Starkville brings together a tree-focused campus trail, self-guided city walks, theater and collections with a range of different focuses. When planning, it is important to distinguish between self-guided tours, guided offerings and visits with specific conditions. This way, you can focus your time on the topics that interest you most.
Campus Trail and City Walks
The Campus Tree Trail is located in the center of Starkville’s university campus and features 20 tree species. The focus here is on the diversity of trees. Visitors who would like to explore the campus from a guided perspective can find a different option with Mississippi State University’s student Maroon VIP Guides: They lead campus, historical and children’s tours for visitors in Starkville.
Starkville also offers self-guided city walks covering murals, local history, boutiques and dining spots. These themed walks differ from the guided campus offerings: They combine public art and history with shops and culinary stops, while the Campus Tree Trail focuses on tree species. The option that suits your stay therefore depends on whether you would prefer to explore the campus, local history or a mix of culture and city life.
Collections from History to Geology
The Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library houses 15,000 linear feet of correspondence, research notes, published monographs, artifacts, photographs, scrapbooks and memorabilia. The materials cover the 18th president of the United States, from his early life and Civil War achievements through and beyond his presidency. The focus here is therefore on an extensive biographical and historical span.
The Charles H. Templeton, Sr. Music Museum displays 200 instruments, 13,000 pieces of sheet music and 15,000 music scores from the ragtime era. The Cullis & Gladys Wade Clock Museum offers a different perspective on history: It displays more than 400 mostly American clocks and pocket watches, dating back to the early 18th century. The two collections have different focuses—music and instruments in one, timepieces and their long history in the other.
The John Grisham Room is on the third floor of Mitchell Memorial Library and serves as an exhibition space and venue for special events. The Dunn-Seiler Geology Museum focuses on rocks, fossils and other geological objects, including a Triceratops skull. At selected times during the semester, the museum offers 30-minute tours for groups of no more than 30 people. Since tours depend on the semester, check availability before visiting.
The Mississippi Entomological Museum is an archive of more than three million insect specimens; public access is limited. The Cobb Museum also has a specific restriction: Following the Labor Day weekend floods of 2023, it was closed indefinitely, and tours are not currently offered. Check its current status before visiting rather than planning a tour there as a guaranteed part of your itinerary.
Theater and Local History
The Starkville Community Theatre is home to the Playhouse on Main. The 2026–2027 season is the theater’s 49th season. If a performance is the deciding factor in your trip, check the dates before you travel so your stay coincides with the scheduled performances.
Another historical landmark is the former Starkville High School (II) building at 401 Greensboro Street. It was built as Starkville High School in 1927. Along with the self-guided walks covering local history and murals, this site offers a different perspective on the city from the university collections or the exhibitions on music and geology.
A simple comparison can help you choose what to include in your itinerary: The Campus Tree Trail highlights tree species, the city walks focus on public art and local history, and the museums each have their own focus, from presidential history to geology. Check theater dates and semester-dependent tours in advance; the Cobb Museum’s closure should also be factored into your plans.
Discover more destinations: Mississippi State University
For the broader travel overview: Oktibbeha County.
