New Permanent Exhibit Unveiled
October, 2024
Welcome to the land where blues began
Since its creation, the Delta Blues Museum has preserved, interpreted and encouraged a deep interest in the story of the blues. Established in 1979 by the Carnegie Library Board of Trustees and re-organized as a stand-alone museum in 1999, the Delta Blues Museum is the state's oldest music museum. A five-member board appointed by the Mayor and Board of Commissioners of Clarksdale governs the museum. Through funding by the City of Clarksdale, admissions, memberships, gift shop revenue, granting agencies and donations, the museum uses these public and private funds to carry out it's mission of preserving and teaching the Blues.
As the Delta Blues Museum celebrates it's 45th anniversary on January 30th and throughout 2024 you will discover the latest new exhibits and more exciting events to partake covering the Museum's 44 years of exploring the new and preserving the Blues of the past. We're excited to be here for you to visit us and explore the Blues!
Museum Special Hours
October 13th & October 20, 2024
The Museum will be OPEN on Sunday, October 13, 2024 from 1:30pm to 5:00pm during the King Biscuit Festival in Helena, AR.
The Museum will also be OPEN on Sunday, October 20, 2024 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm during all the Blues Festivals and more in Clarksdale.
Reserve your tickets to the museum today for your visit during the upcoming King Biscuit Festival and the Deep Blues Festival this October.
Check out our Events page for even more events occuring this October.
for more information in arranging your trip to the museum and Clarksdale.
The Museum's Plan Your Visit pages
offer additional information to assist with arranging your trip to the museum and Clarksdale.
Exhibit Unveiling & Reception
October 03, 2024
"Blue Portraits in Steel" featuring works by Scott Cawood, has now become a permanent exhibit at the Delta Blues Museum. An artist reception, book signing, and Q&A with Scott Cawood was held on Thursday, October 03, 2024 in the museum gallery. Live music was performed by Anthony "Big A" Sherrod. This event was sponsored by Visit Mississippi. Press Release
Howlin' Wolf Explore & Learn
The Museum is pleased to announce it's latest Explore & Learn program featuring Howlin' Wolf. Learn about this legendary blues musician, how he got the nickname "The Wolf", and much more.
Howlin' Wolf
This newer feature was made possible through a grant funded by the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA).
Experience - Virtual Field Trips
New World District
Take a virtual field trip to Clarksdale, Mississippi and learn how the city was known throughout the 1890's to the 1940's as the New World District. This field trip produced by Mississippi filmmaker Joe York, complements the Museum's Explore & Learn feature "Follow Robert Johnson".
View the Field Trip
View All Field Trips
Robert Johnson
Take a virtual field trip with blues legend Robert Johnson. Learn about his recordings, the crossroads and more. This field trip produced by Mississippi filmmaker Joe York, complements the Museum's Explore & Learn feature "Follow Robert Johnson".
View the Field Trip
View All Field Trips
Muddy Waters - The Blues Legend
Produced by Mississippi filmmaker Joe York, the video field trip draws upon the Museum's existing educational feature "Follow Muddy". This feature expands our visitors' experience through new visuals of Stovall Farms can be viewed plus much more, featured on display in the Delta Blues Museum Muddy Waters Addition.
View the Field Trip
View All Field Trips
Celebrate the Museum's 45th year!
There's always something new to see, do, and even to buy at the Museum! So be sure to come on in while you're visiting Clarksdale!
Museum Hours
Monday - Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM, with final admissions no later than 4:30pm
Visit our events page for holiday closures and special events.
Museum Recognitions
The Delta Blues Museum has been recognized as a best place to visit in many publications throughout the years. TripAdvisor, USA Today's Readers' Choice Travel Awards, Budget Travel, River Travel Magazine, Five Innovative Museums, and 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. We continue to add to our exhibits, shopping experience and more for your pleasure when visiting the museum.
