Must-See Mississippi Museums
Packed with history, the Capital/River region invites you to explore its past
In the southwest corner of the Magnolia State, you’ll find the Capital/River region. Stretching from the rolling hills around Jackson, west to the Mississippi River and south to the Louisiana state line, Capital/River is an epicenter of Mississippi culture. A true historic hub, the region boasts a wealth of meaningful landmarks, historic homes, Civil War battlefields, and sites of national significance in the Civil Rights Movement.
Hollywood has taken note of the beauty of the Capital/River region. Indeed, the small town of Canton (population: 12,000) has been dubbed “Mississippi’s Film Capital," having served as the backdrop for several notable films including My Dog Skip, A Time to Kill, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? You can catch a glimpse of some of the props used in these blockbuster films in the Canton Movie Museums. Of course, we mustn’t forget about Jackson itself, where several scenes were filmed for the Academy Award-winning 2011 film The Help, written and directed by Mississippi native (and Natchez resident), Tate Taylor.
In the southern part of the region, perched on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River you’ll find Natchez—founded in 1716 and the oldest city in the state. Pre-war architecture is plentiful in the charming town, with opulent, historic homes lining crepe-myrtle shaded streets throughout. One of Natchez’s most fascinating attractions is Longwood—the largest octagonal home in the United States. Construction on Longwood began in 1860, but stopped a year later at the outbreak of the Civil War, never to resume. The exterior and lowest floor of the home were completed, but the upper levels of the home remain unfinished to this day. Tours of the home led by Natchez Pilgrimage Tours are available almost every day of the year.
Just a mile or two from Longwood in the historic heart of Natchez you’ll find the William Johnson House. The home, which was built in 1840, is now a museum operated by the National Park Service. William Johnson was a freed slave who worked as a barber, and taught his trade to free African-American boys. For 16 years until his death in 1851, Johnson kept a journal in which he recorded significant events in his life and the life of the city. The journal chronicles many facets of Johnson’s day-to-day existence—including his qualms over his ownership of slaves—and is now considered a vital source of information about the lives of free African-American people in the historical South.
Further upstream, in the Capital/River region, stands Vicksburg. Teeming with Civil War historic sites, the city was referred to as the “Key to the South” by none other than Abraham Lincoln. Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates the earth-shaking events that took place in the city during the Civil War, including the Battle of Vicksburg and the Vicksburg Campaign. Another not-to-be-missed historic site is Pemberton’s Headquarters, which served as command post for Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton during the Union’s forty-seven-day attack on Vicksburg. For a lighter-hearted history, the Biedenharn Coca-Cola® Museum recounts the history of the world’s most notable soft drink, which was bottled for the first time ever in 1894 by Vicksburg resident Joseph Biedenharn. And for the foodies—Vicksburg offers more than just museums. The award-winning Walnut Hills Restaurant serves sublime Southern cuisine, while 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill gives patrons a view of the mighty Mississippi River that’s almost as impressive as its menu of expertly prepared Southern staples.
In Jackson, the capital city, you’ll find still more rich history at the “Two Mississippi Museums”: the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History. Providing deeper insight into the infamous events of Mississippi’s Civil Rights, the Jackson Civil Rights Movement Driving Tour guides participants to visit eighty-one sites that served a role in the long-fought struggle to secure freedom and justice for all.
The Mississippi Museum of Art is the state’s largest art museum. With over 5,800 pieces on display, the museum features American art from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Notable artists whose works have been displayed here include Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, Robert Henri, and Radcliffe Bailey.