Delta Blues Museum

Mission Statement :

The Delta Blues Museum is dedicated to creating a welcoming place where visitors find meaning, value and perspective by exploring the history and heritage of this unique American musical art form known as the "Blues."

History :

The Mississippi Delta has influenced popular American music and culture. Many consider the City of Clarksdale and the surrounding area near the junction of State Highways 61 and 49 in Mississippi as the birthplace of the "Blues."

Since its creation a quarter of a century ago, the Delta Blues Museum has preserved, interpreted, and encouraged a deep interest in the story of the "Blues." Established in 1979 by the Carnegie Public Library Board of Trustees, and made 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. Funded annually by the City of Clarksdale, gift shop revenue, granting agencies, and donations, the museum uses public and private funds to carry out its mission.

The building was built in 1918 to serve as the freight depot for the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. It is approximately twelve thousand square feet, five thousand of which are devoted to exhibits. The collection and staff offices are located on the second story of the building. The building is spacious and the open floor plan lends itself well as exhibit space.