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"Keeping the Beat" the Delta Blues Museum's Newsletter
Receive news about the museum and Clarksdale, plus be among the first to receive e-vites for special events. Click Here to Join
To Read the Latest Newsletter
or catch-up on our previous newsletters click here
Muddy Waters Cabin from Stovall Farms
The remains of the cabin from Stovall Farms where Muddy Waters lived during his days as a sharecropper and tractor driver are displayed in the gallery. Read More
Delta Blues Museum Receives MAC Grant
July 25, 2024 - Delta Blues Museum is the recipient of a $23,400 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the more than $1.7 million in grants MAC awarded in Fiscal Year 2025 and will be used to support Museum operations over the course of the two-year grant period. Press Release
Delta Blues Museum Receives "Building Fund for the Arts" Grant
March 14, 2024 - Delta Blues Museum's freight depot facility will see some upgrades this year, thanks to a $120,000 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). The funding opportunity provided through the BFA grant supports the much-needed repair, renovation, expansion, or construction of Mississippi facilities that serve as sites for year-round arts programming in their communities. Press Release
DELTA BLUES MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS
Exhibits, Events and More!
60 Minutes - Blues revival in Mississippi Delta brings "Kingfish" to music scene
60 MINUTES visits the blues mecca of Clarksdale, Mississippi, during Juke Joint Festival plus spends some quality time with hometown blues hero Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. Watch Here
Experience - Virtual Tours
John Lee Hooker - Artist
Learn what Clarksdale's local blues musicians have to say regarding their experiences and influences involving John Lee Hooker.
View John Lee Hooker's Tours
James "Super Chikan" Johnson - Tour Guide
Mississippi native and blues musician, James "Super Chikan" Johnson joins the Delta Blues Museum virtual tours with entertaining stories about his experiences with various blues musicians.
View Super Chikan's Tours
See All 25 Virtual Tours
Our Virtual Tours are informative and educational videos with local artists about the blues, their experiences with blues artists, and exhibits on view at the Delta Blues Museum. Some of our local tour guides include Terry "Big T" Williams, Libby Rae Watson, about blues artists such as Muddy Waters. Click Here to view all of our Virtual Tours.
Festivals & More
- Fall, 2024
The blues festival season is starting to wind down for this year. Thank you to all who visit the Museum each and every year! Your patronage is always most welcome! Festival season in Clarksdale will wrap up with a host of events in October, starting with the King Biscuit Festival in Helena, Arkansas, then coming back to Clarksdale with the Tennessee Williams Festival & Deep Blues Fest running the same weekend, Hambone Festival and finishing the month with Cruzn the Crossroads Car and Truck Show. Be sure to check our events page for additional information and other upcoming events. We can't wait to see ya'!
An online visit to Cat Head's music calendar will provide you with day to day happenings in the ever present local blues scene in Clarksdale. As always, when visiting Clarksdale, be sure to stop by the museum for a nice cool down while touring our ever expanding exhibits. To maximize your blues music experience, check out our festivals page while planning your visit to the Museum. And don't forget to stop by our Gift Shop for a little something to commemmorate your trip!
There are a multitude of events that occur throughout the year at the Museum and in Clarksdale, so please be sure to regularly check the museum's events page for updated information. Reservations to the Delta Blues Museum are not required, however, are helpful to secure your preferred time to tour. Reserve your tickets.
In the meantime, be sure to check out our "virtual tour visits" and shopping at our on-line gift shop for your latest acquisition of blues music, memorabilia, and much more! Be sure to check the Museum's events page regularly for potential upcoming events! Need some ideas for when to plan your next trip to Clarksdale? Just visit our Plan Your Visit pages for info of upcoming festivals, where to stay, local blues venues and more during your next trip.
Shopping at the Museum
- October, 2024
Hot Blues, Cool Nights
October is blues festival time in the Delta. Be sure to celebrate hot blues & cool nights with souvenirs from our Gift Shop. Unable to get to the museum for your souvenirs? No problem -
check out our online store for Mississippi Delta souvenirs, from CDs and books to posters and tees.
Events in Clarksdale
- Fall, 2024
Festival season is wrapping up! October has a few festivals to round out the season coming to Clarksdale and the Museum Stage. As usual, there is always live music at the local blues clubs, and other events at the museum and throughout Clarksdale. So what are you waiting for? Plan your visit to the Museum today!
Museum reservations are not required, but can be purchased through our tickets page.
For additional information regarding local events, please check out our Festivals section or www.visitclarksdale.com; and www.cathead.biz which are also great sources for information regarding Clarksdale's local blues scene.
