2 Mississippi Museums Project Update + Tours

Last week CDFL was able to join members of the state legislature’s public property committee and staff from the 2 Mississippi Museums on a tour of the building. Scheduled to open December 2017, the 2 Mississippi Museums building will hold a state history museum as well as the country’s first state-funded civil rights museum. Here’s a peek into what we saw.

View from the exterior of the building, which is part of Jackson’s Capitol Complex. The museum (left) is located adjacent to the William F. Winter Archives and History Building, another project in which CDFL is proud to have played a part. This area will eventually become a public space that will be used for concerts, weddings, and other events.

From the entrance of the building looking toward what will be the museum gift shop.

The epicenter of the civil rights portion of the building will hold a “This Little Light of Mine” art installation. The civil rights museum main gallery is nearly ready for exhibit installation. Additional exhibits areas are located off of this beautiful, natural light-flooded space.

Another view of the future museum store (right) looking toward the Hall of History and history museum portion of the building.

Lucy Allen, MDAH Museums Division director, guides the tour through the temporary exhibit gallery. This space will house traveling exhibits that have made their way to the two museums.

CDFL’s Ann Somers reviews a floor plan alongside Project Manager and CDFL architect Chris Myers.

From the second floor balcony, this view shows several of the history museum’s exhibit spaces.

From the bottom of the public parking garage, these steps will lead up to the plaza shared by the 2 Museums and other Capitol Complex buildings.

Photographs courtesy of Hannah Orlansky