Mississippi Armed Forces Museum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Mississippi Armed Forces Museum

Front facade 2021
Established	2001
Location	Camp Shelby
Visitors	50,000 per year

The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum is a special place located at Camp Shelby. This is about 12 miles (19 km) south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It's the official museum for military history in Mississippi. It's also part of the Army Museum System.

Why the Museum is Here
How the Museum Started
- From a Small Room to a Big Building
- Growing Even Bigger
What You Can See at the Museum
- Inside the Galleries
- Outside the Museum
Gallery
See also

Why the Museum is Here

This museum has an important goal. It wants to honor all the brave people from Mississippi. These are the veterans who served in any part of the military. It shows respect for their hard work and what they gave up for our country.

How the Museum Started

From a Small Room to a Big Building

Two military veterans started this museum in 1984. They began with their own collection of items from wars. Back then, the museum was in a small room. It was inside a warehouse at Camp Shelby.

In 2001, a much bigger building was finished. This new building was about 23,000 square feet (2,137 square meters). It had 16,000 square feet (1,486 square meters) just for exhibits. The museum also held 17,000 historical items. Plus, there were 4,500 books about military history. It also had 2,000 important historical papers.

Growing Even Bigger

In February 2015, the museum closed for a while. It was getting even bigger! The museum added about 7,500 more square feet (697 square meters) of space. Three new exhibit areas were built. Older exhibits were also updated and made better.

The museum officially reopened on October 27, 2016. The Governor of Mississippi was there for the special event.

What You Can See at the Museum

Inside the Galleries

Inside the museum, there are eight main areas called galleries. Each gallery shows different parts of history. You can see exhibits about conflicts from the late 1800s. There are also sections for World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. You can learn about the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and the Global War on Terrorism. One special gallery is dedicated to the Medal of Honor.

You will see many interesting things on display. These include military weapons and equipment. You can also see old uniforms and medals.

Outside the Museum

Outside the building, there are more exhibits to explore. You can see real aircraft and large tanks. There is also field artillery, which are big guns used in battles. Plus, there are special memorials to remember those who served.