"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscious stupidity."
Oren Dunn - Tupelo's City Museum
MUSEUM is a Latin word meaning “muse,” which means “to think.” At the Oren Dunn City Museum, you will find a place to think, explore, discover, & learn. We have one mission: “to collect & preserve the history & heritage of Tupelo, Lee County, & Northeast Mississippi; & to engage & to educate in an enriching & entertaining manner.
What does a visit to the Oren Dunn City Museum mean to you? You will learn about the history of a people and a place that weaves a story tapestry of what community is all about. Come visit the Oren Dunn City Museum & learn why Tupelo is a city of first: the first “All-American TVA City” & how Lee County had the very first library bookmobile in the state of Mississippi. Prepare to be enchanted!
The Oren Dunn Collection
Located in Tupelo, Mississippi, the Oren Dunn City Museum boasts an eclectic representation of our region’s history. Our collection includes pre-history fossils, the early settlement of the region, & a model railroad depicting a 1940’s era Tupelo. The main facility houses our pre-history collection, Chickasaw Indian artifacts, the early settlement, the Battle of Harrisburg, & an exhaustive collection of early downtown businesses.
The outside village is a medley of Tupelo historic collectibles: an original 1879 Dogtrot cabin, the Spark’s one-room chapel and one-room school dated from the late 1800’s, a functioning Blacksmith shop, a Memphis streetcar turned into “Dudie’s Diner, two 1940 era fire trucks, a Frisco caboose, & the Lee County Bookmobile.
Within the Museum, local veteran, Tony Lute, houses his private collection of war memorabilia in the Tupelo Veteran’s Museum. Come see why visitors say, “We made history at the Oren Dunn City Museum!"