About MDAH

Empowering people through Mississippi’s many stories is our vision.

Whether you are interested in researching Mississippi history, visiting historic places, preserving history, attending or sponsoring history-themed events, engaging students with history, properly managing government records or finding opportunities for volunteering, internships and careers, MDAH can connect you with the experiences and information you seek.

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.

Who We Are

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History was founded in 1902 to collect, preserve, and provide access to the archival resources of the state. Our commitment to preservation continues today through the work of the department’s five divisions.

MDAH is governed by a nine-member board of trustees whose president is Spence Flatgard of Ridgeland. Katie Blount has served as department director since February 2015.

Administration

Administration comprises human resources, financial services, operations, and information systems.

Archives and Records Services

Archives and Records Services oversees the state archives and public reading rooms, where documents, photographs, and other items from the state’s vast collection are made available free of charge to the public.

Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation works with property owners to preserve the state’s historic sites and structures.

Programs and Communication

Programs and Communication focuses on programming, education, public relations, and marketing for the entire department.

Learn More

Museums

The Museum Division oversees the Museum of Mississippi History, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Eudora Welty House & Garden, Manship House Museum, Old Capitol Museum, and the historic section of the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion in Jackson; the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians in Natchez; Historic Jefferson College in Washington, and Winterville Mounds in Greenville.

Eudora Welty House

Eudora Welty House

See where the Pulitzer Prize-winning author lived, entertained, and wrote all her stories.

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

Discover stories of Mississippians such as Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Vernon Dahmer, who changed America as local leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. 

Museum of Mississippi History

Museum of Mississippi History

Explore 15,000 years of history and learn how our shared past influences our future together.

Old Capitol Museum

Old Capitol Museum

The Old Capitol is the site of some of the state's most significant history.

Grand Village of the Natchez Indians

Grand Village of the Natchez Indians

The Grand Village is a museum and 128-acre park featuring three prehistoric Native American mounds, a reconstructed Natchez Indian house, and a nature trail.

Historic Jefferson College

Historic Jefferson College

Historic Jefferson College is the birthplace of Mississippi’s statehood in 1817.

Manship House Museum

Manship House Museum

The Manship House Museum interprets the daily life of a 19th-century Mississippi family through the house the family lived in for so many years.

Winterville Mounds

Winterville Mounds

For hundreds of years, travelers have visited the communal gathering space at Winterville Mounds.

Governor's Mansion

Governor's Mansion

The Governor’s Mansion has been the residence of Mississippi governors and their families since 1842.

News & Articles

11/28/2023
On January 18, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., the state records committee will review, approve, disapprove, amend or modify records control schedules for all state agencies, boards, and commissions. Join meeting via Zoom video from (PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android): Meeting ID: 860 9651 4745 Passcode: 948342
11/27/2023
On Friday, December 1, the Possum Ridge model train exhibit will open at the Two Mississippi Museums. There is no charge to view the exhibit, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 11 to 5 p.m. The Possum Ridge exhibit will be closed on December 25 and will end on December 31.
11/17/2023
Friday, December 1, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) will host its annual Christmas by Candlelight Tour, a free, festive evening filled with live holiday music, holiday themed craft activities, sweet treats for all, and a photo opportunity with Santa Claus.   Christmas by Candlelight Tour sites will include the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion, Old Capitol Museum, Two Mississippi Museums, and Mississippi State Capitol.  
10/10/2023
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is accepting applications for the 2024 Eudora Welty Research Fellowship, 2024 Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research Fellowship, and inaugural Religion in Mississippi History Fellowship. The competitive scholarships may be used for research at MDAH for a minimum of two weeks during the summer of 2024.  
10/2/2023
On Thursday, October 5, from 5 p.m.–6:30 p.m., Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) staff will provide an update regarding plans for re-opening the Windsor Ruins site, the historic site of the Daniell Plantation. The meeting will be held in the Clinton Bristow Hall at Alcorn State University.
9/27/2023
Entergy Mississippi’s grant of $250,000 to the Foundation for Mississippi History will support the restoration of Raymond Hall as part of a new initiative by the Mississippi Department of Archives at History (MDAH) on the campus of Historic Jefferson College in Washington.

November 30, 2023

Possum Ridge Model Train Exhibit Opens
December 1, 2023, 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

On Friday, December 1, the Possum Ridge model train exhibit will open at the Two Mississippi Museums. There is no charge to view the exhibit, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays from 11 to 5 p.m. The Possum Ridge exhibit will be closed on December 25, and will close on December 31. 

Christmas by Candlelight Tour
December 1, 2023, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Celebrate the holiday season with a tour of historic sites in downtown Jackson. Visit the Mississippi State Capitol, Mississippi Governor's Mansion, Old Capitol Museum, and the Two Mississippi Museums. 

Grand Sale at Grand Village of the Natchez Indians
December 2, 2023, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Join us for the Grand Sale at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 2. This open house will kick-start the three-week-long holiday sale at the Grand Village. Myrna Wilson of the Coushatta Tribe will demonstrate pine needle basket weaving from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Articles and Publications

MDAH and our partner organizations produce a number of detailed publications related to Mississippi history and prehistory. Select a publication for information on topics, purchasing or subscribing.

Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees

Annual Report

Annual Report

Partnerships

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