Mississippi Governor's Mansion

09/21/2026

Make plans to visit the Mississippi Governor's Mansion and Mississippi State Capitol on Friday, December 4, 2026 between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. to see the decorations! The Governor's Mansion also will have an open house on Saturday, December 5 from 10:00 a.m. until noon. You might even get to meet Santa!
MG & Company will decorate the Governor's Mansion again this year. 2026's theme, "Star-Spangled Christmas: Mississippi's Story," is festive and patriotic in a year when we're honoring the U.S.'s 250th year of independence.
Stay tuned for more details about Christmas by Candlelight at the Governor's Mansion and in the capitol city.

09/16/2026

Visual artists in Mississippi,
Help us to tell our state's story at Christmas at the Mansion in 2026! We invite you to create an ornament to be displayed at the Mississippi Governor's Mansion this December.

Your ornament should reflect the theme, "Star Spangled Christmas: Mississippi's Story." That story can convey something about Mississippi's past, present, or future. Please follow the specifications posted here and send it to us by November 9. Oh, and please contact First Lady of Mississippi Elee Reeves' Chief of Staff at [email protected] to let us know you want to participate.

Mississippi artists, we need your help telling our state’s story at Christmas at the Mansion 2026!

We invite you to share your talent and creativity by creating and donating an ornament inspired by our theme, “A Star-Spangled Christmas: Mississippi’s Story.”

Ornaments should reflect our theme and help tell the story of our past, present, and future.

From our literary and musical impact to our athletes, entrepreneurs, and innovators — Mississippi has helped shape our nation’s story in countless ways.

If you’d like to be part of telling that story at the Governor’s Mansion this Christmas, please contact my Chief of Staff at [email protected]!

Ornaments should be submitted by November 9, 2026.

I can’t wait to see the creativity, talent, and Mississippi pride our artists will bring to this year’s decorations! 🎄✨

09/29/2025

09/29/2025

This year’s winner of the Christmas at the Mansion Competition is Madden Gray from Philadelphia!

Madden is the owner of MG & Company and has been a part of our florist of the month program for several years.

We’re so excited to work with him to bring our theme “A Season of Success” to life this holiday season!

Stay tuned for more fun announcements regarding Christmas at the Mansion!

09/29/2025

⭐️ STUDENTS and TEACHERS⭐️

As we prepare for Christmas at the Mansion, we’d love to receive ornaments from all of you that represent your school!

These ornaments will be displayed and incorporated into the decorations at the Governor’s Mansion during the holiday season.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating ‘A Season of Success,” and we can’t wait to see the creativity of our students on display!

For more information, please contact [email protected]. You may also follow the link below to download the form to be submitted with your ornament. All ornaments should be submitted by November 1.🎄

http://bit.ly/4mDkRGx

12/16/2024

We had more than 1000 visitors last Friday night for Christmas by Candlelight. Santa Claus was there, too!

11/21/2024

Holiday Tours
Our tour hours have been gobbled up for the rest of November! The Governor’s Mansion is closed for tours during the week of Thanksgiving as we prepare for Christmas by Candlelight on Friday, Dec. 6 from 4-8PM.

Join us for the annual Christmas By Candlelight Tour on Friday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m! That evening until 8 p.m., the doors of the Mansion are opened to the public for a holiday open house. For more information about Christmas by Candlelight, visit https://www.mdah.ms.gov/candlelight-tour/

A limited number of tours are still available during the month of December. Reservations are required. Go to www.governorsmansion.com or contact the mansion curator at 601-359-6421 or at [email protected] to schedule a tour.

09/19/2024

First Lady of Mississippi Elee Reeves gives WXXV News 25 a tour of the historic Governor's Mansion and the East Garden. To tour the Mansion and East Garden yourself, go to www.msgovernorsmansion.com to request a tour!

On Tuesday, WXXV News 25 took a trip to the Governor’s Mansion in Jackson to visit First Lady Elee Reeves and tour the historic mansion. Reeves was born in Tylertown, MS, and attended Millsaps College, where she was involved in Millsaps Singers and Kappa Delta Sorority. She graduated with a Master...

08/05/2024

New draperies at the Governor's Mansion
For the first time in nearly 50 years, there are drapes on the windows of the state dining room at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion! Thanks largely to Friends of the Mansion, the gold parlor and dining room now boast new curtains and valances.

To join Friends of the Mansion, please email [email protected]. Friends of the Mansion provides funding for the conservation, preservation, and repair of furnishings in the 1842 historic section of the Mansion.

The previous window treatments in the dining room and gold parlor were installed in 1975. Natchez seamstress Carolyn Clark sewed the curtains and valances from period fabric sourced by Richard Branyan of Lower Lodge Conservation and Museum Services.

Carolyn Clark learned to sew at age nine. In 1974, Elvis’s decorator Rae Goddard taught Mrs. Clark how to sew drapes. “’You’ll never be without a job’” she recalls Mrs. Goddard telling her. This was reassuring as Mrs. Clark was a single mother with three boys. Sure enough, she began her business in 1975 and since then has worked for decorators in California, New York, and Mississippi.

Almost 80 years old, Mrs. Clark says the Governor’s Mansion is her last “big” job. She still enjoys working with beautiful fabrics. “It’s like Christmas” she says about seeing the fabric unrolled for a drapery project. She intends to continue working on smaller projects but wants time to paint and to enjoy her hobby of making dollhouse miniatures.