The Tunica RiverPark is a perfect place to explore and understand the rich history of the Mississippi Delta and America's greatest river. Perfect for family outings or a romantic sunset walk, the RiverPark allows you to interact up close with the awe-inspiring beauty of the Mississippi River. Learn about the impact of the Great Flood of 1927, as well as see the river's natural inhabitants inside three large aquariums. This 2007 Mississippi Travel Attraction of the Year's grounds are rich with native wildlife and flora, and the stunning architectural features of the RiverPark Overlook provides breathtaking views of America's river.
Museum
Gateway to the Blues /
http://www.tunicatravel.com/things-to-do/the_blues/gateway
See the story of the blues come to life in all its tormented and anguished glory. Located on Blues Highway 61, the museum is the perfect place to begin your journey through the Mississippi Delta. Experience interactive exhibits, artwork and more - including a recording studio where you'll learn the basics of blues music with a chance to record your very own blues song. The Gateway is not only a museum, but also a visitor center and gift shop with official Tunica merchandise. So, before you trek through blues country, get into a blues-state-of-mind at the 2015 Mississippi Travel Attraction of the Year - the gateway to the Blues!
DeSoto County Courthouse /
The anchor of Hernando square, the historic DeSoto County Courthouse was built in 1942 after the previous French Castle courthouse burned in 1940. The courthouse features an impressive series of murals that circle the interior rotunda depicting explorer Hernando DeSoto's travels along the Mississippi River. The murals were painted in 1903 for Memphis' historic Gayoso Hotel and given to DeSoto County in the 1950s. They have since been restored three separate times and have been a consistent point of interest for cultural heritage travelers to the Mississippi Delta region.
Tate County Heritage Museum /
662.562.5661
http://visitmississippi.org/bookmarkables/show/26716
The Tate County Heritage Museum tells various aspects of the county's history, including the story of how the town of Coldwater had to be moved - churches, houses, and water tank - to make way for the creation of Arkabutla Lake. The museum is located in the Tate County Courthouse, a Mississippi Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The courthouse is constructed of locally produced brick and is the oldest continuously used courthouse in the state of Mississippi, circa 1875.
Delta Blues Museum /
http://www.deltabluesmuseum.org/
(662) 627-6820
The award-winning Delta Blues Museum is the state of Mississippi's oldest music museum. Established in 1979 by the Carnegie Public Library Board of Trustees in Clarksdale and re-organized as a stand-alone museum in 1999, the Delta Blues Museum is located in the historic Clarksdale freight depot, a Mississippi Historic Landmark built in 1918 for the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. The former freight area is devoted to permanent and traveling exhibits. The museum includes the Delta Blues Museum Stage which hosts a year-round music education program as well as lectures and symposia and serves as the main venue for local festivals such as the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival in August and the Juke Joint Festival in April.
DeSoto County Museum /
111 E Commerce Street
Hernando, MS 38632
Located in Hernando, Mississippi, the DeSoto County Museum showcases artifacts and exhibits featuring the history of DeSoto County. The DeSoto County Museum features the history and development of the county from 1541 to the present. Highlights include artifacts and exhibits interpreting Hernando DeSoto's arrival in Mississippi and interaction with Native Americans, a working model of a paddlewheel boat, the parlor of an antebellum mansion, African American historical events, and other key events in the agricultural, recreational, and social development of DeSoto County. The museum also features current developments including exhibits featuring the DeSoto Civic Center, local artwork and entertainment, and stories of the growing communities of Horn Lake, Olive Branch, Southaven, and Hernando.
Mule Train /
In the spring of 1968, Dr. martin Luther King, Jr., visited Marks to rally support for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's "Poor People's Campaign", a nationwide march to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of economic disparity and persistent poverty. Dr. King was so moved by the desperate conditions in marks that he promoted it as the starting point for the campaign's network of traveling groups. His assassination a few weeks later delayed the implementation of the campaign until May, when nine caravans of poverty-stricken protestors began their slow way toward the East Coast from Several locations.
One hundred and fifteen Quitman County residents, ranging in age from eight months to 70 years old, left Marks on May 13, traveling in more than a dozen mule-drawn wagons. On June 19, 1968, Quitman County's famous "Mule Train" rolled into the nation's capitol and joined the large protest on the National Mall.
