Top 10 Museums to Visit in Mississippi: From Civil Rights to Coastal History
Where to Discover Mississippi's Culture and History
Mississippi’s top museums display the region’s versatile past and present in fascinating exhibits. Deep in the Delta region, you’ll find historic blues joints that house guitars belonging to some of the genre’s greatest artists, while in Gulf Coast cities like Biloxi and Ocean Springs, cultural spaces dedicated to maritime heritage and landscape painters enchant at every turn.
In Jackson, you can stop at museums dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement and Southern legislature, and learn about the Freedom Riders and Governors who shaped this complex region. Read our guide to find out where to admire works by famed American artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, or the wonderful replica of Kermit the Frog, the vision of The Muppets puppeteer Jim Henson.
1. Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
The state’s courageous history of activism
Categoría: Historia, Familias
Situated in Jackson, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum explores a pivotal movement that changed the nation. This important venue showcases a number of exhibits, including: Freedom’s Struggle, Black Empowerment, and Where Do We Go From Here? Discover the incredible stories of Mississippi residents like Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer and Vernon Dahmer, president of the Forrest County chapter of the NAACP in Hattiesburg.
Examine extraordinary collections of photographs and artefacts that document several eras, including the 1600s, when enslaved Africans were transported to Jamestown, Virginia, and the 1960s, when the rallying cry of Black residents, demanding equality, intensified. Check the official website for special events like Statehood Anniversary Tours and talks by historians.
Ubicación: 222 North St #2205, Jackson, MS 39201, USA
Horarios: Tuesday–Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm (closed on Mondays)
Teléfono: +1 601-576-6800
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
2. Mississippi Museum of Art
An outstanding showcase of unbridled creativity
Categoría: Parejas, Familias
Mississippi Museum of Art is the largest museum in the Magnolia State, priding itself on its unrelenting community spirit and its status as a champion of all-things visionary. Founded in 1978, its permanent collections feature works by prominent Southern artists like writer and photographer Eudora Welty, painter Gaines Ruger Donoho, ceramicist George E. Ohr and folk artist Sulton Rogers.
Other American icons on display include painter Georgia O’Keeffe, pop art pioneer Andy Warhol and mixed media artist and sculptor Radcliffe Bailey. Check the official website for all the latest events like drawing workshops, collage making and art therapy programmes. Don’t miss a walk in the sunshine in the 0.5-hectare (1.2-acre) Art Garden.
Ubicación: 380 S Lamar St, Jackson, MS 39201, USA
Horarios: Tuesday–Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm (closed on Mondays)
Teléfono: +1 601-960-1515
Mississippi Museum of Art
3. GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
A celebration of music
Categoría: Historia, Familias
If you love music, you can’t miss the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. Located in the city of Cleveland, this groundbreaking space celebrates music’s cultural legacy with immersive exhibits and educational opportunities that draw in patrons of all ages. Learn about genres like rock, R&B, hip-hop, country, blues and jazz before discovering more about the GRAMMY Awards and admiring a wealth of red-carpet outfits.
Temporary exhibits rotate every few months, with previous displays including things like Taylor Swift: Across the Eras and an homage to 80’s rock n’ roll. In the past, the museum has celebrated Elvis Presley and B.B. King, winner of 16 gold-plated gramophone awards. Check the official website to view all the latest and upcoming events.
Ubicación: 800 W Sunflower Rd, Cleveland, MS 38732, USA
Horarios: Tuesday–Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday from noon to 3 pm (closed on Mondays)
Teléfono: +1 662-441-0100
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
4. INFINITY Science Center
Insights into space travel from the safety of Earth
Categoría: Historia, Familias
You’ll find the INFINITY Science Center in Pearlington, Mississippi, a 45-minute drive from New Orleans, Louisiana. This groundbreaking not-for-profit seamlessly blends space exploration, Earth science, engineering and technology, offering a fun and interactive day out for the whole family. It also serves as the official visitor centre for NASA’s Stennis Space Center and its associated laboratories.
At this 3200 sq metre (35,000 sq foot) complex you’ll discover unique attractions like a US Navy riverine training boat, the humungous Apollo Saturn V first stage and a walk-through replica of the International Space Station’s Destiny module. Check out the Carnivorous Plants Conservatory and a 3D Immersive Theater with a state-of-the-art laser system that beams compelling documentary films from National Geographic.
Ubicación: 1 Discovery Cir, Pearlington, MS 39572, USA
Horarios: Wednesday–Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm (closed Sunday–Tuesday)
Teléfono: +1 228-533-9025
INFINITY Science Center
5. Old Capitol Museum
Architectural jewel where the state’s laws were shaped
Categoría: Historia, Económico
Serving as the Mississippi statehouse from 1839 until 1903, the Old State Capitol is now a riveting museum. Designed by William Nichols in Greek Revival style, this grand multi-columned building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Today, its full restoration can be enjoyed by the public who flock here to learn more about the roles that legislature, the governor and the high court have played.
