1. It’s the First Place You See When Entering Old Salem

Walk across the pedestrian Heritage Bridge into Old Salem and the first building you encounter is the Frank L. Horton Museum Center, home to MESDA.

While most buildings in Old Salem recreate life in the 18th and 19th centuries through costumed interpreters and historic workshops, MESDA offers a different kind of experience. Inside, you’ll find a traditional museum setting filled with objects that tell the story of craftsmanship throughout the early American South. The Horton Center also houses a bookshop, research library, and classroom space, among other offerings.

Fun fact: the building itself started life as a 1940s Kroger grocery store. When the museum’s founders began assembling their remarkable collection of Southern decorative arts, the former supermarket was transformed into the museum complex visitors see today.

2. The Museum Explores the South in Two Distinct Ways

MESDA’s galleries interpret the decorative arts of the early South from two complementary perspectives.

The upper-level galleries cast a wide lens across the American South, showcasing masterworks created throughout the region. Furniture from Virginia, ceramics from the Maryland, paintings from Charleston, and countless other objects illustrate how artistic traditions developed across the early South.

The lower-level Moravian Gallery, by contrast, takes a much deeper look at one place: Salem itself. Here, more than 150 objects made by Moravian settlers between 1753 and 1850 reveal how the community functioned as a true crafts village. Furniture, musical instruments, textiles, pottery, paintings, and metalwork all demonstrate the skill and creativity of the artisans who lived and worked here.

Together, these galleries provide both a broad view of Southern craftsmanship and an intimate look at the artistic life of Salem.

3. Your Old Salem Ticket Already Gets You Inside

Visitors exploring Old Salem can step inside MESDA as part of their regular admission. An All-in-One Old Salem ticket includes access to three self-guided MESDA galleries inside the Frank L. Horton Museum Center, each offering a fantastic introduction to the museum’s world-class collection.

• Southern Masterworks Gallery: A “best of the best” showcase of Southern decorative arts, featuring standout furniture, paintings, metalwork, and textiles that illustrate the artistry and craftsmanship of the early American South.
• Southern Ceramics Gallery: Home to one of the most comprehensive collections of antebellum Southern pottery, featuring earthenware and stoneware from across the region that reflect the culture and daily life of the early South. (It's also where you'll meet "Winchester," seen above, a lovable ceramic lion that serves as MESDA's mascot.)
• Moravian Decorative Arts Gallery: As noted above, this gallery highlights objects made by Salem’s Moravian community between 1753 and 1850.

Together, these spaces offer a curated preview of MESDA’s larger collection and are completely free to explore with Old Salem admission. But for the full MESDA experience, you'll need to book a specialty tour, which unlock additional galleries and study rooms throughout the museum. 

Among the most popular options are the 2-Hour Connoisseur Tours, offered Wednesday through Saturday at 1:30 p.m. These tours cost $75 and often sell out, so booking online in advance is recommended. Additional tour options and schedules vary, so visitors should check MESDA’s website for the latest details.

4. The Galleries Are Full of Surprising Stories

One of the most memorable aspects of MESDA is the way its galleries unfold. 

Instead of one large exhibition hall, the museum is organized as a series of intimate rooms connected by hallways and doorways. Each of the 20+ spaces introduce a different theme, region, or artistic medium, creating the sense of moving through a living archive of craftsmanship from the early South. Along the way, visitors encounter remarkable stories tied to the objects on display.

One particularly powerful example appears in the Edenton Gallery, which contains the staircase from the home of Harriet Jacobs. Jacobs’ autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is one of the most widely read accounts of slavery in American history. Seeing a physical piece of her home provides a powerful link between the written narrative and the real spaces where that history unfolded.

Moments like these make MESDA far more than an art museum. It is a place where craftsmanship, culture, and human stories intersect.

5. It’s One of the South’s Leading Research Centers

Beyond its galleries, MESDA is an internationally respected center for decorative arts research.

The Gray Library, located on the museum's bottom floor, contains more than 20,000 volumes focused on Southern decorative arts, Moravian history, and early American material culture. Researchers, students, collectors, and history enthusiasts regularly visit to explore its collections.

Even more impressive are MESDA’s digital resources. The museum maintains expansive online research tools, including the Object Database and Craftsman Database, which together document thousands of objects and artisans from across the early South. These resources are available online to anyone, making MESDA not only a museum but also a major hub for scholarship and discovery.

Special Exhibit: Lately From

Immigrant Craftspeople & the Making of the American South

On view at MESDA through December 2026, Lately From is a timely exhibition that explores the immigrant artisans who shaped the early South. Furniture makers, silversmiths, potters, painters, and other craftspeople arrived from across Europe, Africa, and beyond, bringing skills and traditions that blended into new American art forms. Objects are paired with letters, records, and personal writings that reveal the journeys and lives behind the craftsmanship. The exhibit is included with Old Salem admission.

Plan Your Visit Today

Whether you are interested in art, history, design, or simply discovering something unexpected, MESDA is one of the most fascinating places to explore in Old Salem. Start with the self-guided galleries included with your Old Salem admission, or book a guided tour to venture deeper into the museum’s remarkable collection. For tour details and the latest visitor information, visit MESDA.org.

Also, check out our Old Salem 101 Guide for inside tips on things to see and do in the district.