United News of Bangladesh

Tiny figurines peek over electrical boxes, float down drainage pipes, and hide in alley nooks, waiting for visitors willing to get on their hands and knees to discover them. Vicki Taylor carefully assembles these miniature scenes in the backroom of a theater she runs with her husband, Rick. In 2020, the couple opened the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum also called "Mississippi's Tiniest Museum"—to bring joy and draw people downtown during the COVID-19 shutdown. Today, the once gray, overlooked alley has become a lively community hub and a unique tourist attraction. "You may come feeling down, but you're going to leave excited," said Brianna Moore, a local who often brings her two sons to the free museum. "My boys love it." What began as a small window display behind Hattiesburg’s Saenger Theater has grown into a miniature wonderland. Visitors can now explore a tiny art gallery, a mini movie theater, colorful murals, a keychain and DVD exchange, a rainbow bridge for pets that have passed away, and even a motion-activated dance corner with music and disco lights. "It was just an average alley, like you see in any town," Taylor said. "It just took looking at it differently to see what it could become." Rick Taylor, executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, which operates the museum and theater, said the museum has drawn over 300,000 visitors since opening. According to Visit Hattiesburg CEO Marlo Dorsey, the museum has coincided with a more than 40% growth in the city’s tourism economy. Dorsey credited the rise to city efforts to promote culture, art, and recreation, including a project to paint 100 murals across Hattiesburg. Unique attractions like the Pocket Museum and the nearby Lucky Rabbit vintage store have also helped pull visitors downtown. Tony Lymon, a Hattiesburg resident since 1990 and owner of eYrthBeat Coffee Company near the museum, said he has seen a "monumental rebirth" in the downtown area over the past decade. He believes nearby attractions help bring customers to his shop. The museum has also become a platform for local artists. Gabby Smith, who painted several alley murals, said it gave her confidence to pursue art full-time. Now, she watches her children explore the alley, excitedly asking, "Mommy, did you paint that one too?" "This city believes in art and artists," said Shaw Ingram, who opened Wax Fantastic Records downtown last year. "There's nowhere else I would want to open this business." Back in her workshop, Vicki Taylor reflects on the museum’s unexpected popularity. She once feared it might fade after the pandemic, but now curates constantly changing exhibits. The effort, she said, is worth it to showcase the city she loves. "Hattiesburg is not a beach town, and it doesn't have mountains," she said. "There has to be something to make people stop off the highway."