Campus NEWS
FUN FOR ALL
MSU’s museums and galleries offer opportunities for endless exploration By Sasha Steinberg, Photos by Megan Bean and Beth Wynn
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here’s always so much to do and so much to see at Mississippi State, and the reopening of more than 30 museums and galleries ensures visitors can do plenty of both on the Starkville campus. “MSU is like a self-contained city because we have so many places here, and the Welcome Center is the front door of the university,” said center coordinator Cristi Stevens. “We’ve got upwards of 30 different museums, galleries and areas that the Welcome Center gives tours of. Most universities don’t have that. “Places on campus like the Mississippi Entomological Museum, bug zoo and the John Grisham Room are special for our university. People also tell us how amazed they are with the Grant Presidential Library and Lincolniana Collection at Mitchell Memorial Library, especially since we’re in the South,” she continued. “It’s fun to have that kind of impact on so many people.” Personalized individual and group tours are open to all age groups and should be scheduled two weeks in advance. Guided campus tours, as well as historical and
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children’s tours and self-guided walking tours, are among those available. During each guided tour, volunteers with MSU’s Maroon VIP program share personal MSU stories along with interesting facts about the campus and its 143-year history. Stevens said the center can provide brochures with information about selfguided walking tours and historic buildings on campus. Visitors also can access MSU’s mobile-friendly campus map to view photos and descriptions of university buildings, monuments, memorials and special features including the Campus Tree Trail. Patrons who would like to explore campus in their personal vehicles can request tour guide accompaniment from the Welcome Center. The center also can provide riding tours via its six-seater golf cart. These options, along with smaller tour groups, allow for a safer, more personalized experience, Stevens said. “MSU’s admissions office does a great job with tours for prospective students. Our primary goal at the Welcome Center is to provide tours for visitors of all ages from preschoolers to senior citizens,” Stevens said. “We love when people ask questions about
campus or stop by for directions if they’re not familiar with the area. It’s great to see their reactions when they visit the Welcome Center and find out we have an amazing clock museum—one of the only ones in the state of Mississippi—and an art gallery upstairs where they can see art created by faculty, staff, students and local community members.” Stevens said she enjoys working with staff and students to leave a positive impression on campus visitors. “I remind our students that it could be the 10th time someone has been on campus or the first, but we show our welcoming spirit to each person who comes in,” she said. “I encourage students to personalize tours and talk about what they find fascinating. “I think they enjoy giving alumni tours the most because they end up learning more than they’re teaching,” she continued. “Our alumni always have stories to tell about their time on campus, and it’s fun for the students to hear them.” In addition to resuming in-person tours as pandemic restrictions are eased, multiple museums and galleries plan to continue hosting virtual events to engage patrons in Mississippi
