Wow, what an incredibly well thought out museum dedicated to the efforts of all those who have and…read morecontinue to contribute to efforts of racial justice in Mississippi. During an open morning in Jackson, we stumbled upon the museum and decided to explore and it was easily one of the most memorable parts of our trip. We started by being welcomed into the space. This museum intentionally documents the history of the civil rights museum specifically as it pertains to Mississippi. One of the docents shared that she volunteers at the museum because she remembers what it was like growing up in Mississippi as a white child and has committed her allyship to ensuring others can understand what she witnessed with a deep desire for a better future for Mississippi. It was amazing that there were other guests visiting the museum not just from other states like us, but from other countries as well! The true treat of the visit was stumbling upon the center of the museum, where the youngest freedom rider to every be imprisoned was speaking to a group of high school soccer players from Texas. He shared his story and how his activism started at such a young age. The high school students and myself were in awe of just his bravery and hearing what it was truly like to fight for what's right at such a young age. This museum tells an important story that sadly isn't over as the fight for equity and equality is never over. Yet, it's inspiring to know that there are committed individuals ensuring that in the deep South, these stories are documented and told for all those to honor and understand.

We were very fortunate to be allowed to tag along a group that was being given a tour/introduction…read moreby the Museum Director, Mr Moore, who was very knowledgeable and gave great highlights to check out. You def need at least a day or so to check out and take in everything. They are closed on Mondays.

Barnett Reservoir is a must-see if you are in the Jackson, Mississippi area…read more Barnett Reservoir has a lot of restaurants and parks surrounding it. It is vibrant and definitely a place that inspires tranquility within your soul. I would definitely recommend a visit here.

I love visiting the rez. Always peaceful and relaxing to sit next to water and reflect.read more

Appreciative of the for-thought to preserve the home of Medgar Evers. He was a civil rights…read moreactivist who was the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi. He was a United States Army veteran who served in World War II. He was involved in efforts to overturn racial segregation at the University of Mississippi, end the segregation of public facilities, and expand opportunities for African Americans, including the enforcement of voting rights prior to his assassination on June 12, 1963 in the driveway of his home. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery (with full military honors).

Medgar Evers (1925-1963) was a pioneering African American civil rights activist and the first…read moreNAACP field secretary in Mississippi, working tirelessly to dismantle segregation and secure voting rights. A World War II veteran, he investigated racist crimes, including the Emmett Till murder, and organized protests. His 1963 assassination in his driveway by a white supremacist brought national attention to the fight for equality. You can visit the house where Evers and his family lived and where Medgar was assassinated. See the reproduction of the bedrooms , the house, the kitchen and appliances as well as one of the bullet holes from a previous drive by shooting. There is even a map of where the assassin was. Very interesting stuff. The house is preserved by the NPS. It's free to enter and there were two rangers there to explain the history.

I stopped in here since I was in the area, and I am so glad I did. Free admission, parking is free…read more This was quite amazing. The signs along the way were very informative and helpful. Though I would love to know if it was haunted. Probably not, old buildings are never haunted. I loved learning the history of the building of the government. I would recommend to anyone in the area.

This is a nice piece of history that is almost 200 years old (Built in 1839). It is in marvelous…read moreshape. There is free street parking available within a reasonable walking distance. It is a National Historic Landmark and a fine examples of Greek Revival architecture. It served as the Mississippi state capitol from 1839 to 1903 and has a limestone exterior and a copper dome. Currently, You cannot go into the the building to do on-going renovations on the roof. It is a nice structure that has been renovated. You would not be able to really guess its age. Looking in the window of the front doors, you will see a double spiral wooden staircase. There are a bunch of placards on the front of the building designating it as a national landmark, and detailing its construction and subsequent restoration. The grounds of the building are very well maintained and the lawn is amazing. it sits behind a wrought iron fence that is a replica of the original one that was originally at the building. This is a nice visit, if only to see its beauty and architecture. Hopefully they will open the building back up soon for free tours again. I would have like to see the inside. I have heard that it is just as beautiful as the outside.

