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Mississippi Children’s Museum Breaks Ground on Satellite Campus: Mississippi Children’s Museum – Meridian; HOPE A Financing Partner on the Project

October 30th, 2019   

Meridian, MS – The Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM) broke ground on its first satellite campus on Oct. 28, 2019, in Meridian, Mississippi. Construction is underway on the Mississippi Children’s Museum – Meridian (MCM-Meridian) which is located on 22nd Avenue and will include a 25,000 square foot state of the art facility featuring 9,500 square feet of exhibit and an additional 25,000 square foot outdoor exhibit experience designed for Mississippi’s youngest residents as well as their entire circle of influence. HOPE joined leaders from the community, government officials, MCM-Meridian and MCM representatives, and most importantly, local children, as they used their shovels to break ground and share in this momentous occasion.

The eight-acre location on 22nd Avenue for the new museum was selected as the perfect site to welcome visitors along the gateway to downtown Meridian. “We are thrilled to be moving forward with what began as a dream for our community. When completed, we will have a world-class museum for our children and future generations of children in East Mississippi,” stated MCM-Meridian Executive Director, Liz Wilson. Wilson, who grew up in Meridian, has been working on this project from its inception, first as a volunteer and now as the Executive Director– planning with education and design teams, leading fundraising efforts, hosting community events for children, and raising awareness about the project throughout East Mississippi. 

MCM-Meridian has received significant financial backing from the community, including the signature sponsors: The Phil Hardin Foundation and The Riley Foundation. The combined $7 million support from these respected community leaders helped launch the project, which has gathered much momentum since its start in 2015. MCM’s leadership has used the expertise and experience gained from building the flagship museum in Jackson ten years ago to work in consort with the local leadership to bring together top exhibit designers, architects, engineers, contractors, and landscape architects to arrive at the final plans for construction.

“When designing the building and exhibits, we sought input from community partners and educational experts in Meridian and across the state,” explained Wilson. “Our exhibits are designed based on three key initiative areas which include health and nutrition, literacy, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). Aspects of the cultural arts and East Mississippi heritage will also be incorporated throughout the museum – for example, we were able to weave into our exhibit plans the rich narrative of people in Meridian, such as the Key Brothers and the invention of in-flight refueling that is, today, used all over the world.”

MCM is recognized as the state’s leading cultural, early education institution and expanding its reach to the residents of Meridian and East Mississippi was a natural progression for the institution. “We are thrilled to be able to bring award-winning opportunities and programs to East Mississippi,” said MCM President and CEO, Susan Garrard. “While MCM will be sharing some of the outstanding programs currently available at our Jackson campus, everything about the new museum reflects the unique people and places surrounding Meridian.”

MCM-Meridian is expected to open in early 2021; and upon opening, is planning to see over 51,000 visitors a year with a roughly $9 million-dollar economic effect on the community from a combination of direct spending as calculated by Dr. Alan Barefield of Mississippi State University and an investment in early education as researched by the White House. The museum will also create roughly 160 jobs during construction and approximately 25 full-time equivalent museum staff positions.

Funding allowing this milestone occasion is the result of the overwhelming generosity of over 400 donors in this community and statewide. In addition, the investment of new markets tax credits from Enhanced Capital, HOPE Credit Union, and Capital One ensure the realization of the project in its entirety. “Too often one’s potential is constrained by where they happen to live, and by their economic situation,” said HOPE Chief Executive Officer Bill Bynum.   “We are proud to partner with the Mississippi Children’s Museum-Meridian to open a gateway to new possibilities for the children of eastern Mississippi and western Alabama.”

As the construction and operations phases of the museum move forward, fundraising for this project is ongoing. For more information and details about how to donate, please visit www.mcmmeridian.org.