The University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses complex started as the Mary Buie Museum in 1939, and has since expanded to house a permanent collection comprised of holdings from Southern folk art, Greek and Roman antiquities, 19th Century scientific instruments, and American fine art.

The museum’s antecedent, the Buie Museum, began when Mary Buie left her personal art collection to the city of Oxford in her will. These items formed the basis of the museum’s permanent collection. In 1974 the collection was formally deeded to the university, and in
1977 expanded with the opening of the Kate Skipwith Teaching Museum to house the Robinson Collection of Greek and Roman artifacts, along with the Millington-Barnard collection of 19th century scientific instruments. Skipwith possessed antiques and American Revolutionary War correspondence, including letters penned by George Washington, John Hancock, and John Adams, and these items are also now in the museum’s permanent collection.

In 1998 the museum expanded to include the addition of the Seymour Lawrence Gallery, showcasing the work of American Modernists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Arthur Dove, John Marin, and Marsden Hartley. Those of the literary persuasion should note that the museum complex also contains Rowan Oak, the historic home of Nobel Prize-winning novelist William Faulkner. (KCE)

University of Mississippi Museum Information

• Public Transportation: Good (OUT bus routes Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green have stops at the University of Mississippi)
• Handicapped Accessibility: Good
• Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Closed Sunday–Monday and regular university holidays
• Admission: Admission is free for the majority of the Museum. Special exhibitions are $5 Adults; $4 Seniors; $3 Students (ages 6-17); Free for UM students, Members, and Children (under 5)
• Tour: Guided tours are available upon request and group tours are welcome with advance notice. Allow one hour to tour the building and a half-hour to walk the Bailey’s Woods trail between Rowan Oak and the Museum
• Membership: Individual ($45; Student/Senior $25); Dual ($65; Senior $50); Family ($100); Contributing ($250); Sustaining ($500); Patron ($1,000); Sponsor ($2,500); Benefactor ($5,000); Director’s Circle ($10,000). All Members receive unlimited free admission; a 10% discount at the Museum Store; priority member notification of exhibitions, lectures, and events; and a subscription to the Musenews newsletter
• Other Benefits: Reciprocal membership to other museums is available at the
  Family Level ($100).