The Delta Blues Museum in Mississippi

Clarksdale, Mississippi (pop. 21,000) is capitalizing on its heritage as “the birthplace of the blues” by making that a central theme for tourism promotion. Local artists such as Muddy Waters and W.C. Handy, who was born in Alabama but lived in both Clarksdale and Memphis, helped popularize this uniquely American style of music. In 1979, the Delta Blues Museum was established in Clarksdale’s public library. Twenty one years later, the museum has moved into a newly restored historic freight depot, and attendance has grown to almost 23,000 visitors a year. A “Blues Alley” historic district was established in Clarksdale, with the Delta Blues Museum in the restored depot as the cornerstone of the project. Through an innovative after-school blues instruction program, the museum is encouraging local youth to become budding blues musicians. Contact the Delta Blues Museum at (662) 627-6820 or check out www.deltabluesmuseum.org.

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