from carnival celebrations along the coast.
Canton Movie Museums (Canton): Two museums about movies made in the area, one about A Time to Kill and one about My Dog Skip.
Catfish Museum and Welcome Center (Belzoni): Learn about the farm-raised catfish industry and see local art.
Cullis & Gladys Wade Clock Museum (Starkville): Part of Mississippi State University, this museum has a collection of American clocks and watches.
INFINITY Science Center (Hancock): This museum has interactive space exhibits and offers tours of America's largest rocket engine test complex.
Jackson Public Fire Safety Education Center and Fire Museum (Jackson): See old firefighting uniforms, fire engines, and equipment.
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center (Gulfport): A children's museum with lots of hands-on exhibits for young explorers.
Old Number One Firehouse Museum (Greenville): This old cotton office became a firehouse in 1931. It has old equipment and a dress-up area for kids.
West End Hose Company No. 3 Museum & Fire Education Center (Biloxi): This museum has historic firefighting tools and equipment, plus a fire prevention center for children.
Waveland Ground Zero Hurricane Museum (Waveland): Learn about hurricanes and the culture of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with artifacts from Hurricane Katrina.
Yesterday's Children Antique Doll and Toy Museum (Vicksburg): See a collection of dolls and toys from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum (Jackson): This open-air museum teaches about farming and forestry in Mississippi, including farmers, loggers, and the Mississippi 4-H Museum.
Mitchell Farms (Collins): Visit restored farm buildings on a working farm.
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (Jackson): See touch-screen kiosks, hands-on exhibits, and items from famous Mississippi athletes.
Old Depot Museum (Vicksburg) (Vicksburg): Also known as Vicksburg Battlefield Museum, it has models and a film about the Battle of Vicksburg, plus model train layouts and miniature cars.
Oren Dunn City Museum (Tupelo): This open-air museum includes local history, a veterans museum, an 1870s cabin, a church, a school, old fire trucks, and a train caboose.

Cultural Heritage: Celebrating Diverse Stories

These museums highlight the history and contributions of different cultural groups in Mississippi.

Africa House YA Providence Educultural Resource Museum & Gallery (Natchez): Open by appointment, this museum has paintings, artifacts, videos, and photos about African American history and European enslavement forts.
Black History Gallery (McComb): See pictures, books, and historical materials about African Americans.
Canton Multicultural Center & Museum (Canton): This museum focuses on African American culture.
Century of History Museum (Greenville): Located at the Hebrew Union Temple, this museum tells the story of Jewish history in the Delta region.
Choctaw Museum (Choctaw): Learn about the history and culture of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center (Glendora): This museum tells the story of the murder of Emmett Till and explores local African American culture and history.
Grand Village of the Natchez Indians (Natchez): This is a site of ancient ceremonial mounds for the Natchez tribe. It has a museum, reconstructed mounds, and a dwelling.
Humphreys County Cultural Museum (Belzoni): Explore African American history in Humphreys County.
Ida B. Wells Barnett Museum (Holly Springs): This museum highlights the contributions of Africans and African Americans in history, art, and culture.
International Museum of Muslim Cultures (Jackson): Learn about Islamic history, culture, and the contributions of Muslims.
Jacqueline House Museum (Vicksburg): Open by appointment, this museum has artifacts, art, photos, and audio/visual materials about African American history.
Jaketown Museum (Belzoni): See artifacts from the ancient Jaketown Site.
Natchez Museum of African Art and Heritage (Natchez): Run by the Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture.
Natchez National Historical Park (Natchez): Includes the William Johnson House, owned by a free African American barber, and the 19th-century Melrose estate.
Oakes African American Cultural Center (Yazoo City): Focuses on African American culture.
Pleasant Reed House (Biloxi): Open by appointment, this museum has exhibits on African American history in the area.
Smith Robertson Museum (Jackson): This was Jackson's first school for African Americans. Now it shows the history and achievements of African American Mississippians.
Uzebek Museum (Brookhaven): Open by appointment, this museum shares the culture of Uzbekistan.
Wilkinson County Museum (Woodville): This museum has exhibits on famous local people like Lester Young and Anne Moody, plus local folk art.
Winterville Mounds and Museum (Greenville): Visit one of the largest groups of Indian mounds in the Mississippi Valley.

