Tunica Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1997 |
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| Location | 1 Museum Blvd Tunica, Mississippi |
| Type | History museum |
The Tunica Museum is a cool place in Tunica, Mississippi, where you can learn all about the history of Tunica County. It opened in 1997 and was built with money from local casinos.
The museum has a huge space, about 6,500 square feet, for its main exhibits. It also has another 1,600 square feet for special, changing displays. These exhibits show you different parts of the region's past, like how different groups of people lived together, the story of Native American communities, and what daily life was like for people in Tunica County. You can explore the museum on your own, and it's completely free to visit!
Contents
How the Museum Started
A group of people in Tunica County first suggested building the museum in 1997. They wanted a place to share the county's history. They wrote down the museum's main goal: "The Tunica County Museum will share the history of Tunica County through exhibits, learning programs, research, and collections."
This goal included showing the natural environment, the history of Native Americans, early European explorers, and life in the 1800s and 1900s. It covers social life, farming, government, and business. The museum wanted to show the many different cultures that have shaped the county. Money for the museum came from the extra public funds earned from casino gambling in Tunica County.
Exploring the Permanent Exhibits
The museum's main exhibits take you on a journey through Tunica County's past.
Early Tunica County History
The first room makes you feel like you're in a forest. It shows different animals that live in the area, like birds, bobcats, and even a life-size black bear! Next, you'll learn about the Native American groups who built mounds, including the Tunica people. There are signs that explain how these groups lived and what they did every day. You can also watch a short video about them. One special dig site, called the Hollywood site, is highlighted. It talks about the work done by the University of Mississippi's archaeology team there.
European Explorers Arrive
Life in Tunica changed when Europeans came. The museum shows the early trips made by the Spanish. The exhibit suggests that Tunica County might be where Hernando de Soto first saw the Mississippi River. This idea comes from descriptions written by people who traveled with de Soto. This has been a topic of discussion for many years! You can also see a life-size model of a conquistador, showing what these early Spanish explorers looked like.
Chickasaw Land and Plantations
Northern Mississippi, including Tunica County, was once home to the Chickasaw tribe for many years. An exhibit explains how the Chickasaw tribe transferred their land in a special agreement called the Treaty of 1818. After this, the exhibits move into how the area became part of the State of Mississippi.
You'll learn how the land in Tunica County was cleared to become farmland, including several very large farms called plantations. The soil was excellent for farming because the Mississippi River's floods had made it very rich. This part of the museum has a full-size mule and wagon, a real plantation bell, and a recreated plantation store. The exhibits also show how large farms, called plantations, used many workers during this time.
Life After the Civil War
Exhibits about the time after the Civil War begin by showing how new rules, called Jim Crow laws, were put in place in Tunica. These laws separated people based on race. The museum also looks at farming challenges, like fighting against the boll weevil insect, the huge Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, and how many farm workers moved away during the Great Migration.
Daily life in Tunica up to more recent times is shown with displays that include parts of a barbershop and a movie theater. Tunica County has faced challenges with economic hardship. A display talks about the national attention given to living conditions in Sugar Ditch, a neighborhood in Tunica. The work of Reverend Jesse Jackson related to Sugar Ditch is also part of this display.
Casinos Come to Tunica
In 1992, casino gambling came to Tunica County when Splash Casino opened. The museum has a display about how this changed Tunica County. It includes a slot machine and a casino card table. This section also has a television playing a short video about casinos.
After the history exhibits, there are other displays. These include a cotton bale and samples of rice, soybeans, and corn from local farms. One board shows important people from Tunica County and what they achieved. The last part of the Tunica Museum has many stuffed animals found in Tunica, especially large birds.
Main Ideas You'll Learn
- Understanding Different Cultures: The museum explores how people of different backgrounds have lived together in Tunica, from early times to today.
- The Importance of the Land: You'll see how Tunica's economy has always been connected to farming and the rich soil of the southern United States.
- Everyday Life: The museum shows what daily life was like for people living in Tunica County throughout history.
Other Things to See and Do
The museum also takes care of the Tate Log House, which is the oldest building in the county. You can visit it in downtown Tunica to see what early homes were like.
Behind the museum, there's a nature walking trail that all visitors can enjoy. The museum also hosts special learning events and temporary exhibits. For example, in 2013, they had displays about blues musicians and about Abraham Lincoln, the Constitution, and the Civil War.
The Tunica Museum is part of the Mississippi Museums Association. This group helps museums across the state grow and share their stories.