This pair of mounds are found in Jackson, MS. One, Mound A, is located at a rest area and is…read moreaccessible to the public. There is also an education center there. The other, Mound B, is on private land and is not accessible. Both mounds are on the National Register of Historic Places. The site dates back to 750 and 1600. Mounds of this type were constructed to basically serve one of two purposes, a platform and a burial area. Mound A, is about 22 feet high and 175 feet wide. Mound B, is 10 feet high and 75 feet wide. After the discovery/excavation of the remains of a structure and associated features on top of the mound, as well as numerous artifacts, it was determined that Mound A was more of a platform mound, while mound B was a primarily a burial mound. Both mounds were much larger, but have suffered from erosion over the years. As I mentioned, Mound A is located at a rest area (opened in 2008), both of which are maintained by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. That area is also known as Pocahontas Mounds Roadside Park.The area has security, restrooms, a nice air-conditioned interpretive center that explains a little about the mounds and picnic tables and benches in a patio area behind the bench. There is a nice paved path that leads to a viewing area, but you cannot get close to the mound. The grounds are nice and full of shade trees. I do not think people ae allowed on the green space though and are limited to the patio area and paved paths. Being located at a rest area, parking here is not an issue and is welcomed. There are ample spots available to park and it has easy access. Before my visit here, I had no idea what mounds were. Being a bit of a history buff, I found this site very interesting and learned a lot. The site (Mound A), is very well maintained and nice to visit, even if it is just to take a load off. If you are driving past, it is defiantly worth a stop. I came across this gem on my way to the petrified forest from downtown Jackson.

I have recently started stopping here while traveling on Hwy 49. I only saw one mound, but it is…read morenice sized. It also made for a pretty good photo op! There's a walking trail that's perfect if you've been traveling for a while and need to stretch your legs. At most, I've only seen 3 - 4 people walking the trail, so it's great for folks who appreciate a bit of privacy. Next door is a decent rest area, so this is a perfect place to stop in my opinion.

This beautiful building is the newer version of the state capitol after the old one fell into bad…read moreshape. It has beautiful marble from regional as well as international locations and wrought iron and cast iron railings. The docent guided tour is an excellent way to learn about its history as well as see the chambers of the senate and house of representatives as well as learn about the governors and the architecture. Our tour lasted a little bit over an hour so if you have time on your hands and interested in this kind of stuff, it's a great choice. If you don't have the time but still interested in the building, you can also do a self guided tour but I'm not sure you can go see the chambers without the docent.

This Capitol building was completed within 28 months of construction in 1901-1903 costing…read more$1,093,641. The Capitol originally housed all 3 branches of government, with the Legislative branch still remaining. The Capitol is 402 ft wide, 225 ft deep, with a total of 171,000 square ft. The central dome rises 180 feet above ground level. The main Rotunda is located on the 2nd floor with walls of Italian white marble trimmed with Belgian black marble. A relief sculpture of Lady Justice is seen above each of the arches. Architect Theodore Link used electric lighting when designing the Capitol & incorporated 4,750 electric fixtures, which are still being used today. Windows of stained & leaded glass, crafted by Louis Millet of Chicago, The ceilings of the 3rd & 4th floor corridors contain Millet's stained glass & work with the skylights on the roof as a skylight system to provide natural light along those corridors.

This building is to honor all people who have served and passed away from Mississippi from 1776 to…read morecurrent. I am not sure what is inside this building, but it is quite impressive from the outside. It is right beside the Old Capitol Museum.

This building is gorgeous. You will find it on next to the Old Capital Building, on north-east part…read moreof the old capitol green. I do not think that people can enter it, but the exterior is nice, especially for architecture fans. It features unique cast aluminum doors and features panels that recreate scenes from the famous Battle of Ackia in 1736 to the Vietnam War. The front of the building above the entrance to the quad reads: PEACE SHALL COME TO THOSE WHO SERVE FOR PEACE. The grounds are well maintained and the lawn is picturesque. It is as beautiful as, and enhance the building. In front of the building are two limestone sculpture panels, one on each side of the entrance to the quad, representing a single soldier at war, winning the peace, and returning home and picking up on his life again. If you look closely, you will notice that all of the figures have the same face, even the woman, because they represent one person, or the life of one person in many seasons. In the center of the quad you will find a Tomb of an Unknown Soldier, representing all of the Mississippians lost in all of the wars. The sides of the tomb has four stars along the bottom and reads: "MAY THIS SYMBOL STAND GUARD OVER THE IDEALS AND PURPOSES FOR WHICH GALLANT MISSISSIPPIANS SUFFERED AND MAY IT SERVE AS INSPIRATION TO US TO SHIELD FOREVER THE FRAGILE QUALITY OF LIBERTY". The back of the tomb reads: "TIME WILL NOT DIM THE GLORY OF THEIR DEEDS" Behind the tomb is an American flag that is flying at half-mast. Above the entrance leading into the building, behind the tomb, the building is inscribed with "HOW SWEET MUST BE THE PEACE THE HEROES FIND". The green space in front of the building is well maintained and you will find an information placard on the grounds that gives some background on the building. There is also a small sculpture/memorial located on the side of the building, to its left. It is dedicated to the Mississippi volunteers that helped with the 1889 War with Spain. It has built-in benches and an inscription that reads "HONOR TO HEROES IS GLORY TO GOD". This is definitely worth a visit, even if you cannot go in. The beauty of this memorial is that a visit here can be coupled with a visit to the Old Capital Building and is very close to the two museums.

