"Building Fund for the Arts" Grant
March, 2024
The Howlin' Wolf of The Blues
Explore and Learn
This feature made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area
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 Holiday Observance
- Monday, May 27, 2024
The Museum will be Closed Monday, May 27th in observance of Memorial Day. Have a Happy & Safe Holiday!
NEW! 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 new feature was made possible through a grant funded by the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA).
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
Exhibits - 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
The Blues & The Great Migration
Drawing from the Museum's current exhibits and existing Explore & Learn educational feature, The Blues & The Great Migration, this virtual field trip is dedicated to the Great Migration and its impact on the history of the blues. Produced by Mississippi filmmaker Joe York.
View the Field Trip View All Field Trips
Delta Blues Museum Announces New Virtual Tours Through Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area Grant
December 21, 2023 - Delta Blues Museum continues to expand its Virtual Tours, thanks to a $20,000 grant received from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA). Press Release
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
Museum Receives FY24 MAC Mini Grant
October 24, 2023 - Thanks to a generous Mini Grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC), Delta Blues Museum staff will be afforded professional development opportunities in order to better serve Museum visitors. MAC's annual grant funds come from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi State Legislature. Read More
DELTA BLUES MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS
Exhibits, Events and More!
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
Exhibits - Latest Virtual Tours
Pinetop Perkins - Artist
Andrew "Shine" Turner shares stories of Pinetop, including his change from guitar to piano, and the museum music education program.
View Pinetop Perkins's Tour
Jaxx Nassar - Tour Guide
Blues performer Jaxx Nassar tours the Delta Blues Museum sharing her experiences, thoughts, stories and more about BB King, Robert Johnson, and Josh "Razorblade" Stewart.
View Jaxx Nassar'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
- Spring, 2024
The blues festival season in Clarksdale has officially begun! Thank you to all who traveled to Clarksdale and visited the Museum during the Juke Joint Festival! Your patronage is always most welcome! While we are still celebrating Muddy Month at the Museum, looking up ahead - May brings Robert Johnson month and the Women in Blues Festival. 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 dont' 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
- April, 2024
Muddy Waters Online Shopping Discount
Celebrate the Delta Blues Museum's 45th year during Muddy Waters Month and pick up a little something for yourself commemorating one of the most iconic blues artists of our time. Prefer online ordering? Our online store is available day and night with a special discount on Muddy Waters merchandise during the month of April.
Events in Clarksdale
- Spring, 2024
Festival season is almost fully here! April brings Muddy Month at the Museum & the Juke Joint Festival, then we head into May with the Women's in Blues Festival and June with the BAM Festival. 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 - Little Walter
Delta Blues Museum pays tribute to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame harmonica legend Little Walter. Little Walter Spotlight
DBM Artist Spotlight - Arthneice "Gas Man" Jones
Gas Man's career as a harmonica player and songwriter was shaped by the late Johnnie Billington, while later as a music instructor in Lambert and then for the Delta Blues Education Program. Arthneice Jones 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
Press Release - MDNHA Grant Award
December, 2023
60 Minutes - "Kingfish"
October, 2023
The Howlin' Wolf of the Blues
May, 2023
Museum Links
Museum Contact information
Clarksdale, MS 38614
Phone: 662-627-6820
Email: info@deltabluesmuseum.org
