Rowan Oak Attracts Visitors from 58 Countries

Rowan Oak was visited by people from 58 different countries over the last 12 months. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications

Rowan Oak is a destination known around the world, as guests from 58 different countries visited the estate of Nobel-prize winning author William Faulkner over the last 12 months.

The home and 33-acre grounds are part of the University of Mississippi Museum. After a review of the guestbook from December 2015 to this month, museum staff discovered visitors from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 58 countries stopped by the preserved home of Faulkner.

“William Faulkner’s work is read throughout the world, so Rowan Oak’s visitors reflect his global influence,” said Bill Griffith, Rowan Oak curator.

The countries represented include Argentina, Cambodia, Israel, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

“We’re exceptionally proud of the fact that the University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses attract such demographically diverse audiences, and the compilation of the number of foreign countries represented in the Rowan Oak visitor count is such strong evidence of its appeal internationally,” said Robert Saarnio, University Museum director.

“With collections and exhibitions representing several millennia of world cultural and artistic heritage, the museum also appeals to wide-ranging visitor interests, backgrounds and points of origin.”

Rowan Oak will be open to the public through the holiday season from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays, closing Dec. 22 to Jan. 2.

By Christina Steube and the Ole Miss News Desk