The Amory Regional Museum

Sandy and I discovered this jewel of a museum on a recent trip to Amory, Mississippi.

The Armory Regional Museum, which was originally the Gilmore Sanitarium, opened in 1976 after serving as Amory’s hospital for a number of years. Inside, you will find an old car, a player piano,  a hand carved canoe, numerous hospital displays—including an iron lung—and many fascinating local history exhibits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a strong emphasis on the native Chickasaw Nation, the ghost town of Cotton Gin Port, and local wildlife.

Outside, you will find the Wright Log Cabin, the original post office from Becker, Mississippi, and a railroad passenger car from the KCM&B Railroad. After all, Amory was an important fueling town for the railroad, complete with a roundhouse and depot.

One of the notable finds in the museum, was this display of all of the movie and television personalities who visited Amory for the Stars Over Mississippi concerts put on my Amory native Sam Haskell.  He was an executive of the William Morris Agency and used his connections to bring notable people like Dolly Parton, Brad Garrett, Tom Arnold, John Dye, Kathy Ireland, Vince Gill, Phil Hartman, Nell Carter, Mary Ann Mobley, Gary Collins, Debbie Allen, Sela Ward,  Ray Romano, and Prince Edward of Windsor to raise money to support education.  The event was held every two years.

It is a wonderful little museum and a real hidden gem for anyone interested in the history of Amory and the surrounding area.  The admission is free but they do take donations and it is well worth the trip to Amory.