Since 2003, the DeSoto County Museum has served as a permanent home for the rich history of DeSoto County, Mississippi. What began in 1984 as an effort by the Historic DeSoto Foundation to preserve local stories and artifacts, officially opened its doors at 111 East Commerce Street in Hernando after years of dedicated work and community support. The museum now stands in a restored 1870s church campus, which was purchased and renovated with over $400,000 in community fundraising and a grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. As a nonprofit organization, the museum’s mission is to preserve, interpret, and teach the story of DeSoto County’s past, ensuring that its history is accessible to all.