LeFleur Museum District educates, inspires

Late 18th-century explorer Louis LeFleur was on to something. 

On a bluff high above the Pearl River in the city that a few decades later would be named Jackson, LeFleur set up an outpost, trading goods and services. 

Today, on that same bluff, the exchange of culture and ideas and that same spirit of exploration and adventure make up the LeFleur Museum District.  

This nearly 500-acre campus includes the Mississippi Natural Science Museum, the Mississippi Children’s Museum, the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, bordering LeFleur’s Bluff State Park.  

The LMD is a consortium, each member playing different roles, each serving as what Susan Garrard, Mississippi Children’s Museum president and CEO, calls “a community center.” 

“We’re not just a collection of archival things,” she said. “Though collections are important and tell the story of who we are and what we were, being engaged and in the community is important for the evolution of museums.” 

“It’s storytelling mixed with inspiration,” Aaron Rodgers, director of the Agricultural and Forestry Museum said. “While we can’t tell everyone’s story, we can use the best ones — and not always in terms of happiest ones. Sometimes it’s the hardest ones, the ones that lead to some other major event in history... we use those to tell a story so people don’t repeat the same historical mistake. Or to inspire them to go out and make it better. The goal is bigger than just having people on our grounds. Whether you are inspiring a second grader or 75 year-old, it’s making sure they leave with a better sense of what they were trying to find.” 

Andrea Patterson, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum Marketing director, said, while hers is the smallest of the museums in terms of size and traffic volume, they are glad to have an equal contributing part to play. 

“Our experience for guests is unique to the other museums in that we focus specifically on people from Mississippi and those great stories they have to tell about their athletic achievements,” Patterson said. “We aren’t just a museum; we are the Hall of Fame that is adding new members to it each year. That brings with it a unique human connection.”  

Charles Knight, director of the Mississippi Natural Science Museum, grew up coming to the Science Museum, never imagining he would one day lead it. He looks at the successes of big events, but it’s the daily feedback that inspires him. “When they leave, I want to hear, ‘That was great! I had a good time! My kids learned these things,'" he said. “Whether it's 50 people or 100 or whatever. That’s what it’s about.” 

The LeFleur Museum District formed in 2012 shortly after a grant from Visit Jackson (then the Jackson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau) birthed an “attractions pass” that allowed visitors to purchase one ticket for multiple museum experiences. 

“There were four terrific, award-winning museums with tremendous collections, great staff and employees, so it made sense to share what we knew and work together to improve wayfinding and infrastructure,” Garrard remembered. 

The first big step forward to the future? Receiving an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant for the recent Mississippi Science Fest, an LMD effort that expanded upon last year’s pilot event at the Children’s Museum.  

“We were shocked at the number of exhibitors and attendees last year,” said Mary Alex Thigpen, marketing director for the Children’s Museum. “It was a slow time, we had limited marketing and still, we had 700 people show up.”  

Patterson, who has been along for the journey since day one, said, “It has been really rewarding to see the LMD grow to be able to put on an event the size of the Mississippi Science Fest.” Numbers increased for this year’s expanded, district-wide science fest, which included a keynote appearance by astronaut Fred Haise, drawing in 1,700 visitors. 

Patterson is looking to the future alongside her museum counterparts. “I see us continuing to grow the LeFleur Museum District as a whole to become a true tourism destination for the state of Mississippi and I hope we will be able to continue to collaborate to create these kinds of amazing events for locals to come out and enjoy and be a tourist in their own backyard.” 

Knight echoed. “I want to see us becoming, even more, a part of the community, to be looked at as something of a destination. Visitors would stay in the area, visit our museums and talk about us. Plus, there are fantastic museums downtown, two of them opening in December (The Civil Rights Museum and the Mississippi History Museum). I’ve wanted to see those for a long time. It’s good for Jackson.” 

Upcoming LeFleur Museum District Events include: 

Mississippi Children’s Museum’s Journey to the North Pole, opening November 20 with a members-only preview party, will run through early January. Slide down a 45-foot slide, explore the Santa Express, visit with Santa, listen to holiday stories, and more. The Children’s Museums’ Louis Lefleur Trading Post & Sugar Rays Sweet Shop Pop-Up is open at Highland Village November 8 – January 4.  

At the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum, look for their annual Pumpkin Adventure, October 11-14, 18-21 and 25-27 for ages 2 and up, including a corn maze, and, November 7-11, the annual harvest festival featuring demonstrations of the operation of the cotton gin, saw mill, cane mill, print shop, and blacksmith shop plus wagon rides. 

On October 12, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum will recognize the 1977 Ole Miss Football team’s historic victory over Notre Dame football. Then, on November 28, the annual C Spire Conerly Trophy presentation, awarded to the top college football player in the state of Mississippi, will be held at The Hilton Jackson. 

The Mississippi Natural Science Museum will hold Tea Party with a T-Rex in late fall, plus Snowflakes and STEM and their annual Cajun Christmas.

October Events in Fondren

Oct. 5

• Fondren After 5: State Street Concert Series “Always First Thursdays,” the neighborhood “open house” features a concert as its focus with bands on the Sneaky Beans porch as well as the Fondren Corner parking deck. Featured is the band, Furrows. More bands to be announced. Sneaky Beans/Fondren Corner • 5:30 p.m. • Free
• Fall: Four Seasons of The Cedars Art Opening Featuring recent works of Ann Seale and Thomas Wilson: The free art opening and reception also will showcase recent works of Boyd Elementary School 3rd graders produced during an in-school FRF art camp lead by Fondren Renaissance. A portion of all of the proceeds from sales of artists’ work goes to the continuing maintenance and restoration efforts of The Cedars. The Cedars. 5 p.m. • Free
• Ardenland presents The Wailers: Steered by famed bassist and founder Aston “Familyman” Barrett, and joined in solidarity with original Wailers’ guitarists Junior Marvin and Donald Kinsey, The Wailers continue to make musical history. Duling Hall • 7:30 p.m. • $30 advance, $35 at the door

Oct. 6 – The Flamingo Grand Opening Party: Jackson’s newest venue in the heart of Fondren, the grand opening weekend kicks off with performances from Clouds & Crayons, The Jackson Jackals plus James Crow with DJ Silent G. The Flamingo (3011 N. State St.) • 7 p.m. • Free

For more information on Fondren goto finditinfondren.com.