Daytime, by appointment
Regular hours are Thursday–Saturday evenings, but school groups come during the day. We set the time around your schedule.
Teachers · Homeschool · Libraries · Youth groups
The lesson they'll still be talking about at supper.
Daytime tours by appointment — real specimens in their hands, and the man who collected them telling the story.
From an educator
“Their eyes tell the tale.”
“As an educator, I've taken young student groups through the museum several times and their eyes tell the tale. They love participating in the ‘scavenger hunt’ of animals and relics on display.”
Jay Rayborn, Ph.D. · Chief Operations Officer, Columbia School District
What a class visit looks like
Built for a school day
Real, not replica
Fossils, dinosaur tracks, skulls, tusks and life-sized mounts — collected over a lifetime, and shown up close instead of behind a rope.
Hands-on where it counts
Some pieces carry a PLEASE DO TOUCH sign on purpose. Curiosity works better when a student can put a hand on it.
The guide is the collector The guide is the collector
It starts with something in his hands.
Mickey Webb spent his working life in Mississippi's forests, and he gathered most of what is in this building himself. On a class visit he doesn't hand you a script — he picks a skull up off the table and asks the room what it ate.
Students ask questions they would never ask a display case, and they get an answer from the person who found the thing.
The fossil table The fossil table
Deep time, laid out on one table.
A dinosaur track cast, a mastodon tusk, petrified wood, ammonites and fossil bone — all set out at kid height where a class can crowd around and compare them.
It is the part of the tour where the questions get loud, and it is the easiest tie-in to what you are already teaching: rocks and fossils, habitats, adaptation, Mississippi's own natural history.
A topic to take back to class
Mississippi was once the sea floor.
“When the land today was once the sea floor and where the sea floor today was land roamed by Woolly Mammoths and Saber toothed tigers!”
Demonstrations & topics
Tell us what you're teaching.
We can adapt presentations to your curriculum, area of study, and age group.
Demonstrations and topics we give — or can give:
- Rocks that float?
- Fur for the environment
- An Albino — or is it?
- All dinosaurs are huge, right?
- A shark is as big as a school bus? What?
- Environment, ecology, ecosystems — where animals fit in!
- We know the ecology affects the animals and their success, but how do animals affect their ecology?
- How big is the cone from the largest tree in the world? CRAZY! 🤪
Plus plenty more — just let us know what you would like us to share with your class.
We can handle groups as small as 5 or 6, and we have even shared with 5 classes in a day. We prefer 50 minutes to an hour per classroom. So much to see!
A school visit, start to finish
Why the signs say touch Why the signs say touch
Most museums say don't. Ours says please.
The bison has a sign that reads PLEASE PET ME. So does the alligator. That is a deliberate choice, not an oversight — a rural class that has never stood next to a bull moose or run a hand over an alligator's back remembers it for years.
Activity sheets at the door turn the visit into a scavenger hunt, so students have something to look for and something to bring back to the classroom.
Before you get through the door Before you get through the door
The wall tells you what kind of place this is.
The mural wraps the outside of the building, and it is the first thing a class sees getting off the bus. It is also the last photo stop on the way out.
The full testimonials
What educators write us
“The Southern Museum of Natural History is a hidden gem in downtown Columbia, MS. From arrival, the huge, outside wall mural draws your attention and once inside, the artifacts, wildlife mounts, and natural displays take you on a journey through the outdoor beauty that Mississippi has to offer!
As an educator, I've taken young student groups through the museum several times and their eyes tell the tale. They love participating in the ‘scavenger hunt’ of animals and relics on display. Mickey and his crew do a fantastic job of bringing this all to life in a fun, educational way.”
Jay Rayborn, Ph.D. · Chief Operations Officer, Columbia School District
“As a former school counselor, we were always on the lookout for quality field trips, museums, & galleries to enhance & breathe life into our textbooks! What a treasure to discover The Natural History Museum right here in Columbia!
I was able to attend with 3 of our high schools students last fall and we were all so very impressed! From the super helpful & knowledgable staff to the exhibits & artwork, it was just such a wonderfully immersive experience. What a treasure for people of all ages!”
Ginny Warren Kemp · Former school counselor
Our mission
Why we keep the price low and the door open
To bring the wonder of the Natural World that surrounds us and the science that seeks to understand it to children and young people of all ages throughout our rural communities. To bring unique hands-on opportunities to explore and learn to people without easy access to the museums of big cities.
That is why a field trip here costs $5 a head, and why a class from any school in Marion County is welcome to book a morning.
Teacher questions
Booking a class visit
How do I book a field trip?
Call (601) 736-4910 or send a note from the contact page with your group size and a few dates that work. Daytime slots are by appointment, so the earlier you ask, the easier it is to fit.
How long is a class visit, and how big can the group be?
We prefer 50 minutes to an hour per classroom — there is that much to see. Groups can be as small as 5 or 6, and we have shared with 5 classes in a single day.
What does it cost per student?
Admission is $5 for ages 6 and up and $3 for children 3–5. Children under 3 are free.
What grades is it right for?
Primary classes through high school, plus homeschool co-ops, scout troops and library groups. The tour is led in person, so it flexes to the age of the group in front of it.
Do students get an activity to work on?
Yes — scavenger-hunt activity sheets are available at the door, and most classes work them as they go.
Is the museum on one level?
Yes. It is all on one floor at 236 Second Street in Downtown Columbia, with street parking just off Main Street.
Can we come outside of school hours?
Regular public hours are Thursday–Saturday, 5:30–9:30 PM, and no reservation is needed for those. Daytime visits are the appointment ones.
Let's find a date
Bring your class to the wild side.
Tell us your group size and a few dates that work — we'll take it from there.