Mississippi Museum Of Natural Science

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is to promote understanding and appreciation of Mississippi's biological diversity through collections, research, scientific databases, education, and exhibits; and to inspire the people of our state to respect the environment and to preserve natural Mississippi.

About Us:

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is located in Jackson, Mississippi, tucked within historic LeFleur's Bluff State Park (see directions) -an ideal location for a museum whose mission is focused on the promotion and protection of Mississippi's natural landscape and its inhabitants. Inside the park, the Museum's buildings and grounds feature a 73,000-square foot complex overlooking a 300-acre natural landscape, 2.5 miles of nature trails, and an open-air amphitheater. Located inside the Museum are a variety of exciting exhibits, including: a series of life-size displays of the state's diverse habitats, a 100,000-gallon aquarium network housing over 200 living species, and a 1,700-square foot greenhouse called "The Swamp." Our committed staff maintains over 30,000 square feet of permanent exhibits, along with a gift shop, library, and 200-seat.

Established in 1932, the Museum was essentially born out of its founder Fannye Cook's passion for collecting and studying Mississippi's natural world and has continued to grow under the direction of strong leadership through the years. The Museum's history has always been inextricably linked to a devotion to studying and preserving the state's natural resources. The efforts of over 70 years of study are assembled in the Museum's vast scientific collections, housed in a safe-storage environment in order to better preserve the specimens. Our collections currently consist of more than 870,000 specimens, representing the largest single reference for Mississippi vertebrate animals and freshwater mussels in existence.

The Museum has seen a lot of changes over the past years and continues to grow and refine its current exhibits and grounds, as well as bring the most exciting traveling exhibits to Mississippi. We are looking forward to the realization of our exciting 5-year-plan, working on our wildly successful statewide education outreach programs, and proudly welcoming families and friends to learn about and celebrate with us the wonderful world of natural Mississippi.