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.

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Historic Preservation

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

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Programs and Communication

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

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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

A free, public screening of “Little Brother of War” will be held Sunday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m. in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is accepting applications for three 2025 fellowships: the Eudora Welty Research Fellowship, the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research F

A display of creepy dolls from the MDAH Collection opens Oct. 1 at the Two Mississippi Museums. The free monthlong display features six dolls from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century and provides an eerie glimpse into children’s playthings from the past.

The board of trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will convene next month in Columbus, hosting a public reception ahead of its regular board meeting.

Mississippi educators are encouraged to register now for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s free Fall Teacher Workshop, set for Nov. 7, at the Two Mississippi Museums.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) has received a $100,000 grant from the Library of Congress to expand primary source education at some secondary schools in the state. The MDAH Programs and Communication Division education staff will lead the project in collaboration with Teaching Primary Sources (TPS) Mississippi. 

Events

History Is Lunch: Tom Henderson, “Fallen Comrade: Three Mississippi Marines in the Korean War”
November 6, 2024, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

At noon on Wednesday, November 6, Tom Henderson will present “Fallen Comrade: Three Mississippi Marines in the Korean War” as part of the Histo

39th Social Studies Teachers Workshop
November 7, 2024, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

MDAH will hold its 39th Social Studies Teachers Workshop at 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 7, at the Two Mississippi Museums.

2024 Veterans Day Ceremony
November 8, 2024, 10:30 am - 11:00 am

The 2024 Veterans Day Ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, November 8, on the Entergy Plaza of the Two Mississippi Museums.

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