Old Capitol Museum
Old Capitol Museum
4.5
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
About
Jackson’s oldest building, the Old Capitol is home to a museum exploring the history of the site when it was the seat of Mississippi government from 1839 to 1903. The Old Capitol was the site of some of the state’s most significant legislative actions, such as the passage of the 1839 Married Women’s Property Act, Mississippi’s secession from the Union in 1861, and the crafting of the 1868 and 1890 state constitutions. The building is a National Historic Landmark, and one of the country’s premier examples of Greek Revival public architecture. When it was built in 1839, the massive limestone exterior, copper dome, and grand interior spaces made the Old Capitol the most distinguished building in Mississippi.
The Old Capitol Museum is open Wednesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reservations are preferred. Please email ocmscheduling@mdah.ms.gov to schedule your visit in advance.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
221 reviews
Excellent
133
Very good
73
Average
12
Poor
3
Terrible
0
NemoTraveler
Aarhus, Denmark913 contributions
Nov 2022
The Old Capitol is located downtown Jackson, less than a mile from the present State Capitol. The building dates from 1839 and has been beautifully restored. It now serves as a museum with a number of exhibits about the state of Mississippi and the building itself.
Admission is free and the museum is definitely worth a visit.
Admission is free and the museum is definitely worth a visit.
Written December 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barry C
Royal Oak, MI56 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
The Old Capitol building and its restoration is interesting. They did a nice job of identifying state historical figures, even fairly obscure ones. To a native this is probably more meaningful than to a visitor. A visitor can probably see what they care about in an hour.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard A
Greenville, SC2,752 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
My wife and I planed to go to the Two Mississippi Museums, but right next door is the Old Capital Museum and are we glad we stopped in to visit. It's architecture is Greek Revival and was the statehouse from 1839 to 1903. It's been rebuilt and renovated a few times and it is in it's glory now. they have a huge amount of history packed into the building and we can only suggest you don't miss this Jackson's oldest buildings. We enjoyed this museum very much. The cost is free and they have parking on the street or in the next block.
Written April 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dewayne P
Elizabethtown, KY2,047 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
Free and paid parking within walking distance of the building. Entered for the free self-guided tour with a brief history of the building prior to taking my tour. Several exhibits throughout to showcase MS history.
Written May 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CJM
Nashville, TN45 contributions
Sep 2014 • Family
If you're even the least bit interested in history then this is the place for you! It was clean, a cool building, friendly staff, and had interesting exhibits. Great for families or just a fun afternoon date.
Written May 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily L
Danbury, CT75 contributions
Feb 2016
It was great and told so much history. You do a tour on your own and its free. It had great architecture.
Written February 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary H
Springfield, IL340 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
My title explains what may be wrong with this as a museum - it tries to both be a museum about the building and a Mississippi history museum. Doesn't quite make it on either but still is pretty good.
About the building it has recreated the original House and Senate chambers with figures representing people who would have been there. There is also audio about debates that took place there. It also has some information about saving and restoring the building.
For the history aspect it has several exhibits. One good point about these exhibits is that they give more than one point of view.
Thing that startled me was the willingness to admit the Civil War was about slavery. Amazing to hear in Mississippi!
About the building it has recreated the original House and Senate chambers with figures representing people who would have been there. There is also audio about debates that took place there. It also has some information about saving and restoring the building.
For the history aspect it has several exhibits. One good point about these exhibits is that they give more than one point of view.
Thing that startled me was the willingness to admit the Civil War was about slavery. Amazing to hear in Mississippi!
Written May 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cooksonar
Copperas Cove, TX21 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
The Old Capitol Museum is a beautiful building, and it's worth the time to check out, especially since it's free. There's a lot of information provided here, from the early history of the state of Mississippi, through the Civil War and into the present. The Senate and House chambers are set up to be similar to how they were when the capitol was in use. A few interactive exhibits enhance the visit. Cannot reiterate enough how beautiful of a building this is, so if in Jackson make sure to take an hour to visit this free site.
Written June 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PillowHappy
Dublin9 contributions
Jan 2013 • Couples
We had no idea what to see or do in Jackson until we stopped by the Old Capitol Museum, and if we hadn't come here, we would have missed all the best parts.The brilliantly friendly and knowledgeable lady on the front desk helped us to make the most out of our 2-day visit, directing us not only around the Old Capitol Museum itself, but also giving us essential tips for visiting the Governor's Mansion, the new Capitol Building, even mentioning some good places to eat. The Museum itself is well-organised, interesting and informative, with well-curated displays, video and audio which are easy to either linger over or skip through, depending on what you feel like. On a lighter note, the restrooms are also possibly the nicest public conveniences we ever saw, could have been in a 5-star hotel!
Written February 10, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
historylover3
Somerville, MA142 contributions
Oct 2012 • Couples
Beautiful museum gives you a good understanding of history and government in Miss. Lots of audio, film and interactive things, really exceeded my expectations. worth a visit without a doubt
Written October 30, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What time does the museum open?
Monday, July 6
Written February 24, 2015
My earlier response bounced. The museum is open 9-5 Tues thru Sat and 1-5 Sundays.
Written February 24, 2015
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