Jackson: Discover Culture and History

Jackson combines architectural landmarks with museums dedicated to civil rights, art, agriculture, sports and Islamic culture. To plan your trip, you can start by choosing a focus: Would you like to explore a historic building, delve into particular subjects, or also include nature trails and outdoor spaces? The variety is reflected not only in the topics, but also in the ways museums present history.

Jackson’s Architecture and History

The Eudora Welty House is a 1925 Tudor Revival home and has been designated a National Historic Landmark since 2004. You can tour the house and see its books, works of art and furnishings. Here, architecture and preserved objects come together in a tangible setting: The collection inside the house is part of the visitor experience, along with the architectural style.

Another architectural example is the Old Capitol Museum. It is also a National Historic Landmark and ranks among the finest examples of Greek Revival public architecture in the United States. Interactive multimedia exhibits explore the roles of the legislature, governor and Supreme Court. In this way, the museum connects its architectural significance with an explanation of state institutions. The Mississippi Governor’s Mansion is also historically tied to the office: Since 1842, it has been the residence of Mississippi’s governors and their families.

Civil Rights History and Cultural Perspectives

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum presents stories of people from Mississippi, including Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer and Vernon Dahmer. In the central gallery, “This Little Light of Mine,” a sculpture has a distinctive interactive effect: It glows brighter when visitors gather around it. If you’re interested in civil rights history, this is where personal stories meet an installation that responds to people coming together.

Buildings and places also carry historical significance. The Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center is located in Jackson’s first public school for African American children. From 1963 to 1965, the COFO Civil Rights Education Center was a key center of Mississippi’s civil rights movement. The Farish Street Historic District is a 125-acre historic business district shaped by Black residents and businesses. These examples focus on different aspects: the history of a school, the civil rights movement and historic commercial life.

The International Museum of Muslim Cultures explores Islamic history and culture, bringing a global perspective to Jackson. Art lovers will find a different approach at the Mississippi Museum of Art, whose collection includes nearly 6,000 works of art. The 1.2-acre Art Garden features permanent art installations and water features, as well as space for performances and outdoor films.

Agriculture, Sports and Family Activities

At the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, you can walk through “Small Town, Mississippi,” a recreation 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 village-life exhibit and the wide-ranging history of agriculture offer two different perspectives on rural Mississippi.

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum explores sports history through touchscreen kiosks that provide access to more than 500 interviews with Mississippi athletes. The Mississippi Children’s Museum offers interactive exhibits and programs for children and their families. The attractions can therefore be chosen according to your interests: personal interviews, family-friendly hands-on activities, or historical and cultural exhibits each offer a different focus.

Nature Trails and Outdoor Routes

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science 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 diverse habitats. The Museum Trail offers a different kind of route: This three-mile multi-use trail runs from LeFleur’s Bluff State Park through the Belhaven neighborhood. It can be used for walking, running, cycling, traveling with wheeled mobility aids, exploring nature and spending time together as a community.

Myrlie’s Garden also brings together several elements of an outdoor space: It includes a community garden, a covered pavilion, educational exhibits, picnic benches and a paved walkway. The routes differ in length and in the characteristics described: The museum’s nature trails pass through habitats, while the Museum Trail is a multi-use route through Belhaven. This gives you a choice of museum visits, architecture and different outdoor activities for your trip to Jackson.

Discover more destinations: Clinton, Byram.

For the main travel overview: Hinds.