When freeing your soul is a must, do so safely in JXN!

With a host of award-winning museums and attractions in your backyard, some with brand new exhibits opening or well under way, now is the perfect time to explore all the city has to offer.

Here is a rundown of what we know as it pertains to our local attractions (note, a citywide facial covering mandate is in effect until further notice). Visit each museum’s individual website (linked) to understand specific procedures at each location.

Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA)
The “Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and Their Times” exhibition has been extended through January 11, 2021. Also announced, opening September 26, is Leonardo Drew’s outdoor exhibition, “City in the Grass” (on view through February 21, 2021).

Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM)
MCM is welcoming visitors on weekends only: Saturday, 9am-Noon and 1-5pm and Sunday, 1-6pm.

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
An interactive exhibition based on the Nat Geo WILD series “Monster Fish,” showcases the results of Dr. Zeb Hogan’s decade-long search for the world’s largest freshwater fish through December 31, 2020. New policies include timed arrival reservations, required wearing of masks by employees and visitors, removal of most touchable objects, postponement of in-person events, and other health and safety procedures.

Two Mississippi Museums
“Mississippi Distilled: Prohibition, Piety, and Politics,” an immersive exhibition exploring the state’s tumultuous relationship with alcohol from the colonial period to today, opens to the public on Tuesday, July 7. On this date both the history and Civil Rights museums also reopen to the public.

The museum is limiting the number of visitors that will be allowed in the Museum at any one time.

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Following similar guidelines as many other museums, the Sports Hall will not admit anyone with a temperature of 100 or higher and will provide a sanitized pen with stylus to use on touchscreen games and kiosks.

Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum
The “Ag Museum” is following the regulations, orders and guidelines in accordance to the Governor’s mandate to ensure safety and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing is required throughout the campus, personal protective equipment (PPE) is required and hand sanitizer is provided.

The newly-unveiled Children’s Barnyard has welcomed several new additions during the Museum’s closure, including three goat kids and four newborn lambs.

International Museum of Muslim Cultures
According to a Facebook post on July 14, the IMMC is open at the Arts Center of Mississippi with “face masks, sanitizer and deep cleaning” for “a safe, socially-distanced tour of our exhibits,” Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-5 pm. Saturday & Sundays, the museum is open by appointment only. The museum’s “Muslims with Christians & Jews: Covenants & Coexistence” special exhibition at 101 East Capitol Street is also open, Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-5 pm and Sundays, 1-5 pm.

Jackson Zoo
The Jackson Zoo, closed since last September while changing management now welcomes guests and members in a limited capacity on the weekends. Hours are Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm, but are subject to change without notice.

The Zoo will operate under strict guidelines in light of COVID-19 . Those are in part (but are not limited to):

• ADMISSION MUST BE SECURED ONLINE. Daily tickets and Zoo member reservations are now required BEFORE arrival and can be purchased/reserved online in the Zoo’s SHOP. Walk-ups are not guaranteed entry.
• Only 500 persons are allowed in the park per day. 
• FACE MASKS ARE REQUIRED unless medically exempt. (Until animal experts can find a way to make a tiger or a chimp wear a mask, all humans in the park will need to comply.)
• Groups must be 10 persons or less.
• All guests and staff must abide by the 6′ social distancing measures.

Zoo tickets and additional guidelines can be found here.

Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center

Reopening by appointment only October 1.

Additional museums and attractions are linked at visitjackson.com.

Each attraction is individually linked in its title. Visit their websites to learn more about additional regulations and for any changes that may come after the publish date of this post.