Wow, what an incredibly well thought out museum dedicated to the efforts of all those who have and…read morecontinue to contribute to efforts of racial justice in Mississippi. During an open morning in Jackson, we stumbled upon the museum and decided to explore and it was easily one of the most memorable parts of our trip. We started by being welcomed into the space. This museum intentionally documents the history of the civil rights museum specifically as it pertains to Mississippi. One of the docents shared that she volunteers at the museum because she remembers what it was like growing up in Mississippi as a white child and has committed her allyship to ensuring others can understand what she witnessed with a deep desire for a better future for Mississippi. It was amazing that there were other guests visiting the museum not just from other states like us, but from other countries as well! The true treat of the visit was stumbling upon the center of the museum, where the youngest freedom rider to every be imprisoned was speaking to a group of high school soccer players from Texas. He shared his story and how his activism started at such a young age. The high school students and myself were in awe of just his bravery and hearing what it was truly like to fight for what's right at such a young age. This museum tells an important story that sadly isn't over as the fight for equity and equality is never over. Yet, it's inspiring to know that there are committed individuals ensuring that in the deep South, these stories are documented and told for all those to honor and understand.

We were very fortunate to be allowed to tag along a group that was being given a tour/introduction…read moreby the Museum Director, Mr Moore, who was very knowledgeable and gave great highlights to check out. You def need at least a day or so to check out and take in everything. They are closed on Mondays.

This beautiful building is the newer version of the state capitol after the old one fell into bad…read moreshape. It has beautiful marble from regional as well as international locations and wrought iron and cast iron railings. The docent guided tour is an excellent way to learn about its history as well as see the chambers of the senate and house of representatives as well as learn about the governors and the architecture. Our tour lasted a little bit over an hour so if you have time on your hands and interested in this kind of stuff, it's a great choice. If you don't have the time but still interested in the building, you can also do a self guided tour but I'm not sure you can go see the chambers without the docent.

This Capitol building was completed within 28 months of construction in 1901-1903 costing…read more$1,093,641. The Capitol originally housed all 3 branches of government, with the Legislative branch still remaining. The Capitol is 402 ft wide, 225 ft deep, with a total of 171,000 square ft. The central dome rises 180 feet above ground level. The main Rotunda is located on the 2nd floor with walls of Italian white marble trimmed with Belgian black marble. A relief sculpture of Lady Justice is seen above each of the arches. Architect Theodore Link used electric lighting when designing the Capitol & incorporated 4,750 electric fixtures, which are still being used today. Windows of stained & leaded glass, crafted by Louis Millet of Chicago, The ceilings of the 3rd & 4th floor corridors contain Millet's stained glass & work with the skylights on the roof as a skylight system to provide natural light along those corridors.

This sign is part of the Mississippi Blues Trail and commemorates not only thos spot, but thr…read moreuniquely American music known as the blues.

I have to admit I am a hidden history nerd. I love hearing learning reading and researching. I love…read more tidbits of information as it pertains to discovering our pat and shaping our future. They MS Archives Building is one is the top sources of documented history in the state of Mississippi. It provides detailed- traceable accounts of telling the story of the State. I must commend the team of researchers, they make a point to locate and acknowledge that MS history is, in a large part a complicated and spread out history that attributes much of its stories through oral tradition. Yet there is a mecca of informative archives that provide a wealth of information to any local and curious historical person out there. If you are a writer and are looking for verification after in hearing the many stories that circulate about the State of MS, I would start here.