Visit the Senate Chamber, the Library, and the Women’s Gallery which features oil paintings of the state’s first ladies. Don’t miss the fully restored Governor’s Office, which can be found in the building’s southern end and that illustrates the job of the Governor from the 1800s to present day.
Ubicación: 100 State St, Jackson, MS 39201, USA
Horarios: Wednesday–Friday from 9 am to 1 pm (closed Saturday–Tuesday)
Teléfono: +1 601-576-6920
Old Capitol Museum
6. Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum
Charting the Gulf Coast across time
Categoría: Historia, Familias
The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi rewards visitors with a vast array of artefacts and photographs. Both tell a sprawling coastal narrative that spans the first Native American settlements through to the immigrants who settled here. Founded in 1986, the museum also hosts popular cultural events including seaside themed art exhibitions and amateur painting classes with Mississippi-based artists.
A real highlight of the museum is the Randy Randazzo Collection: a fascinating archive of historic black and white images that showcase the places, people and vessels that helped shape the Gulf Coast region. End your visit with a group charter on a stunning Biloxi schooner.
Ubicación: 115 E 1st St, Biloxi, MS 39530, USA
Horarios: Monday–Saturday from 9 am to 4.30 pm, Sunday from noon to 4 pm
Teléfono: +1 228-435-6320
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum
7. B. B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center
A homage to The King of Blues
Categoría: Historia, Foto
The B.B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center can be found in Indianola, Mississippi. It honours one of America’s greatest musicians with a comprehensive look into his life, from his early beginnings on a cotton plantation named Bear Creek to his decades-long career as an iconic blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer.
Learn about the birth of the blues, check out B.B.’s first guitar and explore galleries that investigate the South’s Chitlin’ Circuit and how the Civil Rights Movement helped shape music. Don’t miss B.B. King’s personal automobiles: a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and a custom painted Chevy El Camino. Pay your respects in the Memorial Garden, the final resting place of the legend.
Ubicación: 400 2nd St, Indianola, MS 38751, USA
Horarios: Tuesday–Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed Sunday–Monday)
Teléfono: +1 662-887-9539
B. B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center
8. Walter Anderson Art Museum
A joyous celebration of this Southern artist and writer
Categoría: Parejas, Familias
Set in picturesque Ocean Springs, the Walter Anderson Art Museum is a nationally accredited attraction that celebrates the life and work of this artist-philosopher. His paintings, drawings, block prints, sculptures, murals and carvings rendered him one of the most prolific and enduring artists of the 20th century. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Walter Anderson lived in Ocean Springs until his death and his canon of work embodies the Gulf Coast Region, capturing scenic landscapes including that of Horn Island, his home away from home.
Inside, discover Anderson’s collected works, as well as rotating exhibits featuring modernist Southern painters. Check the online events page to see all the latest goings-on like student art shows and murder mystery evenings.
Ubicación: 510 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA
Horarios: Monday–Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm
Teléfono: +1 228-872-3164
Walter Anderson Art Museum
9. Delta Blues Museum
Mississippi’s oldest music museum
Categoría: Historia, Vida nocturna en
Dedicated to the preservation and celebration of all-things blues, the Delta Blues Museum, in the historic town of Clarksdale, has been enchanting visitors since 1979. DBM boasts temporary exhibits, as well as a permanent collection. Previous shows included steel sculptural portraits of the genre’s many icons and a comprehensive look at Trumpet Records.
You can also admire macabre relics like the Three Forks Sign, procured from the juke joint where Robert Johnson was poisoned at his final gig. It’s said he sold his soul to the Devil at the Clarksdale crossroads. Check out guitars belonging to John Lee Hooker and Son Thomas, as well as displays devoted to Big Mama Thornton, the original vocalist of Elvis’ hit Hound Dog.
Ubicación: 1 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, MS 38614, USA
Horarios: Monday–Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Sundays)
Teléfono: +1 662-627-6820
Delta Blues Museum
10. Birthplace of Kermit the Frog Museum
For fans of Jim Henson
Categoría: Familias, Exótico
The birthplace of Kermit the Frog Museum is dedicated to the life of puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of Sesame Street and The Muppets. Located in Leland, Mississippi, where Jim was raised, this nostalgic attraction showcases photographs of the Henson Family, Henson Company Christmas cards, letters written by the puppeteer himself and plenty of Muppets memorabilia.
A real treat is the replica of Kermit the Frog, who sits on a bayou log playing a banjo. After you visit, walk across the Rainbow Connection Bridge, named after the iconic song from the Muppets Movie. Time your visit right and you’ll get to take part in the Leland Frog Festival with storytellers, magicians, live music, puppeteers and down-home Southern cuisine on offer.
Ubicación: 415 S Deer Creek Dr E, Leland, MS 38756, USA
Horarios: Monday–Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm (closed on Sundays)
Teléfono: +1 662-686-7383
Birthplace of Kermit the Frog Museum
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