Empowering people through Mississippi's many stories.

That’s our vision at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. We are here to help you explore and discover your Mississippi stories.


You can use this website, and our reading rooms in downtown Jackson, to:

  • Research historical records, archival collections and special publications
  • Discover historical sites and museums to visit all around the state
  • Check out upcoming events, including our History is Lunch series
  • Preserve Mississippi’s historic buildings and archaeological sites
  • Download field trip guides, lesson plans, and teaching units
  • View regulations for managing state and local government records
  • Find out how to volunteer, donate, and more
News & Events

Find the latest news, upcoming programs, and special exhibitions at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

News & Events

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

News & Articles

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Mississippi State University have signed an agreement that establishes a framework to create a regional hub for education, research, and workforce development at Historic Jefferson College near Natchez.
The family of Fannie Lou Hamer has donated the civil rights leader’s Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to ensure her legacy of activism is shared with future generations.
Roland Weeks, longtime publisher of Gulf Coast newspapers The Daily Herald and the Sun Herald and a former member of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees, died October 4, aged 89.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is accepting applications for four 2026 fellowships: the Eudora Welty Research Fellowship, the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research Fellowship, the Religion in Mississippi History Research Fellowship, and the Robert “Bob” Moses Civil Rights Research Fellowship.
America250 Mississippi is excited to announce the October 2025 dates for the national America250 initiative, Our American Story — a national oral and visual storytelling project designed to gather and preserve the voices that shape our nation.
The board of trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will convene next month in Jackson, hosting a public reception at the Old Capitol Museum ahead of its regular board meeting.

Events

Community Curation Day: Donating Family Artifacts and Papers
October 18, 2025, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Do you have artifacts that tell a family story or illuminate a piece of Mississippi history? Join us for Community Curation Day: Donating Family Artifacts and Papers at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 18, in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building. Laura Heller, acquisitions and collections coordinator, will explain MDAH's collections policy.

Ghosts in the Garden Scavenger Hunt
October 18, 2025, 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Join a monthlong scavenger hunt in the Eudora Welty House & Garden. Kids and kids-at-heart are invited to go on a Ghosts in the Garden Scavenger Hunt throughout the month of October. Visitors can pick up a scavenger hunt sheet from the Little Free Library.

Cross to Bear
October 18, 2025, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Come watch Kinetic Etchings lead a dance performance of Cross to Bear on Saturday, October 18, at 3 p.m. in the Craig H. Nielsen auditorium at the Two Mississippi Museums. Cross to Bear is inspired by the experiences of Louisiana and Mississippi residents during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.