With Turkey Day now in the books, the Two Mississippi Museums are preparing to get people in the Christmas spirit with its newest exhibit.
The Possum Ridge model train exhibit will open on the second floor of the Jackson museums on Sunday, December 1, and stay set up through Tuesday, December 31. The holiday-themed exhibit promises to provide a sense of Christmas nostalgia.
“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 Mississippi Department of Archives and History noted. “The site depicts a typical Mississippi railroad town of the 1940s. In its first year, it consisted of an electrified Main Street with 10 buildings, including a bank, a dry goods store, a newspaper office, and a 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 several houses located off Main Street, farmsteads, a small airport, and even a river baptism scene.”
In addition to the Possum Ridge model train exhibit, museum visitors can view a toy collection from the state Historic Objects Collection that spans over 150 years. The oldest in the collection is a toy stable with horses and a wagon dating back to the 1840s.
The Two Mississippi Museums, located at 222 North Street, are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the museums is free every Sunday.