Holmes County Courthouse /
The courthouse was designed by the Knoxville, TN, firm of Walter Chamberlin & Co. The present courthouse replaced a c.1850 courthouse that, is speculated, was designed by William Nichols. The architecture of the building itself is worth a visit.
The courthouse played a significant role in the history of the Church of God in Christ. Bishop Charles H. Mason, founder, was arrested in Holmes County and jailed in the Courthouse. A memorial in his honor is displayed in the basement of the courthouse.
Additionally, a historic marker recognizing Bishop Mason was erected on the courthouse grounds on October 16, 2015.
Catfish Museum & Visitors Center /
http://www.belzonims.com/thecatfishcapitol.htm
The Catfish Museum and Visitors Center is housed in an old railroad depot. Indoor exhibits feature hand crafted displays by Mississippi artisans using paper relief, ceramics, metal and wood carvings, a video also explains the various aspects of catfish farming including constructing ponds, hatching eggs and seining. Outdoors a flower sculpture made of spawning cans welcomes visitors as they arrive. Hatching tanks and seining nets complete the display by the entrance. Last, but not least, is a miniature catfish pond featuring a 40 foot catfish fountain. "King Cat" reigns.
The Catfish Museum & Visitor Center is opened Monday -Friday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Museum of the Mississippi Delta /
https://www.museumofthemississippidelta.com/
The Museum of the Mississippi Delta is at the crossroads of Delta history and art. The museum boasts a room dedicated to the agricultural history of our region with photographs and farming implements on display. A Civil War-era cannon and a model of the battle of nearby Fort Pemberton are featured in the Leflore County Military History exhibit, focusing on the effect of various wars on Greenwood and its citizens. Peek into the past to view life in the early Mississippi Delta, from colonial trade beads to the history of King Cotton and on to contemporary regional art.
Jim Henson Museum /
The exhibit was given by Jane Henson and the The Jim Henson Legacy as “a gift to the people of Leland, MS” featuring a tableau honoring Kermit the Frog’s beginnings on Deer Creek. Everyone is invited to join the celebration with a visit to Leland where Jim spent his formative years developing his creativity and love of nature on the banks of beautiful Deer Creek – The Birthplace of Kermit the Frog.
BB King Museum /
An exciting cultural center anchored by an early 20th century brick cotton gin, the B.B. King Museum is dedicated to the celebration and presentation of the life and hard work of B.B. King and the music and history of the Mississippi
Delta. With 20,000 square feet of modern exhibit space, the B.B. King Museum includes thousands of rare artifacts, award-winning film, computer interactives, and a story that will give your emotions a workout. The B.B. King Museum also offers art, music, and health workshops in the AT&T Learning Center as well as special performances in the state-of-the-art theater for the community. After his death in May 2015, B.B. was laid to rest on the grounds of the museum, and visitors can come reflect on his legacy as a world-renowned musician and humble gentleman.
MDNHA Passport Program /
As a National Park Service partner, the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area participates in the Passport to Your National Parks program. MDNHA passport stations are located in each of the MDNHA's 18 counties and are available through cultural, tourism, and municipal organizations. Passport stamp collectors who successfully gather stamps from all 18 counties are eligible to receive the MDNHA’s NPS Centennial Passport t-shirt as a prize for traveling the entire MDNHA. For the complete list of passport station locations, visit http://www.msdeltaheritage.com/ms-delta-national-heritage-area-mdnha-passport/.
McRaven Tour Home /
http://www.mcraventourhome.com/
Named Mississippi's most haunted house, visit McRaven where ghostly demeanor has been broadcast on A&E, The Travel Channel, 48 Hours and "Look Around Mississippi." Step back into time in Vicksburg's finest totally authentic pre-Civil War home with the most complete way-of-life tour. Built in three different time periods, every room is lavishly furnished with museum-quality antiques including a pioneer kitchen. National Geographic magazine called it the "Time Capsule of the South." Stroll through the three-acre gardens once a Confederate campsite and field hospital. Discover and experience the famous and infamous people of McRaven and why their spirits have never left.
Train Coal Tower /
In the heyday of rail traffic, locomotives were steam powered and fueled by way of structures such as this in Lambert. The original one built in the 1800s was made of wood, but this concrete structure was built in the early 1900s and served its purpose until the mid-twentieth century when the fuel of choice became diesel. Because of the high cost of demolition, a few of these iconic towers remain in place and are often sought out by railfans for photo opportunities.