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)
- Penny Postcard Greeting Cards – The exhibit included a sampling of Bill Parrish’s extensive collection of vintage postcard greeting cards for various holidays (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)
- USS Mississippi – Jerry Drott provided information about this new ship, the fifth US Navy vessel to be named the USS Mississippi. The ship was commissioned June 2, 2012 in Pascagoula. (May-June 2012)
- Teddy Bears – Wanda Thorne’s collection of stuffed bears in assorted sizes, textures, and colors was displayed in the museum’s new exhibit cases (November-December 2012)
- Mardi Gras — Contemporary and vintage items were on loan from Wanda Thorne, Betsy Longest, and Joan Wilson (January-February 2013)
- Floral Frogs – Hellen Polk, Jacque Tisdale, Margaret Ann Chandler, and Joan Wilson loaned these metal, glass, and ceramic “frogs” from their collections. Frogs are used to hold together flower arrangements. (March-April 2013)
- Fantasy Fascinators (hats) – Human Sciences 1523 students’ entries in the 2013 Visual Design & Dress Design competition were displayed in the museum’s Home Center. Dr. Phyllis Miller, professor of Apparel, Textiles & Merchandising, organized the display. (April-May 2013)
- Seashells – Provided from eclectic, private collections (June-July-August 2013)
- Back to School – Joan Wilson, Diana Crabtree, and Betsy Longest provided vintage school-related items for this display. (August-September 2013)
- NFL Hall of Fame Cards – Jerry Drott provided a display of sports cards for the NFL Hall of Fame football players. He began collecting the cards for all 280 Hall of Fame players about 20 years ago. (October-November 2013)
- Créches from Around the World – Ellen Newsom loaned part of her collection of crèches, or nativity scenes. (December 2013 -January 2014)
- Mississippi Native Animals – Bill Poe’s collection of taxidermy animals that are native to Mississippi are on load (Spring – Summer 2014)
- Mississippi Sheet Music – Jerry Drott’s collection of vintage sheet music with Mississippi in the titles is on load (June 2014)
- Early Electricity in the Home – Items showcasing early electricity in the home is on display while 4-County is celebrating its 75th anniversary (May – June 2014)
- Little Golden Books – 75 books from the collection of Helen Polk (Read more about the exhibit)