Other Interesting Places

French Camp Historic Area (French Camp): An open-air museum with an 1846 log cabin, a visitors center, and an old sorghum mill.
Historic Jefferson College (Washington): The first college-level educational institution in Mississippi.
Holland Museum (Brookhaven): A replica of an old country store with items from the past. Open by appointment.
Landrum's Country Homestead and Village (Laurel): A recreated settlement from the late 1800s with over 50 buildings and displays.
Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archaeology (Starkville): Part of Mississippi State University, this museum has artifacts from the ancient Middle East, the Southeastern United States, and other parts of the world.
Marion County Museum (Columbia): This museum has pioneer and Native American artifacts, military items, and historic photos.
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum (Biloxi): Learn about shrimping, oystering, fishing, and boat building.
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum (Jackson): An open-air museum about farming and forestry in Mississippi.
Tunica RiverPark (Tunica Resorts): This park includes the Mississippi River Museum, which teaches about the river's natural, cultural, and maritime history. It also has aquariums and a river cruise.
University of Mississippi Museum (Oxford): This museum has fine art, ancient Greek and Roman items, folk art, and scientific instruments.

Images for kids

The African American Military History Museum in Hattiesburg.
The Alice Moseley Folk Art and Antique Museum is located in this former train depot.
The historic Auburn mansion.
The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola.
Beauvoir, the historic home of Jefferson Davis.
The Biloxi Lighthouse.
The Magnolia Hotel, home to the Biloxi Mardi Gras Museum.
The battlefield at Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site.
The Corinth Crossroads Museum is housed in this railroad depot.
The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale.
The historic Dunleith mansion.
The Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo.
The Eudora Welty House in Jackson.
The Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Museum and the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana.
The historic post office at French Camp Historic Area.
The F.W. Williams Home in Meridian.
The Gateway to the Blues Visitors Center and Museum in Tunica.
The Confederate Memorial Chapel at Grand Gulf Military Park.
Mounds at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.
Historic Jefferson College.
The House on Ellicott's Hill in Natchez.
The INFINITY Science Center.
The Jimmie Rodgers Museum in Meridian.
The John Ford Home near Sandy Hook.
The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel.
The unique Longwood mansion.
The Lower Mississippi River Museum in Vicksburg.
Magnolia Hall in Natchez.
The Manship House Museum in Jackson.
The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi.
The McComb Historic Railroad Museum.
The McRaven House in Vicksburg.
Melrose, part of Natchez National Historical Park.
The Meridian Museum of Art.
The Meridian Railroad Museum.
The historic Merrehope mansion.
The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby.
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
The Mississippi Governor's Mansion.
The Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum.
The Mississippi Museum of Art.
The Mississippi Petrified Forest.
Monmouth Plantation in Natchez.
Natchez National Historical Park includes the Melrose estate.
The Oaks Museum in Jackson.
The Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Of Art in Biloxi.
The Old Capitol Museum.
The Old Court House Museum in Vicksburg.
The Old Firehouse Museum in Wiggins.
Pemberton's Headquarters at Vicksburg National Military Park.
The Pleasant Reed House in Biloxi.
Rosalie in Natchez.
Rosemont Plantation, the family home of Jefferson Davis.
Rowan Oak, the home of author William Faulkner.
A vehicle at the Seabee Heritage Center in Gulfport.
Stanton Hall in Natchez.
The Stephen D. Lee Home and Museum in Columbus.
The Tunica Museum.
The Tupelo Automobile Museum.
The University of Mississippi Museum in Oxford.
The USS Cairo Museum at Vicksburg National Military Park.
The Memorial Arch at Vicksburg National Military Park.
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs.
Pottery at the Winterville Mounds and Museum.
The historic WROX Building, home to the WROX Museum.