News Releases

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s annual holiday events – Christmas by Candlelight Tour and Possum Ridge Exhibit – return in early December. 

The Possum Ridge model train exhibit will open at the Two Mississippi Museums on Dec. 2. There is no charge to view the exhibit, which will close on Dec. 31. The  Christmas by Candlelight Tour will be held Friday, Dec. 5, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The tour festivities include crafts, live music, and treats at the Two Mississippi Museums, Old Capitol Museum, Mississippi State Capitol, and Mississippi Governor’s Mansion.  This year’s Christmas by Candlelight tour is presented in partnership with Capital City Lights, sponsored by Visit Jackson and Downtown Jackson Partners. Capital City Lights activities will be in Smith Park and at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center.

Holiday shoppers can stop by the museums’ Mississippi Museum Store, where a 10 percent discount will be available on merchandise, and explore Possum Ridge. The model trains and fictional town of Possum Ridge have been a holiday tradition delighting children and adults for more than 40 years. 

Possum Ridge depicts a typical Mississippi railroad town of the 1940s. In its first year, it consisted of a single block of an electrified Main Street with 10 buildings, including a bank, dry goods store, newspaper office, and restaurant.  Today, the trains circle a detailed town that includes a depot, church, bakery, barbershop, icehouse, sawmill, cotton gin, train yard, and much more. There are also houses located off Main Street, farmsteads, a small airport, and even a river baptism scene.

A Miss Goldy Chicken train car, representing the company that merged with what is now Wayne-Sanderson Farms, and an additional town scene are new to the exhibit this year. The exhibit will also feature a display case with historic railroad artifacts, a scavenger hunt, and a reading nook for children, featuring some bilingual books related to trains and railroads.

Free parking will be available at the Two Mississippi Museums parking garage, the Mississippi State Capitol parking lot, and along nearby streets, with shuttle buses running between all tour locations.

Christmas by Candlelight Tour activities:

Two Mississippi Museums
Visitors can begin their evening at the Two Mississippi Museums with live choral performances, holiday shopping, and the Possum Ridge model train exhibit.

• 5 p.m. McWillie Elementary School
• 5:45 p.m. Provine High School
• 6 p.m. Germantown High School Choir
• Holiday shopping at the Mississippi Museum Store
• Refreshments and sweet treats from Sugar Daze

Old Capitol Museum
The Old Capitol Museum will present festive lighting and hands-on holiday activities for families.

• Holiday crafts led by Eudora Welty House & Garden staff in the rotunda
• Cookies from Just Vanilla and cold milk

Governor’s Mansion
The Mississippi Governor’s Mansion will welcome guests with music, cookies, and classic holiday traditions.

• 4 p.m. Piano Studio students of Mrs. Carol Toothaker, Leakesville
• 6 p.m. Mississippi Youth Symphony in the East Garden
• Photos with Santa Claus
• Trackless train rides
• Hot cocoa and homemade cookies

State Capitol
The Mississippi State Capitol will host musical performances and offer visitors the chance to explore the building’s historic chambers and gift shop.

• 5 p.m. Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra
• 6 p.m. Sessions Jazz Ensemble
• Capitol Gift Shop holiday shopping

Founded in 1902, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History collects, preserves, and provides access to the archival resources of the state. MDAH’s commitment to preservation continues today through the work of the department’s five divisions—Administration, Archives and Records Services, Historic Preservation, Programs and Communication, and Museum. The Museum Division currently oversees 11 sites and projects throughout the state.

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

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