On Sunday, Dec. 1, the Possum Ridge model train exhibit will open at the Two Mississippi Museums. There is no charge to view the exhibit, which will close on Dec. 31.
For more than 40 years, the model trains and the town of Possum Ridge have been a holiday tradition delighting both children and adults. The site depicts a typical Mississippi railroad town of the 1940s. In its first year, it consisted of a single block of an electrified Main Street with 10 buildings, including a bank, dry goods store, newspaper office, and restaurant.
Today, the trains circle a town that has grown to include a depot, church, bakery, barbershop, icehouse, sawmill, cotton gin, train yard, and much more. There are also houses located off Main Street, farmsteads, a small airport, and even a river baptism scene.
In addition to the exhibit, visitors can view a toy collection from the state Historic Objects Collection that spans over 150 years. The oldest toy in the collection – a toy stable with horses and a wagon – dates from the 1840s.
The Two Mississippi Museums opened on Dec. 9, 2017, in celebration of the state's bicentennial. Museum hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.– 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.– 5 p.m. Admission to the museums is free every Sunday. The Two Mississippi Museums are located at 222 North St. in Jackson.
Free parking can be found alongside North Street or in the visitor garage of the Two Mississippi Museums on Jefferson Street.
For more information, call 601-576-6800 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.