Mississippi is a state in Southeastern regions of the United States. The official nickname for Mississippi is The Magnolia State. The magnolia is also the state flower and the state tree of Mississippi.
- Capital – Jackson
- Admitted to the Union – December 10, 1817 (20th State)
Jackson
Located on Pearl River, Jackson is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Mississippi. We visited this city in 2023.
- Mississippi Capital building in Jackson
- Mississippi Old Capital building
- Mississippi Petrified Forest
Mississippi Capital building in Jackson – The current state capitol is the third capitol building built in Jackson. It was built in 1903 on the site of the old state penitentiary and was designed by Theodore Link, an architect from St. Louis, Missouri. The Capitol is 402 feet in width, 225 feet in depth, with a total of 171,000 square feet. The central dome rises 180 feet above ground level. On top of the state capital building is a gold-plated American Bald Eagle figurine that is eight feet tall and 15 feet wide. The exterior walls of the Capitol are Indiana limestone and the base and stairs are Georgia granite.
Mississippi Capital building, Rotunda and Dome Interior – Inside the Capitol are more than ten types of marble from other states and countries. The main Rotunda is located on the second floor with walls of Italian white marble trimmed with Belgian black marble, cast iron balustrades with architectural motifs encircling the space. The central dome rises above, allowing in natural light to mix with the original electric light fixtures.
The second floor of the capital building also houses the old Supreme Court.
Capital building, Senate and House of Representative rooms – are located on the third floor, which also houses the offices of the Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and the ceremonial office of the Governor. The public galleries of the Senate and the House of Representatives are located on the fourth floor.
Mississippi Capital building, Stained Glass Windows – The Capitol Building features 3 prominent stained glass windows located at the head of the grand staircase on the second floor. The windows, crafted by the Louis Millet Company of Chicago, feature a luminous palette of blues, greens, and browns, with a visual style reminiscent of Tiffany Glass. They are approximately ten feet high and four feet wide, framed in mahogany-colored wood and arched at the top. These windows depict the following figures:
- Native American – Representing the indigenous people of Mississippi.
- Mother Mississippi – Symbolizing the state itself.
- Pioneer – Representing the settlers and agricultural development of the region.
While the stained glass windows are visually stunning from the inside, they can be viewed from the outside of the Capitol building as well.
Mississippi Old Capital building – Also known as Old Capitol Museum or Old State Capitol, it served as the Mississippi statehouse from 1839 until 1903. The building is within 0.4 miles walking distance from the New Capital building. The building was renovated in 1961 to become the State Historical Museum and in 1990 became a National Historic Landmark
Mississippi Petrified Forest – The forest offers a glimpse into a prehistoric landscape. Visitors can explore a nature trail where they can see petrified wood in its natural settings and a museum with fossil displays.
Mississippi Petrified Forest, Nature Trail – You can take a leisurely walk along a shady paved trail and be among the ancient trees. There a few points of interest along the self-guided 6-block nature trail. The huge stone logs gives us a glimpse into prehistoric time and what a primeval forest there must have been when these stone logs were living trees. The nature trail will take about 30-40 minutes to complete.
At the end of the nature trail you’ll enter the earth science museum where you can browse among an outstanding collection of fossils, petrified wood and minerals from around the world. There is also a gift shop where you can purchase a piece of petrified wood to remember your journey through time.