Beginning Genealogy Workshop - August 16, 2025

Historic Objects Collection Tour - August 12, 2025

William F. Winter Building

Welcome to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

By preserving Mississippi's diverse historic resources and sharing them with people around the world, MDAH inspires discovery of stories that connect our lives and shape our future.

Voting Rights Act Anniversary Tour

Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers - Photos by Melody Golding - Now Open

Voting Rights Act Anniversary Tour

Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers - Photos by Melody Golding - Now Open

Historic Objects Collection Tour - August 12, 2025

Beginning Genealogy Workshop - August 16, 2025

William F. Winter Building

Welcome to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

By preserving Mississippi's diverse historic resources and sharing them with people around the world, MDAH inspires discovery of stories that connect our lives and shape our future.

Empowering people through Mississippi's many stories.

That’s our vision at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. We are here to help you explore and discover your Mississippi stories.

You can use this website, and our reading rooms in downtown Jackson, to:

  • Research historical records, archival collections and special publications
  • Discover historical sites and museums to visit all around the state
  • Check out upcoming events, including our History is Lunch series
  • Preserve Mississippi’s historic buildings and archaeological sites
  • Download field trip guides, lesson plans, and teaching units
  • View regulations for managing state and local government records
  • Find out how to volunteer, donate, and more
News & Events

Find the latest news, upcoming programs, and special exhibitions at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

News & Events

Research

Discover your story. Search the ultimate primary resource of Mississippi’s historical documents, photos, videos, and more.

You can use our online collections, and the extensive resources at our reading rooms in downtown Jackson, to build your family tree, create an engaging presentation, or simply explore your Mississippi history.

Get Started

Explore

Real stories, real places. Set out on a hands-on history adventure and discover the people and places that shaped your Mississippi.

MDAH welcomes curious visitors of all ages to more than a dozen museums, historic sites and cultural attractions throughout the state.

Go Places

Preserve

Tell your story for generations to come. Mississippi is rich in architectural and archaeological history.

See How

Teachers and Students

Stories are for sharing. Help your students explore their Mississippi history from K-12 to college.

Discover ready-to-use field trip guides, professional development opportunities, a host of classroom resources and information on Mississippi History Day, our history-themed student competition.

Education

Religion Initiative

Learn about the role of religion in Mississippi history and culture. Made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, MDAH offers programs through its religion initiative that range from free group tours of the Two Mississippi Museums to research fellowships in the archives.

Learn More

Volunteer

Be part of history. Volunteer with MDAH and help us preserve and connect Mississippi’s rich historic resources with people around the world.

Volunteer

News & Articles

The Nissan Foundation has awarded a $40,000 grant to the Foundation for Mississippi History to support student field trips for the 2025–2026 school year at the Two Mississippi Museums—the Museu

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History kicked off commemoration of America 250 by hosting a Naturalization Ceremony at the Two Mississippi Museums. By an oath of citizenship administered by U.S. District Judge Daniel P.

The Foundation for the Mid South will sponsor a free admission day at the Two Mississippi Museums on July 2 in honor of the birthday of civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers. Education staff from the Two Mississippi Museums—the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum—will host flash tours at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. that day.

The Junior League of Jackson has announced a $100,000 donation to the Foundation for Mississippi History to support the creation of Margaret Ann Crigler Park, a new public green space in downtown Jackson.

Two Mississippi students were recognized with the Senior Mississippi Outstanding Affiliate Award during the 2025 National History Day contest, held this week in College Park, Maryland.

NASHVILLE, TN—June 2025—The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) proudly announces that Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), is the recipient of an Individual Lifetime Achievement Award for her work to preserve the stories of Mis

Events

Welty Wednesdays
August 6, 2025, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Join the Eudora Welty House & Garden (EWHG) for Welty Wednesdays beginning Wednesday, January 8.

Voting Rights Act Anniversary Tour
August 6, 2025, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Two Mississippi Museums will host a gallery talk on Wednesday, August 6 at 10 a.m. with former state senator David Jordan in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and a 15-20 minute flash tour at 2 p.m. Join us to learn more about the efforts of Mississippi civil rights activists to secure federal protections for Black citizens’ right to vote. Don't forget to also attend this week's History Is Lunch: "Voting Rights Act 60," see our event calendar for more information, contact 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

History Is Lunch: Leslie-Burl McLemore, Jeff Kolnick, and Michelle Deardorff, "Voting Rights Act 60"
August 6, 2025, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

At noon Wednesday, August 6, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Leslie-Burl McLemore, civil rights veteran and professor emeritus of political science at Jackson State University, will be joined by historians Jeff Kolnick, history professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and Michelle Deardorff, professor of government and department head at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, for the History Is Lunch series. This panel will explore the struggle for voting rights in Mississippi, the state’s role in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the implications of the Shelby v. Holder decision by the United States Supreme Court in 2013 in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums and will also stream live on the MDAH Facebook page and YouTube channel. Food will be provided by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Don't forget to also attend the Voting Rights Act 60th Anniversary gallery talk and flash tour, see our event calendar for more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.