Museum and Historic Houses
The University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses complex serves as a cultural center for the university community and beyond. Among its holdings are Southern folk art, Greek and Roman antiquities, 19th century scientific instruments, and American fine art. Part of the museum complex includes William Faulkner's home, Rowan Oak and Walton-Young Historic House—once home to critic and satirist Stark Young.
Email:
museum@olemiss.eduOffice Location:
412 University AvenuePhone:
662-915-7073Office Hours
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.Social Media
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Museum and Historic Houses
Exhibitions
The University of Mississippi Museum’s rotating exhibitions highlight art, history, and culture from Mississippi and beyond, offering visitors new perspectives and experiences.
Collections
The Ole Miss Museum’s permanent collections feature 19th-century scientific instruments, ancient artifacts, American art, and Mississippi folk paintings, including works by Theora Hamblett, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Man Ray, along with highlights from the Mary Buie and Kate Skipwith collections and more.
Education
The Museum’s Education Department makes learning about art enjoyable, engaging, and meaningful for visitors of all ages. We create opportunities for visitors to explore, learn, and connect with art in new and meaningful ways. Our work also supports the development of future museum professionals through internships and collaborations with campus partners.
Rowan Oak and Bailey Woods Trail
Explore Rowan Oak and the Bailey Woods Trail. These sites offer a rich look into Mississippi’s literary, cultural, and natural history, inviting visitors to experience the landscapes and stories that shaped Oxford.
Upcoming Events
Find out what's happening at the University Museum and Historic Houses.
Meet the Museum Staff
Melanie Antonelli
- Curator/Collections Manager-University Museum
Natalie Ginez
- Assistant Collections Manager / Registrar
Michelle Perry
- Manager Museum Administration
Campbell Sandlin
- Coordinator Membership/Communications- Museum
Kassidy Franz
- Curator of Education
Ricky Way
- Museum Preparator
Ryan Carpenter
- Visitor Services and Operations Associate
William Griffith
- Curator of Rowan Oak
Rachel Hudson
- Assistant Curator, Rowan Oak
Stay Connected!
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Become a Member
Being a Museum member provides you with the special distinction of being part of a dynamic group of supporters, while demonstrating your affection for the museum, your belief in collections stewardship, and your passion for the arts! Exclusive program discounts and special invitations for members only occur through the year.
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Support the Museum
Discover ways to support the UM Museum through giving, membership, and the Friends of the Museum. Your generosity helps sustain exhibitions, education, and preservation efforts.
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Join Our Newsletter
Sign up for our UM Museum Newsletter to stay updated on upcoming programs, special events, and educational resources! Be the first to know about exciting opportunities for all ages and discover new ways to engage with art and culture.
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Learn More About the Museum
The University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses enrich our cultural and academic life by providing exhibitions and programs that inspire learning, discourse, curiosity, and imagination.
To collect, document, research, study, preserve, exhibit, and interpret the objects and artifacts related to the history of the University, associated with the University curriculum in art, classical archeology, anthropology, history, physics, astronomy, engineering, and reflecting the cultural history of the people of Oxford, North Mississippi, and the state.
To promote the study and research of its collections in art, classical archeology, anthropology, history, natural philosophy, and technology.
To encourage scholarly and popular publication based on the collections.
To acquire and maintain reference collections to augment the educational value of the permanent collections.
To develop and enact educational programming for all ages and to acquire and maintain teaching collections.
To cooperate with other university departments concerning research, preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of objects and artifacts related to their respective disciplines.
To cooperate with other museums and public and private institutions to further the objectives of research, education, exhibitions, and public service.
The University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses complex serves as a cultural center for the university community and beyond. Among its holdings are Southern folk art, Greek and Roman antiquities, 19th century scientific instruments, and American fine art. Part of the museum complex is Rowan Oak, a historic literary legacy that was once the home of William Faulkner, Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Rowan Oak was renovated and reopened to the public in 2001 and continues to draw international visitors each year. The Museum also owns the Walton-Young Historic House – once home to critic and satirist Stark Young.
The museum complex began with the opening of the Mary Buie Museum in 1939 as a result of the vision of Mary Skipwith Buie of Oxford, an avid collector and an academically trained artist. She left her personal art collection to the city of Oxford in her will, and these items are in the Museum’s permanent collections. Funding for the Museum came from the generosity of her family, the Adair Skipwiths, and government programs such as the Works Progress Administration. Oxford operated the original museum from 1939 through 1974 before deeding it to the University of Mississippi.
With the help of a legislative appropriation and funds from the Skipwith Foundation, the Museum significantly expanded in 1977 with the opening of the Kate Skipwith Teaching Museum to house the Robinson Collection of Greek and Roman artifacts, along with the Millington-Barnard collection of 19th century scientific instruments. A sister to Mary Buie, Kate Skipwith possessed antiques and American Revolutionary War correspondence, including letters penned by George Washington, John Hancock, and John Adams.
The Museum again grew in 1998 with the addition of the Seymour Lawrence Gallery to showcase the work of American Modernists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Arthur Dove, John Marin, and Marsden Hartley. A New Yorker, Lawrence was a successful independent book publisher who worked with dozens of distinguished authors. The Fortune Gallery, which also opened in 1998, was endowed by the late UM Chancellor Porter Fortune, and his wife, Elizabeth, to provide a showcase for temporary exhibitions and for acquisitions provided by the Fortune Fund. In 2010, the Hattie Mae Edmonds Gallery was installed to create a permanent space for the exposition of folk art from the American South.
Today, the University Museum maintains our founders’ dedication to preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting the art and cultural heritage of Mississippi and of the American South. The University Museum is dedicated to research, education, documentation, and the presentation of art, science, and history. Activities include exhibitions, demonstrations, lectures, community events, educational workshops, and events for children, all geared to enhance learning at The University of Mississippi.
