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Spring Break Week of Wonder
Visit the LeFleur Museum District for a "Week of Wonder" during Spring Break, March 13-17, 2023!
Enjoy an exciting Spring Break in Jackson’s award-winning LeFleur Museum District (LMD). The LMD’s four uniquely amazing museums, located at I-55 and Lakeland Drive, are offering special Spring Break events, exhibits, and discounts.
The museums are: MDWFP’s Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, the Mississippi Children's Museum, and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum.
Purchase a Museum District Pass and save 25% off regular admission! and receive a Dining Card from The District at Eastover where you can choose one of the following:
- Free Kid’s Meal from Yo Mama’s stall
- Free side of fries from Uncle Ray’s stall
- Free scoop of ice cream from Sal & Mookies
This week is a WONDER-ful way for locals to enjoy Spring Break in their own backyard, and for all Mississippians and tourists to get a taste of our state’s museums and culinary offerings.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES & EXHIBITS AT EACH MUSEUM:
In addition to special events and exhibits, visitors to the LMD can experience unforgettable moments in sports history, explore STEAM with their families, have a chance to relive the magic of small-town life, learn about early aviation and agriculture, and enjoy adventures on the wild side with living creatures.
Click here to see the MDWFP's Mississippi Museum of Natural Science events calendar.
Click here to see info on Fish Feedings and Critter Tale Story Times.
Click here to see highlights of the museum's trails and permanent exhibits.
Click here for details on the "From Here to There" temporary exhibit.
Spotter's Adventure Trail and The Den at the LeFleur's Bluff Complex are Now Open!
Meet Spotter the Otter and friends on Spotter’s Adventure Trail! The 8-foot-wide trail is located east of the LeFleur's Bluff Playground and leads the way to conveniently visit MDWFP's Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, the Mississippi Children's Museum, and the LeFleur's Bluff Playground.
Get your snacks and Spotter gear (hats and t-shirts) at Spotter's Snack Shack!
The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation funded the LeFleur’s Bluff Playground, Outdoor Pavilion, and Museum Trail. The Foundation’s generous $3.86 million made this innovative project possible, and the Foundation’s leadership team played a visionary role in developing the state-of-the-art playground and complex.
Click here for details about the LeFleur's Bluff Complex.
UPDATED LEFLEUR'S BLUFF STATE PARK BIRD CHECKLIST
Download the updated Lefleur’s Bluff State Park Bird List
Fall Migration has begun and what better place to see migrating birds than on the trails behind the museum!
Almost 50% of all bird species found in Mississippi have been documented in Lefleur's Bluff State Park! 211 of which are on this official checklist.
LeFleurs Bluff is the state’s largest urban center, supporting bird diversity through varied habitats and easy access to bird viewing for Mississippi’s citizens.
As the temperatures cool off in the next few months and migrants make their journey south, visit the trails to see how many species you can find using this updated Lefleur’s Bluff State Park Bird List.
NEW DINOSAUR TRAIL NOW OPEN
Nestled along one of the museum’s nature trails, you can see six large-scale, 3-D dinosaur models, including a Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Chasmosaurus, Nodosaurus, Appalachiosaurus, and an Eotrachodon with nest and newly hatched babies.
Along the way, learn a fascinating fact about each dinosaur as well as its height, length, weight, diet, and time period.
The new trail officially opened on July 1, 2022, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the memory of the project’s benefactor, Gerard “Jerry” Case, a long-time friend of the museum (see below). The museum and the Foundation are grateful for this gift and proud to recognize Mr. Case’s achievements in the field of paleontology with this new Dinosaur Trail that will delight generations of museum visitors!
NEW LEFLEUR'S BLUFF EDUCATION & TOURISM COMPLEX PLAYGROUND
Click here for details about this fun playground!
Hours: M-F: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sat: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sun: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. The playground will be closed on New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
BIRD FLIGHT EXHIBIT
MDWFP’s Mississippi Museum of Natural Science recently unveiled “Bird Flight”, a stunning, permanent exhibit created in memory of B.E. Gandy, Museum Director/Curator from 1958–1987. Learn how birds fly, measure your wingspan, and see a murmuration, in this fascinating exhibit.
Flying enables birds to escape predators, look for food, and migrate. As an avid birder, Mr. Gandy was fascinated by bird flight, especially the phenomenon of bird murmurations. A murmuration is a flock of hundreds or thousands of birds flying in a whirling, twisting, morphing pattern.
Within a murmuration, flight information is somehow instantly communicated, allowing the flock to respond as one. Murmurations confuse predators and also attract other birds to roost together at night for added safety.
