The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area

Founded in 1884, MUW was the first public college for women in America. The campus boasts 24 buildings on the "National Register of Historic Places". Eudora Welty attended Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi and was an award-winning American author and photographer who wrote short stories and novels about the American South. Her book The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards. She was the first living author to have her works published by the Library of America. A Building on the campus of Mississippi University for Women is named in her honor.
1100 College St.
Columbus, MS 39701
Phone: 662.329.7119
Fax: 662.329.7123
Toll-Free: 1.877.462.8439
www.muw.edu
Hours: Mon-Fri; Except major holidays
Admission: Free

Rotating art exhibits.
MSU Campus, McComas Hall
Starkville, MS 39759
Phone: 662.325.2954
Hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun 1-4 p.m.
Admission: Free

Featuring several classes of roses. Call for tours.
MSU Campus, R. Robert Foil Science Research Facility
Starkville, MS 39759
Phone: 662.325.0506   
rosegarden.msstate.edu
Admission: Free

The Visitor Education Center at the North Mississippi Fish Hatchery is the first and only facility of its kind in Mississippi. The Center features a native habitat area, 10,000 gallon aquarium, interactive exhibits, displays, artifacts, temporary exhibits, fishing rodeo pond, and an art gallery
celebrating Mississippi's natural resources. The Hatchery itself is equipped to produce multiple cool and warm-water species.

http://www.mdwfp.com/north-ms-fish-hatcheries.aspx

We are located in Yalobusha county adjacent to Enid Lake. Our facility is one quarter of a mile from I-55, Exit 233.

Our Family Farm LLC offers group tours of a real working farm to help visitors learn the role of family farms in agriculture and the FUNdamentals of farming. Visitors will see modern farm equipment used for tilling, planting, protecting, harvesting, and transporting grains along with a hay field where they’ll learn about the hay baling process. Springtime is preparation and planting season at the farm and a large variety of fruits and vegetables are at their peak in the summer and early fall. In the fall, there is a cotton patch, a pumpkin patch, and a melon patch as well as "crop plots" of soybeans, corn, cotton, and wheat. Halloween events on the farm include a corn maze with over a mile of trails. They offer farm tours, hayrides, field trips, special events, "agri-classes" and private parties by reservation. 8980 Center Hill Rd 662-893-7888 memphiscornmaze@gmail.com www.memphiscornmaze.com

Largest public access observatory in Mississippi, Solar system and Stonehenge models, planetarium, meteorite exhibit and Astronomy Education Resource Center. 14-Telescopes including the .65-meter Sangre telescope and the 32-inch Tectron scope which is the largest in the state. Monthly public programs every second Friday of the month at 7:00pm. Visit www.rainwatherobservatory.org for more details, calendar of events and accommodation information.
Hours: By appointment Admission: Dependent on group size and extent of program provided
Natchez Trace Parkway, Off MS Hwy 413 near French Camp 1 Fine Pl. French Camp, MS 39745 Phone: 662.547.7283 Fax: 662.547.6302 www.rainwaterobservatory.org

Established in 1866 as Shaw University, Rust College was the second college for African Americans in the United States. This historically-black liberal arts college was founded by the Freedman's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the education of freed slaves, and is located on the former site of slave auctions and campgrounds for Grant's troops. Rust is one of only ten historically-black colleges and universities founded before 1868 still in operation. Renamed to honor Richard Sutton Rust, a clergyman and educator. Certain campus buildings are included on the National Register of Historic Places. Campus is home to over 400 pieces of African art, sculptures and masks.
150 Rust Ave.
Holly Springs, MS 38635
Phone: 662.252.2491
Fax: 662.252.7932
www.rustcollege.edu
Hours: By appointment only
Admission: Free

Location was formerly a plantation. Contains archives and related articles on African-American history and education.
Hwy 17 South
Lexington, MS 39095
Phone: 662.834.1019
Fax: 662.834.4441
Hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Free

"The Business of Music" showcases over 22,000 pieces of sheet music, records, and musical instruments from the late 1890s and early 1900s.
Michell Memorial Library, Mississippi State University
Starkville, MS
Phone: 662.325.2259   
library.msstate.edu/ragtime
Hours: M-F 9 am-4 pm
Admission: Free

c. 1877. The first free school for African-Americans in Columbus.
1425 10th Ave. North
Columbus, MS 39703
Phone: 662.329.1191
Fax: 662.329.8969
Toll-Free: 1.800.327.2686
www.columbus-ms.org
Hours: Drive by only
Admission: Free