ABOUT US

Address & Phone
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
2148 Riverside Drive
Jackson, Mississippi 39202-1353

Phone: 601-576-6000
Fax: 601-354-7227
www.msnaturalscience.org

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.

Museum Overview
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.

Accredited by the American Museum Association and a member of the Association of Science - Technology Centers, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is a credible learning institution and a recognized attraction offering membership benefits.

Awards

2012

American Association of Museums Accreditation Renewal

Best Museum for Kids Award
Jackson Parents & Kids Magazine 2012 Family Favorite

Favorite Summer Day Camp
Jackson Parents & Kids Magazine 2012 Family Favorite

Nominated for Best Museum and Best Nature Walk
Jackson Free Press Newspaper's Best of Jackson 2012

Nominated for Best Museum and Best Attraction for Kids
Mississippi Magazine

AAA Southern Travel Treasure

Mississippi's Project WILD Facilitator of the Year
John Defazio, Jr., Project WILD facilitator

2011

Best Museum for Kids Award
Jackson Parents & Kids Magazine 2011 Family Favorite

Best Museum
Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson 2011

AAA Southern Travel Treasure

Best Attraction for Kids
Mississippi Magazine

Mississippi Science Teachers Association's Outstanding Informal Educator
Angel Rohnke, Education Coordinator

Mississippi's Project WILD Facilitator of the Year
Joan Elder, Preschool Coordinator

2010
SUMITT Award for Attraction of the Year
The Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau

AAA Southern Travel Treasure for Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Lived
The American Automobile Association

Best Museum
Jackson Parents & Kids Magazine

2009
Attraction of the Year
The Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mississippi's Travel Attraction of the Year
The Mississippi Tourism Association

Mississippi's Project WILD Facilitator of the Year
Megan Ellis, MMNS Outreach Educator

SUMITT Award for Attraction of the Year  (Superlative Merit in Travel & Tourism)
The Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau

AAA Southern Travel Treasure (for Monsters of the Deep exhibit)
The American Automobile Association

Best Museum
Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson 2009 (9th year in a row!)

MMNS Trails 2nd Place for Best Nature Walk
Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson 2009

Gold Addy (for Dinosaurs exhibit campaign)
American Advertising Federation, Jackson

Gold Addy (for Dinosaurs exhibit ad series)
American Advertising Federation, Jackson

Gold Addy (for MMNS website)
American Advertising Federation, Jackson

2008
Special Achievement
Fossil Road Show educational production nominated for an Emmy Award

2008 Informal Science Teacher of the Year
Andrew Whitehurst, MMNS Scenic Streams Stewardship Program Coordinator

AAA Southern Travel Treasure
American Automobile Association (2nd year in a row!)

Best Museum
Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson 2008 (8th year in a row!)

Family Favorite - Best Museum for Kids
Parents & Kids 2008 Family Favorite

Silver Addy (for exhibit campaign)
American Advertising Federation, Jackson

Silver Addy (for annual report)
American Advertising Federation, Jackson

Silver Addy (for signage)
American Advertising Federation, Jackson

2007
AAA Southern Travel Treasure
American Automobile Association

Best Museum
Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson 2007

Gold Award (for exhibit campaign)
SEMC (Southeastern Museums Conference)

Gold Award (for newsletter)
SEMC (Southeastern Museums Conference)

2006
Best Museum
Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson 2006

Best Museum
Mississippi Magazine

Family Favorite - Best Museum for Kids
Parents & Kids 2006 Family Favorite

Mississippi Travel Attraction of the Year
Mississippi Tourism Association

Travel Attraction of the Year
Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau

2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, & 2001
Best Museum
Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson [2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001]

Travel Attraction of the Year
Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau

Our ADA/EEOC Policy
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).