Music lovers know about Nashville, considered to be the home of country music, and Memphis, launching the careers of artists like Elvis Presley and countless others thanks to Sun Studio and Stax Records. But if you really want to get down to it, to trace these musical origins even further back, you have to start in the Mississippi Delta.
When people ask me my favorite place in the South, I have many answers, but one is always Mississippi just because of how important it is. Just about every type of American music can be traced back to the cotton plantations of the small towns between Memphis and Vicksburg off Highway 61.
Sharecroppers and farm workers spent their non-working hours performing in makeshift venues in a style that became the blues.
Some of the towns in this region are small, with few offerings apart from the familiar blue Blues Trail markers. But others have artistic, young energy that I love, like Clarksdale and Cleveland. I first visited in 2015 and returned in October.
This post contains affiliate links that can earn this website a small income. They will not cost you anything to use.
The Places of the Mississippi Delta
Whether you’re a music fan or history buff, it’s the places in the Delta that are truly unique. You can also visit the area with Delta Bohemian Tours and Quapaw Canoe Company.
Bryant’s Grocery, Money
Little remains of Bryant’s Grocery, a small-town corner store that once served the community of Money, located near Greenwood. The town along the Tallahatchie River was where a young Emmett Till visited with his cousins and was alleged to have made a pass at a white woman. It later came out that she had lied, but it was too late.
He was taken from his relatives’ home that night and his body was later pulled from the river. Photos of his open casket were displayed on the cover of national magazines, turning the tides of the Civil Rights Movement. Today, all that’s left is a historic marker and the crumbling structure.
Dockery Farms, Cleveland
Dockery Farms was a cotton farm where a number of blues performers worked. Owner Will Dockery was a fair employer, providing reasonable wages and an onsite commissary where food could be purchased.
Musicians like Charley Patton performed here. It’s one of many reasons it’s known as the Birthplace of the Blues. Visitors can go on tours or watch a video before roaming the grounds.
Grammy Museum, Cleveland
Like its counterpart in Los Angeles, The Grammy Museum honors the significance of the music of artists in the region in modern American music with a special emphasis on Mississippi’s musicians. The space includes a theater displaying some of the awards show’s most memorable performances.
Another area displays some of the most outrageous red carpet attire and costumes, including OutKast’s green ensemble above. Interactive areas allow visitors to record their own tunes. Get your GRAMMY Museum Mississippi General Admission before you go.
Other Blues Museums
But the Grammy Museum isn’t the only draw for music fans. The Gateway to the Blues Museum in Tunica is located in a historic train depot and provides visitors with the history of the blues and its impact on the region.
The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale teaches about the town’s blues history and see exhibits on important artists from the area. And in Indianola, the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center discusses the history of the late musician and the Mississippi he grew up in.
Po Monkey’s Lounge
Located on a quiet country road outside of Merigold is the last of the Mississippi juke joints. Po Monkey’s Lounge was featured in countless stories, including the book Dispatches from Pluto. The ramshackle building opened in 1961 and hosted countless acts over the years.
It closed unexpectedly when the owner died in 2016. Today it’s been boarded up and items have been sold off. All that remains is the blues trail marker and countless years of history. But it’s a reminder of what the Delta once looked like.
The Food of the Mississippi Delta
People don’t usually think about Mississippi for its food, but the Delta is still a highly agricultural area. It’s been influenced by the many people that have moved here over the years and is finally getting its due.
Delta Meat Market, Cleveland
Delta Meat Market had a cult-like following after opening in 2013, equal parts butcher shop and restaurant. Chef Cole Ellis and his take on modern Southern cuisine earned him a nomination for a James Beard award. In 2019, he moved to a new space inside the Cotton House Hotel.
The restaurant is open all day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu includes regional craft beer and beloved dishes like the hanger steak frites, topped in Hoover sauce, creamy grits, and tomato pie. They also have Delta tamales as a special.
The Senator’s Place, Cleveland
There’s no better soul food in town than The Senator’s Place, owned by a local senator. A daily buffet includes a rotating menu of favorites, including fried chicken, stuffing, cornbread, rice and gravy, collard greens, and ribs.
It’s the mouthwatering food that earned the restaurant a spot on the late Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. They’re open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays as well as dinner on weekends.
Bar Fontaine and Hey Joe’s, Cleveland
Cleveland is a college town at heart, home to Delta State University, and has more than a few places to imbibe. Bar Fontaine has rooftop views and an incredible menu of Italian favorites. Hey Joe’s has a dive bar feel and offers weekly trivia with cheap beer.
Meraki Roasting Company, Clarksdale
Mekari Roasting Company has locally roasted coffee and light bites. The company has a small shop selling handcrafted items and has an entrepreneurial program with local youth. Enjoy coffee roasted onsite in your lattes and other drinks, which can be enjoyed in one of the cozy corners.
Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale
Ground Zero Blues Club is owned in part by actor Morgan Freeman. Not only does it host live music nearly every night and have its own upstairs accommodations. But the club also has a restaurant, serving local dishes like Delta tamales.
The Sleeps in the Mississippi Delta
If you’re looking to travel around the Delta, you’ll need a place to sleep. Cleveland, Tunica, and Clarksdale have the most plentiful and unique options.
Cotton House Hotel, Cleveland
The new Cotton House Cleveland opened in 2019 as the region’s first boutique hotel. Stylish rooms feature record players, cozy bathrobes, and top-of-the-line toiletries. It’s a short walk from restaurants and shops in Cleveland.
The hotel is also home to Delta Meat Market and Bar Fontaine. They have their own fitness center and provide guests with access to a workout studio in the same building.
Shack Up Inn, Clarksdale
Shack Up Inn is perhaps the most authentic accommodations in the Mississippi Delta, made up of restored sharecropper flats and rooms from converted grain silos. It has a neighboring restaurant and an onsite music venue.
If you can’t snag a room at this unique spot, the Auberge Clarksdale Blues Hostel is a good alternative. It’s Mississippi’s first hostel and is owned by the team behind another property in New Orleans. They have dorm and private rooms decorated in paintings of musicians.
Gold Strike Casino Resort, Tunica
Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica is owned by MGM and has the same standard of excellence you’ll find at their properties in Las Vegas and beyond. The property has luxurious accommodations and restaurants, whether you spend any time gambling or not.
The Alluvian, Greenwood
The Alluvian is the boutique hotel in the region, created by the team behind Viking ranges, with its own spa, yoga studio, and restaurant. There’s even a cooking school across the street.
If you can’t get a spot there, Tallahatchie Flats is similar to Shack Up Inn, steeped in blues history. Each of the flats is decorated differently.
In 1946, l was born in the City of Clarksdale, Mississippi’s…For 12 years my Grandparent’s raised me at 924 Street. My grandfather’s was a Butcher at the Sam Thomas’s grocery store located on the corner of Lincoln and 4th Street. He worked for 50 years there. While living in the City, l attended segregated schools called: Mertal Hall and Higgans. I make this connection to your Article… “GREAT REFLECTIONS” and “HEARTWARMING” to be from the Delta
James Westmoreland here, born in Tchula, ’51, just a remind about Elvis, born in Tupelo (where my brothers and I played baseball), not Memphis. Eat some Mississippi tamales!
Don’t forget to feature Belzoni Mississippi. It has a lot of history that revelant to the Civil rights movement specifically the late Rev. George Lee. It is also referred to as the Catfish Capital of the world and had an annual catfish festival.
I am a lover of mississippi I was born there swiftown miss. Near Belzoni