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Center for the Study of Southern Culture

Barnard Observatory

Another antebellum building on campus that was built to house the world's largest telescope. It is widely believed among locals that the telescope was being shipped during the war when it was captured by Yankee troops and sent to Northwestern University. However, it is more likely that the University could no longer afford to pay for the telescope after the war began, and Northwestern bought it instead. The building was never used as an observatory and is now home to the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and hosts small exhibits.

Website: southernstudies.olemiss.edu (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Oxford (Mississippi), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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University Museum
Features Greek and Roman antiques, 19th-century scientific instruments, the Theora Hamblett collection, a growing Southern folk art collection, and other temporary exhibits. There is an unpaved natural trail that leads from the museum parking lot to Rowan Oak (Faulkner's home). It is an easy walk that will give you a glimpse of an old-growth Mississippi forest, and it will also give you an idea of the jungle that the first settlers here had to clear in order to build their plantations.
Tue-Sat 9:30AM-4:30PM, Sun 1-4PM, closed most University holidays
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Rowan Oak
Old Taylor Road. The home of Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner. This historic home and grounds located just blocks from the Square. Faulkner even wrote part of a novel on the wall of his bedroom, later uncovered during a renovation. Walking tours available. Free admission on Wednesdays, $5 on other weekdays (donations always accepted). Entrance to the grounds is free, open until sunset.
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Puskus Lake Recreation Area
About 10 miles east of Oxford on Highway 30. The Puskus Lake Recreation Area is a lovely place to enjoy the natural beauty of the Holly Springs National Forest. Those looking for an alternative to crowded, concrete recreation areas will delight in Puskus Lake's natural beauty and quiet setting. Its remote setting, convenient to Oxford, provides a perfect atmosphere for camping, fishing, hiking and relaxing.
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John W. Kyle State Park
Features 20 air-conditioned cabins, furnished with basic kitchen equipment and bed and bath linens. All of the cabins are near the water, have fire places and accommodate up to four people. There are 2 cabins on the Mallard Pointe Golf Course. Each of these cabins consists of 4 bedrooms, and they're equipped much the same as the other cabins. Reservations are required.