Welcome to Moundville’s first Virtual Native American Festival!
Moundville’s Virtual Native American Festival offers many of the same performances and demonstrations as the beloved on-site festival — but in an online format.
Some of our events will be offered live via YouTube or Facebook; other content will be recorded or available for download. Enjoy!
Events and Content Areas
Portals to the Past: Virtual Exhibits, Virtual Tours, and Archaeology in Action
Virtual Escape Room & Tours
Visit the Jones Archaeological Museum where state-of-the-art exhibits tell a story of the nobility who once lived at Moundville. Stunning artifacts, recreated scenery and a special effects theatre are all part of the new displays. Explore the park without leaving your home or office on a virtual tour and learn about the mounds and the natural resources surrounding them.
Explore Virtual Exhibits and Tours.
Archaeological Horizons
Join UA Museums’ archaeologists as they explain how scientists excavate and discover new things about the ancient Moundville people. Archaeologists reveal what we know about Moundville as well as researchers’ latest findings in these videos.
Check out Archaeological Horizons.
Native American Stage: Daily Live Performances
The Native American Stage features renowned dancers, storytellers and musicians. Hear the heartbeat of native music in the sound of the drums and rattles. Discover why certain animals look or act the way they do as described in ancient native stories and legends. Listen to voices blended in haunting harmony or the beautiful notes of flutes floating on the breeze. Both traditional and contemporary performances are featured throughout the Virtual Moundville Native American Festival.
Check out the schedule of performances on the Native American Stage.
Arts and Crafts Demonstrations
See pottery being pit fired or learn how Choctaws make rivercane baskets. Watch fire being kindled by friction or talk with a world-class bowman as he carves a wooden longbow. Witness these experts as they shoot the bow and arrow or throw a spear 50 yards with the help of a special “stick” called an atlatl. See how a hollow piece of cane can be used to create a deadly dart. Native Americans and other experts demonstrate these and many other arts, crafts, and technologies.
See our schedule of demonstrations, and links to pre-recorded arts and crafts videos.
Living History
Discover why the fur trade was so important to Indians in the late 1700s and early 1800s in the Living History Camp. Through its sights, and sounds, these reenactors bring the past to life. You can see native foods cooking on an open fire or hear an elder describe his journeys through the wilderness. Reenactors are dressed in period clothing, their authentic camps filled with items suggesting this important past trade era.
Virtual Breakout Room
● Thursday, October 7 at 10 AM for Students
● Thursday, October 7 at 7 PM for General Public
Event Description
This virtual education experience will offer you a chance to connect, play, and laugh your way through Moundville Archaeological Park and the Jones Archaeological Museum. Your Host (Rebecca Johnson, The University of Alabama Museums‘ Communications Specialist) will give you clues and instructions while your Tour Guide (Lindsey Gordon, Moundville’s Education Outreach Coordinator) will be in the museum with a live video feed acting as your eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Rebecca will help you watch videos, and help you keep track of the items and clues you find along the way. This interactive experience would be catered to classrooms on Thursday, October 7 at 10 AM. Each class will have to work together using Moundville’s history to solve one of Moundville’s Museum Mysteries!
How to Sign Up
Educators: Sign you class up for the experience through this online form.
Registrations for the October 7th 10am Breakout Room closes at October 7th at 8am.
Mvskoke Language Program
The Mvskoke Language Program preserves, maintains and revitalizes the language of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, they will be implementing audio and visual language instruction to our viewers. Join us Friday, October 8th at 11:00am for the educational experience. Watch it live on the UA Museum YouTube Channel.
Cook with Us
Enjoy creating some traditional foods in the comfort of your home. Join us Friday, October 8th at 7 PM for a live cooking demonstration. For dinner, please check out our Maque Choux cooking demonstration with Grayhawk Perkins. Watch it live on the UA Museum YouTube Channel.
Knotted Bird Gift Shop
Visit the virtual gift shop to pick up one of our annual festival souvenirs, or crafts.
Teacher’s Corner and Children’s Area
Teachers: You get access to these great classroom resources, including lesson plans tied to the virtual festival.
Children’s Area: Hands-On Activities
Kids of all ages will get firsthand experience in playing native games and making simple crafts in the virtual Children’s Area, a special site section available to anyone. Through our how-to videos, children will make a shell bead necklace and a turtle shell rattle.
See what’s happening in our Children’s Area.
Native American Festival Coloring Contest
The Virtual Moundville Native American Festival is reaching out to everyone young and old to participate in a coloring contest! We will be accepting submissions from October 6-18, 2021.
Who can submit their coloring sheet?
Anyone!
We are accepting submissions in four age categories:
- K-3rd Grade
- 4th-8th Grade
- 9th-12th Grade
- Adult
What are the prizes?
Contest winners will be featured be featured on UA Museums’ social media pages and websites. Winners from each category will receive two tickets to next year’s 2022 Moundville Native American Festival at Moundville Archaeological Park.
There are three ways to enter this year’s coloring contest!
- Download the Festival color sheet
- Submit you art using this online form.
- Stop by the Jones Archaeological Museum at Moundville Archaeological Park to turn in your coloring page.
- Mail your coloring page to:
Moundville Archaeological Park
634 Mound State Parkway
Moundville, AL 35474
Please make sure to turn in your coloring pages by October 18, 2021. The winner will be announced on October 17, 2021 on our Facebook page and by phone.
In-Person Exhibit
Weaving Muscogee Creek Culture: The Artistry of Mary Smith

Location
The museum is located at the intersection of Queen City Avenue and Jack Warner Parkway, across Queen City from the Tuscaloosa Public Library. The street address is 1901 Jack Warner Parkway, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
Check out our Directions page for step-by-step directions and parking and public transit info.
Time/Date
The exhibit will open on October 5, 2021 and end on March 19, 2022.
Admission
Admission to the Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum is free.