Museum Trail
Museum Trail an urban greenway in Jackson, Mississippi connecting communities to museums, parks, nature, public art, and business districts.
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The Museum Trail is a six-mile, multi-use greenway designed to connect cultural institutions, educational campuses, neighborhoods, and public spaces across Jackson. When complete, the trail will link nine museums, four colleges and universities, six new parks and public spaces, the Mississippi Farmers Market, more than 20 public art installations, and over 15 commercial districts and neighborhoods spanning Northeast Jackson, Downtown, and West Jackson. Developed in phases, the project includes eight implementation segments, with one phase completed and two additional phases currently under construction.
The project is led by the Jackson Heart Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public health in Mississippi through education, prevention, and early detection of heart disease. The Museum Trail supports this mission by promoting active transportation, daily movement, and equitable access to public space.
TREE serves as a planning, design, and implementation partner for the Museum Trail. Our role includes developing the comprehensive trail master plan; designing and fabricating signage, interpretation, and wayfinding systems; supporting grant writing and fundraising for trail construction and public amenities; coordinating contractors for infrastructure and landscape improvements; and leading public engagement through charrettes and community meetings. TREE also supports the trail’s digital presence through web design, communications, and media strategy to promote existing segments and communicate future expansion.
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Year
2020 - Ongoing
Scale
6 Miles (Total)
2.8 Miles (Completed)
3.2 Miles (To Be Built)
Location
Jackson, Mississippi
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Jackson Heart Foundation
DOT Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Planning Grant
Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Foundation Grant
Entergy Environmental Initiatives Fund
Community Foundation John F. and Lucy Shackelford Fund
AARP Livable Communities Grant
AARP Livable Communities Grant
City of Jackson Government
State of Mississippi
Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID)
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APA Chapter President’s Award for Planning | Museum Trail | 2023
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Project Leaders
Jackson Heart Foundation
David Pharr, Museum Trail Founder & Board Member at Jackson Heart Foundation
Clay Hays, Founder of Museum Trail & Vice Chairman at Jackson Heart Foundation
Ray Neilsen, Sponsor & Project Manager of Museum Trail, Board Member at Jackson Heart Foundation
Morgan Geary, Executive Director at Jackson Heart Foundation
Melody Moody Thoris, Community Foundation for Mississippi
Susan Garrard, CEO of MCM, LeFleur Museum District Pedestrian Bridge and Path
Emilly Hoff, Executive Director of MCM, LeFleur Museum District Pedestrian Bridge and Path
Landscape Architect, Urban Planning
Travis Crabtree PLA
Engineering
Neel-Schaffer Engineering
Architecture
WBA Architecture - LeFleur Museum District Pedestrian Bridge and Path
Contractors
Hemphill Construction, Alliant Construction, Southern Horticulture Landscaping, Hederman Brothers, Concrete Legends
Media & Marketing, Brand Strategy, Community Outreach, Web Design & Development
Ansley Crabtree
Graphic Design
Tyler Tadlock, Original Logo
Photography
Kayland Partee, Ansley Crabtree, Travis Crabtree, April Garon Photography
Museum Trail Capitol Green Connector Trail
Decommissioned GM&O Railroad in Jackson
In Spring 2025, TREE joined community partners for a ribbon cutting and planting ceremony at the Museum Trail Gateway Sign & Native Garden, celebrating a new landmark and beautification project. This initiative features native plantings from the Jackson Prairie and educational signage designed to raise awareness about the impact of pollinators and the importance of native plants in the ecosystem.
In 2024, the Museum Trail received a U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant to support the extension of the trail into Downtown Jackson.
TREE supported this effort by designing a network of Downtown Connector Trails, preparing planning and design materials, and contributing to grant writing and technical documentation in collaboration with project partners. This work builds on TREE’s ongoing role in advancing trail connectivity, public space design, and implementation strategies that support the growth of Jackson’s active transportation network.
In 2023, Museum Trail was awarded the APA MS Chapter President’s Award “In recognition of continuous efforts to further planning in Mississippi”
APA MS Conference 2023 (Left to Right): Travis Crabtree, Urban Designer & Landscape Architect, David Pharr, Trail Co-Founder, Ray Neilsen, Project Leader, Clay Hays, Trail Co-Founder, and Ben Requet, Director of Planning - City of Oxford