DELTA BLUES MUSEUM PROGRAMS:
EXPLORE AND LEARN Follow the Blues masters and their travels.
EXPLORE AND LEARN Follow the Blues masters and their travels.
The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker
"John Lee Hooker's debut on Riverside Records is perhaps the truest to his Mississippi roots. Unaccompanied and playing acoustically instead of his usual amplified guitar, he turned in a wonderfully varied set of deep Delta blues, moans, boogies, one field holler, and even a bit of hokum. Some songs are autobiographical, others reworkings of blues standards-all stamped with the hauntingly personal Hooker touch. The audio for this 60th anniversary release is sourced from the original stereo tapes that were mastered on all analog by Kevin Gray at Coherent Audio. It was pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Memphis Record Pressing." - John Lee Hooker Estate Available in the Gift Shop
DBM's 78s Record Collection
Since our founding in 1979, the Delta Blues Museum has generously been given donations of thousands of 78s in every conceivable genre. Thanks to a Preservation Grant from the Grammy Foundation, the Museum has been able to catalog and archive the 78s that belong in our Collection. We hope you enjoy our 78s Record Collection
Buy a brick and help the museum!
Purchase a custom engraved blues brick for just $100. Your brick will be incorporated into the architecture of the Delta Blues Museum and on display for generations to come. A great way to pay tribute to your favorite blues fan! Order Your Brick Today
DBM Band CD
Our Arts & Education students completed their new CD "Deep Down in Blues Alley" just as COVID hit the country. As restrictions continue to lift, we are excited to be able to continue with our work to final completion and release. Currently, the cd has now been pressed and we are anticipating a release date soon.
This CD is made possible thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Drive the Great River Road
September, 2023 - The Mississippi River Parkway Commission offers The Great River Road - a historic, scenic drive that traces the Mississippi River's course through 10 states and over 3,000 miles. Learn More
DBM Artist Spotlights
DBM Artist Spotlight - Sam Cooke
Born in 1931 in Clarksdale to Annie Mae and Rev. Charles Cook. At the height of his fame, Sam was shot and killed in a tragic and still-controversial series of events on the night of December 11, 1964. Sam Cooke Spotlight
DBM Artist Spotlight - John Lee Hooker
The month of August is dedicated to John Lee Hooker at the Delta Blues Museum. John Lee Hooker Spotlight
DBM Artist Spotlight - Johnny Winter
The Delta Blues Museum remembers Blues Foundation Hall of Fame member Johnny Winter. Johnny Winter Spotlight
DBM Artist Spotlight - Bonnie Raitt
Unexpectedly and forever connected to Coahoma County, Mississippi, and to the Delta Blues: Raitt began opening shows in her early 20s for surviving Blues legends like John Lee Hooker, Son House and Muddy Waters. Bonnie Raitt Spotlight
Read ALL the DBM Artist Spotlights
Our Artist Spotlights are informative articles that specifically target various Blues Artists and their careers. Click Here to read all of our Artist Spotlights.
Check out the Museum's YouTube Channel
This site made possible through the support of Mississippi Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Humanities and the Rock River Foundation.
Welcome to the land where blues began
All About the Blues
All through the Delta Blues Museum and it's website, there is plenty of room to explore and learn about the Blues. From Artist Spotlights, Blues Music Festivals, and Museum Events to our Blues Education Programs, our many Exhibits, and Newsletters - there is always something new to expand your knowledge and participate in with the Blues.
Not sure when to schedule a visit? Check our Music & Festivals page or Events page to see what's playing at the Museum or locally in and around Clarksdale. We proudly participate in the Blue Star Museum program dedicated to our nation's service men and women.
This site made possible through the support of Mississippi Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Humanities and the Rock River Foundation.
Support for the Delta Blues Foudation, Inc has been provided by explore.org, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation.
Latest Posts
"New World District" Virtual Field Trip
August, 2024
Museum Recieves MAC Grant
July, 2024
60 Minutes - "Kingfish"
October, 2023
Museum Links
Museum Contact information
#1 Blues Alley Lane
Clarksdale, MS 38614
Phone: 662-627-6820
Email: info@deltabluesmuseum.org
