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Planning for the Future

The Historic Natchez Foundation looks forward to the rehabilitation and development of the Natchez Institute as a museum and archival center that interprets and preserves the history of Natchez. The 1901 Natchez Institute is the oldest surviving public school building in Natchez. The Foundation acquired the downtown building as its headquarters in 1992 and has substantially invested in its preservation and rehabilitation.

Architectural plans designate the entire first story of the building as museum exhibit space with each classroom dedicated to interpreting themes of Natchez history. The large, central hallway will feature rotating exhibits. The second story will house offices, meeting rooms, and research facilities. Elevator access has already been installed. In November 2018, the Foundation completed a year-long project to create a certified archival space in the basement of the Institute. The basement features climate control and fire suppression as well as dedicated storage rooms for collections from across the state of Mississippi.

The Foundation enjoys a strong working partnership with the Natchez National Historical Park and the two entities share archival and museum storage facilities. Help us make this museum and archival center a reality and contribute to our heritage tourism economy and the cultural enrichment of the Natchez community.