Experience the rich history of a land once called “Empire County” through the largest collection of Civil War memorabilia in the state! Over 40,000 relics including soldier uniforms, antique toys, old clothing, farm tools, photography and art.
Visitors to Holly Springs will not want to miss the Marshall County Historical Museum, one of the most interesting and unusual destinations the city has to offer.
Like many sites concerned with Southern history, the museum devotes the first few exhibitions of its tour to artifacts from the Civil War era. As guests proceed to the upper floors, however, the true quirkiness of the place begins to come into focus. In one room, they find a collection of taxidermy animals indigenous to Mississippi; in the next, flapper girl clothing from the 1920s. Over here a large collection of Victorian children’s books shares floor space with an antique Victrola; while over there items made by the Native American tribes of Mississippi sit next to the first private bathtub ever owned in Holly Springs. From wall to wall, there is truly a little bit of everything: quilts, dresses, Elvis records, old advertisements, antique books and bottles, dollhouses, sports memorabilia, promotional materials from past presidential campaigns. The playful randomness of it all, coupled with the fact that everything on display was donated by local residents, has led many visitors to suggest that the place is more like an eccentric grandmother’s attic than a museum!
Adding another layer to the collection’s considerable charm is the museum building itself. Just one of several Holly Springs structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was originally built as a girls’ dormitory for the Mississippi Synodical College during the early 20th century. That is why, unlike many modern museums, which are designed to move people in and out as quickly as possible, the Marshall County Historical Museum retains both the layout and the atmosphere of a domestic environment and gives the distinct impression that everyone is welcome to come in and stay for a while. We certainly hope you will.
To showcase and share the rich history of Holly Springs and Marshall County.
Books including Nonfiction & Fiction, Mugs, Small Gifts, Postcards
"Visitors to Holly Springs will not want to miss the Marshall County Historical Museum, one of the most interesting and unusual destinations the city has to offer."
