Hattiesburg Pocket Museum: Mississippi’s tiniest museum

• The Pocket Museum is charming because it is hidden and requires discovery, tucked away in a whimsical alleyway that intrigues all ages.

Imagine finding a secret passageway in the middle of a bustling downtown area. An alleyway – but not a dark and ominous alley. This alley is filled with color and life! And on the wall in the alley, you spy a look into a miniature world like nothing you’ve ever seen.

With spring approaching, now is a great time to get out and explore. And if your explorations find you in downtown Hattiesburg, be sure to find the alley behind the historic Saenger Theatre, where fanciful miniature scenes, murals, and street art surround Mississippi’s tiniest and most unique museum. 

The museum is a magical window with shelves, but that is only one part of the Pocket Museum experience. A theater related to each month’s exhibit is created with a modified ViewMaster embedded into the wall. The art gallery, which was developed later, is in a former newspaper stand; this is a spot designated for visitors to take a piece of art or submit their own.

The Pocket Museum is charming because it is hidden and requires discovery. It doesn’t have a specific address, however, a Google Maps search points to a nearby street providing visitors a general idea of where to find the alley that houses the state’s tiniest museum. This “secret alley” offers surprises with art, music, food, photo opportunities, and a changing exhibit for everyone to enjoy.

How did this tiny, popular museum come to be? 

After months indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hattiesburg Convention Commission wanted to bring art to people safely. With theaters and museums closed and $800 to spend, the team transformed a boarded-up window at the Saenger Theatre into a display window, creating the city’s newest museum.

The last time I walked into the alley, every nook and cranny was bursting with creativity. I particularly love the purple door with the unmistakable yellow frame from the show Friends, painted by local artist Lissa Ortego. As you can imagine, this is a popular photo op, and speaking of photo ops, there are opportunities for memorable pictures up and down the alley.

The alley is a hub of interactive experiences, with numerous QR codes inviting visitors to delve deeper into the exhibits. Visitors are even encouraged to submit their artwork for display, which has become a rewarding way to involve children in the arts. What child wouldn’t want to come to this magical alley and find their own piece of art on display? 

Every brick, pipe, and piece of concrete in the alleyway is a canvas for creativity. Large murals adorn a parking deck wall, and miniature dioramas are tucked into bricks and utility boxes. Don’t forget to look up as you walk down the alley; there are things to see up high, too. 

The museum’s exhibits are as diverse as they are fascinating. The first exhibit included over 100 Swiss Army pocket knives, while later exhibits featured various themes, from rubber ducks to Disney memorabilia. The one requirement for submission? Items must be small enough to fit in the window, ensuring a diverse range of exhibits.

The criteria for these exhibits are novel, unusual, interesting, and perhaps a little whacky. The Hattiesburg Pocket Museum strives to evoke conversation, questions, and curiosity, and it accomplishes just that every month. 

The exhibits change at night on the last day of every month, with twelve scheduled throughout the year. This only adds to the museum’s mystery and wonder, and simply put, it’s just fun! 

The Hattiesburg Pocket Museum opened in 2020, and since then, more than 300,000 visitors have found the “secret alley. Spring Break is a popular time for the Pocket Museum as Hattiesburg welcomes thousands of visitors to the Hub City each year. 

My family and I are frequent visitors to the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum. We love that there’s something different to see every month. It’s an enjoyable and engaging way for families and friends to celebrate art and enjoy each other’s company. There are tables and benches for relaxing or picnicking, and you are within walking distance of various excellent restaurants. 

One of the most rewarding aspects of the Pocket Museum is the community engagement it invites and the joy it brings to its visitors. So, spend an afternoon at the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum, and I guarantee you’ll want to go back. It’s part of its charm as Mississippi’s tiniest museum, tucked away in a whimsical alleyway that intrigues all ages.