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Located in Jackson, Mississippi, tucked within historic LeFleur's Bluff State Park, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks' Mississippi Museum of Natural Science serves as the state's non-game and endangered species program. The museum's vast expanses of glass overlook a 300-acre natural landscape, open-air amphitheater, and 2.5 miles of nature trails.
Inside, meet over 200 living species in our 100,000-gallon aquarium network and explore 73,000 square feet of permanent and temporary exhibits that include deer, waterfowl, fossils, and Mississippi's endangered species.
Museum Highlights
- Displays of Mississippi's diverse habitats, including a spectacular exhibit of white-tailed deer and soaring waterfowl
- An entire wall of fossil specimens, including Zygorhiza, Mosasaurus, and a giant sloth
- A 100,000-gallon aquarium network housing over 200 living species
- "The Swamp": a 1,700-square foot greenhouse
- The Preschool Discovery Room, featuring colorful murals and an iconic giant treehouse with a slide
- The Dinosaur Trail
- The Dragonfly Gift Shop
- The LeFleur's Bluff Playground
- Classroom space and the 200-seat Rotwein Theater
- A safe storage environment for the museum's biological archives--a vast collection accessed regularly by scientists around the world!
Mission
The MDWFP Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is committed to promoting understanding and appreciation of Mississippi's biological diversity through collections, research, scientific databases, education, and exhibits; and to inspiring the people of our state to respect the environment and to preserve natural Mississippi.
Each year, more than 100,000 visitors from all 50 states and many foreign countries are inspired by the natural world showcased in the Museum's permanent and special exhibits. These visitors enjoy the Museum's indoor exhibits and 300-acres of natural landscape, nature trails, a Dinosaur Trail, and the LeFleur's Bluff Playground.
Explore the Museum and Grounds
We encourage you to share your time between the indoor exhibits and the outdoor environment, moving between informative indoor models and their reality in a natural Mississippi setting.
A range of nature trails meander through wooded bluffs, river bottoms, lakes, and scenic swamplands, offering ample and diverse opportunities for nature walks, photography, and the study of living things in their natural landscape.
Camps, Special Events, and Activities
Along with the usual Museum features, we also offer many exciting and educational activities for children, such as our popular creature features, hands-on fish feedings, and summer camps.
The museum also hosts numerous award-winning annual events including NatureFEST, Family Fun Science Night, Fossil Road Show, Snake Day, Park After Dark, and more.
Our education team provides special programs for scouts and teachers and also coordinates the museum's popular summer camps.
Plan Your Visit
Travel back in time on the Dinosaur Trail, see a diver feed the fish, and snap selfies with a giant sloth fossil! Play in the preschool treehouse and on the LeFleur’s Bluff Playground, and enjoy 2 miles of nature trails.
Museum Director
Angel Rohnke is the fifth Museum Director (July 2024 - Present).
Museum Supporters
Volunteers, Staff, Donors
Volunteers, Staff, Donors
Like any institution, MDWFP's Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is nothing without the people who work hard to turn the ideas behind it into reality.
Along with its own dedicated staff, the Museum also relies on a group of volunteers who, out of their own devotion to natural Mississippi and the importance of science, donate their time to help the Museum pursue its mission of study and preservation.
Along with the help of its volunteers and staff, the Museum also relies on the financial help of a long list of friends of the Museum. With their continual help, the Museum:
- established one of the largest collection of biological specimens in the state
- helped preserve and protect Mississippi's vital and precious natural resources, and
- continues to be one of the state's most successful scientific and education attractions.
MMNS Foundation
MMNS Foundation
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated exclusively to improving the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (MMNS).
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Foundation Members get closer to their families, friends, nature, and the world at the Museum!
Make lifelong memories with MMNSF Membership benefits including Museum admission, gift shop and summer camp discounts, and more.
History
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 90 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 1,000,000 specimens, representing the largest single reference for Mississippi vertebrate animals and freshwater mussels in existence!
Accreditation
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and a member of the Association of Science - Technology Centers, the MDWFP Museum of Natural Science is a credible learning institution and a recognized attraction offering membership benefits.
LeFleur Museum District
Discover interactive exhibits. Explore educational experiences. Imagine the things you'll learn, the fun you'll have, and the memories you'll make!
The LeFleur Museum District includes four uniquely amazing museums:
- MDWFP's Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
- Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum
- Mississippi Children's Museum
- Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum
ADA/EEOC
The MDWFP Museum of Natural Science is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Learn More About the Museum
The MDWFP Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is located in Jackson, Mississippi, tucked within historic LeFleur's Bluff State Park. On this page, find details relating to getting to and visiting the museum.
Explore habitats, fossils, aquariums, nature trails, dinosaur models, and more.
Travel back in time on the Dinosaur Trail. The Dinosaur Trail features six large-scale, 3D dinosaur models, including a Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Enjoy recreational and educational activities at this award-winning, accessible attraction! Get hours and information.
The Museum's education team draws from their diverse backgrounds in education and research as they share the Museum's resources with visitors and through outreach efforts.
Scientific study and conservation research is a key component and function of the Museum of Natural Science.
Connect with Us
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