Absorb The History
Heritage & History
Holly Springs is defined by its rich and varied history. Centuries of struggles and triumphs have left a permanent imprint on the character of our town. Once a place known only to a brave and civilized tribe of Chickasaw Indians, Holly Springs later became a gathering place for traders and explorers, fueling the town as a center for trade and commerce.
The Marshall County Historical Museum
“More an eccentric grandmother’s attic than a museum”Like many sites concerned with Southern history, the Museum features items from the Civil War era. Your inquisitive mind is sure to take you further into the museum realizing that the true quirkiness of the museum comes into focus through the playful and randomness of it all! Open Monday – Friday from 10am – 4:00pm. For more information or to arrange group tours, call (662)-252-3669.
The Ida B. Wells - Barnett Museum
View the vast collection of African and African-American artists housed in the historic Spires-Boling home, also the birthplace of famed journalist and women’s rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum220 North Randolph Avenue
Holly Springs, MS 38635
(662) 252-3232
idabwellsmuseum@gmail.com http://www.idabwellsmuseum.org
The Yellow Fever Martyrs Church & Museum
Built in 1841 by Episcopalians and later purchased by the Catholic Church in 1858, this museum honors the legacy of the Catholic sisters and their esteemed priest, Father Oberti. By caring for the many victims of the 1878 Yellow Fever Epidemic these seven heroes gave selflessly of themselves and paid the ultimate sacrifice as they succumbed to the deadly fever known as “Yellow Jack”. Contact the Tourism Office for more information.
Hill Crest Cemetery
Wander through this unique statue garden of elaborate headstones and memorials, which serves as a peaceful home to 14 Confederate Generals, unknown soldiers from the Battle of Shiloh, the first African-American United States Senator and many others.For a self guided tour or guided tour call the Holly Springs Tourism Office 662-252-2515.
The Van Dorn Raid
In December of 1862, Confederate General Earl Van Dorn thwarts Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s first attempt to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi, when Van Dorn attacks Grant’s supplies at Holly Springs, Mississippi. Grant’s army pushed aside Confederates in northern Mississippi. In response, Confederate cavalry colonel John Griffith suggested attacking Grant’s supply line at Holly Springs, and recommended Van Dorn for the mission.Van Dorn gathered three cavalry brigades and left Grenada, Mississippi, on December 17. On December 20, his forces fell on the Union supply depot at Holly Springs, driving the Yankee defenders away and capturing materials. What could not be carried was destroyed. Van Dorn remained in the area a few more days, cutting rail and telegraph lines, before fleeing in the face of pursuing Union cavalry. The Confederates rode 500 miles in two weeks, returning on December 28 after successfully disrupting Grant’s campaign. The raid was the highlight of Van Dorn’s military career. Take the Van Dorn Raid Tour. Contact the Tourism Office for more information.
African American Heritage Tour
In the beginning their voices were largely silenced, their laments smuggled across the fields in hollers and chants, or rising skyward in spirituals and “corn ditties” sung in makeshift churches where clouds formed the ceilings and piles of brush made do in place of walls. Their blood and their toil were clearly evident, however, in the lush fields of cotton, the palatial homes and the lavish plantation social system that set the stage for what others knew as the “chivalrous South.”The African American story is a story of many unsung heroes as they struggled for freedom and equality. Contact the Tourism Office for more information.
Kate Freeman Clark Art Gallery
Take pleasure in a collection of over 1200 paintings–landscapes, plein-air por-traits and still lifes– created by “Miss Kate”during her productive years at the Carnegie Institute, the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the National Academy of Design as she studied under William Merritt Chase in New York. The Kate Freeman Clark Gallery300 East College Avenue
Holly Springs, MS 38635
(662) 252-5300 Open Hours Tuesday-Friday 10am-3pm
Admission $5.00
Rust College Ronald Trojack African Art Collection
The oldest historically black college in Mississippi, Rust College founded in 1866 is home to the Ronald Trojack Collection. This collection features many interesting pieces from traditional to contemporary ceremonial masks, statues, and fabrics which is on display at the David Beckley Conference Center on the Rust College Campus. To tour the collection or arrange a conference please contact the Tourism Office and/or the Conference Center at 662-252-4590.Rust College
155 Rust Ave
Holly Springs, MS 38635
662-252-8000
Hill Country Blues
In the mid ‘90s, the world discovered the power and distinctive sounds of North Mississippi Blues via the recordings of R.L. Burnside, David “Junior” Kimbrough, and Otha Turner. These elder statesmen have all since passed, but their music lives on through their contemporaries, family members, and disciples.
North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic
The festival features artists with close ties to North Mississippi Hill Country Blues which takes place in Marshall County on a 128 acre site in the rolling hills of Waterford, MS. The two day festival runs until midnight both days. Local vendors offer typical North Mississippi cuisine including barbeque, catfish, and sweet tasting southern watermelon. www.nmshillcountrypicnic.com
Foxfire Experience
Every Sunday afternoon (in Spring & Summer) come out and enjoy concerts, which are deeply rooted in traditional North Mississippi Hill Country Blues stylistics.1465 Old Oxford Road
Waterford, MS 38685
(662) 801-7085 or (662) 801-2258
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Foxfire-Ranch/263857043646247
