The renovation has combined more than 200 artifacts with the latest technology. The outer area features symbols of the Native American culture affixed on a number of wooden heraldic poles. The life-size figures will exhibit the jewelry and the clothing of Mississippian cultures inside the museum.
The ceremonial feather decorations will also be displayed in the museum which are hand-sewn by Native-American artists. Pottery and other artworks are kept in display cases which get illuminated when recorded narratives talk about them. A Native American maker of medicine will appear in three dimensions to take the visitors to a journey into the afterlife.
The project has almost doubled the size of the building and also features Knotted Bird Gifts, a gift shop and Black Warrior Coffee, a café. The three-room exhibit space is the highlight of the new building, using latest educational and interactive technology to tell visitors about the story of the people living in Moundville 800 years ago with a display of their art.
An upper-class bride belonging to the central Mississippian River Valley arriving on a palanquin held by four people will be displayed in the central hall. Each figure is adorned with copper ornaments and a full-length feather cape. The costuming of the figures is based on real artifacts found at the Moundville site and on exhibit in surrounding cases. The Moundville chief and his coterie will be displayed in the first room, waiting for the wedding ceremony.
The artifacts are on display in cases for the complete view including the fronts, backs as well as the bottoms of the objects.
The funding for the new museum came from a broad range of stakeholders including private donors, foundations, and state and federal grants. The renovated design of the museum was done by designers Taft Design and Associates, headed by the husband-and-wife team of Geoffrey and Doris Woodward.
