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Highest-rated specialty museums in Mississippi by visitors

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In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Mississippi on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

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#29. Ocean Springs Museum of History

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#29. Ocean Springs Museum of History

- Rating: 4.1/5 (21 reviews)
- City: Ocean Springs
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. The University of Mississippi Museum

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#28. The University of Mississippi Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (22 reviews)
- City: Oxford
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#26. Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

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#26. Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

- Rating: 4.2/5 (49 reviews)
- City: Jackson
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Martin & Sue King Railroad Museum

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#24. Martin & Sue King Railroad Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (27 reviews)
- City: Cleveland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#21. Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library

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#21. Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library

- Rating: 4.8/5 (33 reviews)
- City: Starkville
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience

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#19. Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience

- Rating: 5.0/5 (51 reviews)
- City: Meridian
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. L & N Historic Train Depot

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#18. L & N Historic Train Depot

- Rating: 4.4/5 (73 reviews)
- City: Bay Saint Louis
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#16. Waveland's Ground Zero Hurricane Museum

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#16. Waveland's Ground Zero Hurricane Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (72 reviews)
- City: Waveland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Hattiesburg Pocket Museum

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#14. Hattiesburg Pocket Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (25 reviews)
- City: Hattiesburg
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum

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#13. Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (45 reviews)
- City: Gulfport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Museum

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#12. Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (137 reviews)
- City: Jackson
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#11. Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum

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#11. Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum

- Rating: 3.5/5 (462 reviews)
- City: Vicksburg
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center

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#9. B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center

- Rating: 4.8/5 (333 reviews)
- City: Indianola
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum and Interpretive Center

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#7. Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum and Interpretive Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (297 reviews)
- City: Vicksburg Missi
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum

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#3. Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (255 reviews)
- City: Biloxi
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. Stanton Hall

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#1. Stanton Hall

- Rating: 4.5/5 (912 reviews)
- City: Natchez
- Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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