Ground broken on new Chickasaw Heritage Center in Tupelo, MS

After years of planning and fundraising, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to kick off construction of phase one of the $60 million Chickasaw Heritage Center.

Upon completion, the Chickasaw Heritage Center (CHC) will be the largest educational experience in northeast Mississippi, a world-class facility where Chickasaw people tell their story from their perspective, marking the first time that a southeastern First Nation has returned to their historic Homeland in a tangible way after being forcibly removed.

The CHC represents the symbolic “Journey Home” for Chickasaw citizens and serves as an anchor for Chickasaw heritage tourism in the surrounding region, adding to the growing variety of experiences available in the area. The Chickasaw people were removed from their Homeland beginning in 1837, yet they reestablished a strong presence in the Tupelo area more than a century later.

“We gather to commemorate what I consider to be a monumental leap forward in the Chickasaws’ ability to preserve and promote our culture and to share it with the world,” Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said. “The future of the Chickasaw Heritage Center will be many things to many people, but for us, as Chickasaws, it is the next step forward in the realization of our vision to be a Nation of successful and united people with a strong cultural identity.”

The CHC main building is a one-story, linear design facing a restored historic Blackland Prairie habitat.  A courtyard and porch are shared by and connect two phases of construction.  Phase one of approximately 28,000 GSF includes a guard house, maintenance building and the Center featuring a 10,000 square-foot state-of-the-art exhibit hall, art gallery, gift shop, multi-purpose room, collections areas and administrative offices, public access drive with turnaround and Prairie Restoration overlook, paved parking areas for cars, RVs and buses, and service drive with perimeter security fencing with access control gates.  Phase two of approximately 18,500 GSF will add a theater, café, volunteer support services, playground, ceremonial plaza with brush arbors, traditional stickball field, historic Village Reconstructions with three-sisters garden, interpretative trails, and additional habitat restoration.

The 162-acre campus adjacent to the Natchez Trace Parkway’s “Chickasaw Village Site” interpretive area will also have walking trails directly connecting to the Natchez Trace Parkway’s National Scenic Trail under an agreement with the National Park Service.

A project of the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation, the CHC represents a significant, collaborative effort and investment among the State of Mississippi, the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Tupelo, individual donors, small businesses and regional foundations, and the Chickasaw Nation.

The CHC is expected to enhance tourism and spur economic growth in the area. Located along the Natchez Trace Parkway near its intersections with the major transportation corridors of U.S. Interstate 22, Mississippi Highway 6, and U.S. Highway 45, the Center is anticipated to strengthen community partnerships with regional schools, museums, and other historical attractions.

Upon competition in 2026, the estimated economic impact of the CHC will be around $6 million, with 100,000 visitors or more expected annually. The Center will provide at least 25 permanent local jobs, with potential for more in the future. EGH Architects designed the CHC for the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation in Tupelo, Mississippi. Structural design is by Structural Design Group of Nashville, Tennessee.  Mechanical, electrical and plumbing design is by Corbett Legge & Associates of Tupelo, MS. Civil engineering is by Engineering Solutions Inc., of Tupelo, MS.  Landscape design is by Sloan Landscape Architecture, LLC of Tupelo, MS. Construction is managed by Innovative Construction Management, LLC (ICM) of Oxford, MS.  Exhibitry is being designed, fabricated, and installed by Exhibit Concepts, Inc of Vandalia, Ohio.