Jackson can be explored through a wide range of topics: a historic home, museums devoted to civil rights history and art, as well as nature trails and exhibitions on agriculture, sports and natural science. So a simple question can help with your trip planning: Which of these perspectives would you like to explore in greater depth?
Homes, architecture and city history
The Eudora Welty House is a 1925 Tudor Revival house and has been designated a National Historic Landmark since 2004. Visitors can tour the house and see its books, works of art and furnishings. The architecture and the house’s interior are both part of the visitor experience.
The Old Capitol Museum also brings together architectural history and political topics. The building is a National Historic Landmark and is considered one of the finest examples of public Greek Revival architecture in the United States. Interactive multimedia exhibits explore the roles of the legislature, governor and Supreme Court. The Mississippi Governor’s Mansion, meanwhile, has been the residence of Mississippi’s governors and their families since 1842.
Other insights into Jackson’s history can be found at places with a direct connection to the city’s public life. The Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center is located in the building of Jackson’s first public school for African American children. The Farish Street Historic District is a 125-acre historic business district shaped by Black culture.
Civil rights history and its voices
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum presents stories of people from Mississippi, including Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer and Vernon Dahmer. Its central gallery, “This Little Light of Mine,” features a sculpture that shines more brightly when visitors gather around it. Alongside the life stories on display, visitors can also experience a tangible artistic interpretation and its interaction with people in the space.
The COFO Civil Rights Education Center is another clearly defined historical point of reference. From 1963 to 1965, it was a central hub of the civil rights movement in Mississippi. Together with the museum and the Farish Street Historic District, it offers different historical perspectives: personal stories, a site of the movement and a historic business district shaped by Black culture.
Art, culture and sports
The Mississippi Museum of Art’s collection comprises nearly 6,000 works of art. Outside, the 1.2-acre Art Garden complements the collection with permanent art installations and water features. The grounds also provide space for performances and outdoor films.
Jackson’s cultural offerings also extend beyond art and civil rights history. The International Museum of Muslim Cultures focuses on Islamic history and culture, bringing a global perspective to Jackson. At the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, touchscreen kiosks provide access to more than 500 interviews with Mississippi athletes. Sports fans will find a different focus here than at the art and history museums.
Nature trails and exhibits to explore
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science combines an exhibit on living species with outdoor trails: it features more than 200 living species in an aquarium network with a capacity of 100,000 gallons. Outside the museum, two and a half miles of nature trails wind through a variety of habitats. This museum therefore brings together nature exhibits and trails as two distinct ways to explore the natural world.
The Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum offers another way to explore the topics of landscape and agriculture. Visitors can walk through “Small Town, Mississippi,” a depiction of rural crossroads communities around 1920. The 40,000-square-foot Heritage Center traces the development of agriculture, from the contributions of the Choctaw to modern catfish farming. The two areas focus on different things: a depiction of rural life and the development of agricultural topics.
For exercise and exploring nature, there is also the three-mile Museum Trail, which runs from LeFleur’s Bluff State Park through the Belhaven neighborhood. As a multi-use path, it accommodates walking, running, cycling, travel with wheeled mobility aids, nature exploration and community gatherings. The Mississippi Children’s Museum adds interactive exhibits and programs for children and their families. You can choose among Jackson’s offerings based on whether history, art, nature, sports or activities for children are the main focus of your trip.
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