Before coming across this monumnet I had no idea what Woodmen of the World were or ven thier…read moreesistance. Woodmen of the World is the largest fraternal benefit society with open membership in the US. This monument is located on the southeast corner of the Old City Hall in Jackson. It was dedicated in 1912 and is made of Grecian grey granite. It was erected, using slave labor, to honor 36 Woodmen of Mississippi, whose graves were not marked by the customary monument or marker. It cost $7,505.58 to complete. It is interesting to note that this was one of very few structures in Jackson to survive the burnings the city following the Union's taking of this city towards the end of the Civil War and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. This monument is in decent shape, especially given its age, and has a nice paved path that leads to it from different directions. It is in a shaded area and has benches to sit on. It is not a highly trafficked memorial. It is about 14 feet long and has the following engraving: "1912, WOODMEN OF THE WORLD, 1912", "In Memoriam by the Woodmen of the World",and Love - Honor And Remembrance" . You will also see a large WoW medallion on the monument. There is metered street parking out front of the memorial and there are commercial parking lots and additional metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance. This is definitely worth a a few minutes of your time if you are in the area. Anyway, as with most memorials that I have visited and reviewed, I was there less than 10 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This monument was dedicated in 1976 and sits out front of the Hinds County Court house. It was…read morebuilt to honor residents of Hinds County who lost their lives in defense of freedom, serving in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, or who were missing in action. The memorial is a single vertical spire that's branches out to 5 different arms to form its base. It looks kind of like a rocket. In between the arms at the base are 5 panels, dived up by branch of service and MIA. So, there is a panel honoring Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and MIA. Boooooo! They forgot the Coast Guard. Being a Coast Guard veteran, I am almost use to being forgotten. At the front of the memorial in the ground is a little marker/plaque that reads "LEST WE FORGET Here in revered memory are recorded those valiant residents of Hinds County who lost their lives in defense of this nation so that we who survive - and our posterity - enjoy the blessings of liberty. May God strengthen our patriots devotion to support and preserve forever the cherished ideals for which these precious lives were claimed in noble sacrifice." The spires and arms are made of stone and the panels are made of marble. So it is made of durable material. The memorial is starting to show sins of age. It could have definitely used a good cleaning. Some of the engraving on the memorial is also a bit difficult to read. It is still a nice memorial honoring their local heroes, even given that oversight. There is metered street parking out front of the memorial and there are commercial parking lots within a reasonable walking distance. This is definitely worth a a few minutes of your time if you are in the area. I almost had to stop after I saw it from across the way. Anyway, as with most memorials that I have visited and reviewed, I was there less than 10 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

The USS Cairo Gunboat & Museum in Vicksburg National Military Park presents a rare glimpse into…read moreCivil War naval history through its preservation of one of the first ironclad warships in U.S. naval history. The Cairo was sunk in 1862 in the Yazoo River and lay forgotten until it was raised in 1964, revealing a time capsule of life aboard a Union gunboat. The restored vessel is a formidable testament to 19th-century engineering & military strategy. Inside the museum we saw an array of artifacts recovered from the Cairo displayed, including personal items of the crew, naval armaments & the ship's massive steam engines. Exhibits detail the Cairo's role in the river campaigns of the Civil War, its sinking by an electrically detonated mine, and the incredible salvage operation. This museum educates about the technical and military aspects of the era and tells a compelling story of innovation, warfare, and preservation.

I can't help to be amazed when I come across exhibits like this. It's not necessarily the exhibit…read moreitself, but as I stand and contemplate what type of technology was available, and then try to understand how they put things like this together, it just amazes me. American history can sometimes be thought of as dull, but I think the people who believe that lack the ability to imagine a time different than they live in. What the shipwrights had to do to create this vessel, and then consider the soldiers that served on it and the accommodations they put up with to defend our country this is just incredible. Very few today could've dealt with this type of environment. Take a few moments and close your eyes and imagine the life of a soldier on an iron side boat. This exhibit is well laid out, but it is what you make of it. Well worth the experience.