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When the Mississippi Children's Museum opened its new 20,000-square-foot facility on the city's 22nd Avenue gateway on March 27, 2021, Meridian could claim one of the most exciting venues for engaged childhood learning in the state and beyond. The museum's first year of operations was an unqualified success, with attendance - even in the midst of a pandemic - exceeding expectations in numbers and geographic reach.
Building on the success of its Jackson parent, MCM-Meridian is specially tailored to the history and culture of East Mississippi, with STEM-related, hands-on exhibits highlighting the area's pioneering aviation heritage and the central role of railroads in its economic development. It also features exhibits devoted to health and nutrition and arts and literacy. An expansive outdoor experience exhibit is an added bonus.
The facility offers mind-expanding opportunities for all of the region's children to learn while having fun, and those experiences will kindle new aspirations and possibilities for many.
MCM-Meridian has met and surpassed its aggressive $17 million fundraising goal, which includes a $3 million grant from the Phil Hardin Foundation awarded in April of 2016. The Hardin grant was the first signature contribution to the fundraising campaign and recognized MCM-Meridian as a signature project of the foundation.
