Permanent Collection
The permanent exhibit at the museum includes a mixture of antique and contemporary artifacts. Some artifacts in the permanent collection are stored in the museum’s office.
Museum’s Treasures*
- Native American and early county history
- 1980 Miss America Cheryl Prewitt pageant items
- 2002 Miss USA Shauntay Hinton items
- Johnny Cash in Starkville mementos
- Sports: Cool Papa Bell, T-ball, Travis Outlaw, Bailey Howell
- Civil War artifacts
- Military memorabilia
- Local aviation history
- Evans Shine Parlor mementos
- Yesteryear Main Street photos
- Retro doctor’s office
- Coca Cola’s local history
- Interactive Children’s Corner
- Early home life
- Agriculture: dairy farms and forestry
- Vintage clothing
- Church and school keepsakes
- Industries’ evolution
- Miniature railroad layout
*All artifacts on permanent exhibit in the museum are from Oktibbeha County.
Rotating Displays
In 2010, the museum began hosting rotating exhibits to spur new interest and to draw previous visitors back to the museum. These temporary exhibits are pulled from the museum’s archived collections, or they are on loan from individuals within the community. They typically are displayed for a few weeks or a few months.
These rotating exhibits have been on display at the museum:
- “Dolls Delight” – This display featured dolls representing many cultures, including Native American, and vintage dolls on loan from Carole Gospodnetich and Patsy Stuart. Visitors were encouraged to bring their own dolls to the opening of the exhibit. (spring 2010)
- World War II Memorabilia – Throughout the year, several displays were loaned to the museum in conjunction with the museum’s World War II Veterans Celebration. (2010)
- “Angels at the Museum” – Angel dolls were on loan from Marilyn Epperson, and a variety of angel representations were on display from Wanda Thorne’s and others’ collections. (December 2010)
- Antique Oil Lamps – Jerry Drott provided this large, varied collection. (spring 2011)
- “What is it?” Series – This small, but popular series encourages visitors to guess the purpose of a selected item provided by Jerry Drott, museum trustee (ongoing).
- International Mementos – Members of the World Neighbors Association at Mississippi State University organized this collection. An extensive array of mementos from many countries was displayed, with all items tagged with identifying information. The opening of the exhibit included a Persian calligraphy demonstration, sitar music, exotic costumes, and refreshments. (April 2011)
- A sampling of Bill Parrish’s collection of penny postcard holiday greeting cards (November 2011)
- “Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa Around the World” — World Neighbors Association provided international items to celebrate the season (December 2011)
- Vintage Valentines — Collections were displayed for the entire month. (February 2012)
