Absolutely loved this museum. So much history, especially Civil war history which is my favorite!…read moreThis is definitely a diamond in this town. Ok,... random history lesson to go along with it! Thomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. was a voice for Arkansas's secession and was essentially Arkansas's most prominent Fire-Eater. When Arkansas voted 65-5 to secede in May 1861, Hindman resigned from the U.S. Congress and recruited a regiment in Helena. He requested the state government for muskets, clothing, and 10 days of rations so that his men could "fight for our country." By September 1861, Hindman was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and soon participated in the disastrous Kentucky Campaign, followed by the Battle of Shiloh, where he was slightly wounded. After his recovery, Hindman was promoted to Major General and appointed commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department to prevent an invasion by the Union troops led by Samuel Curtis. Events in Arkansas had taken a terrible turn, and when Hindman arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas, he found that his command was "bare of soldiers, penniless, defenseless, and dreadfully exposed" to the Federal Army that was approaching. Hindman commenced a campaign of misinformation designed to mislead Federal authorities about the strength of the state's defenses. He also diverted Texas troops bound for Virginia for use in the defense of Arkansas. This confused the Federal authorities, causing them to divert from the capital and instead move to Helena. By August 1862, the authorities in Richmond decided to replace him (due to locals and political opponents complaints) with Theophilus H. Holmes. Hindman convinced Holmes to give him a field command in northern Arkansas. Hindman managed to intercept the Federal army while it was divided into 2 parts. Rather than attack the divided pieces, Hindman entrenched himself at Prairie Grove, Arkansas, allowing the Federal forces to recombine and assault him. After Prairie Grove, Hindman was transferred across the river and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga alongside his friend Pat Cleburne. After being wounded in the neck at Chickamauga, Hindman and his legion continued to fight along with the Army of Tennessee against General William Tecumseh Sherman, across north Georgia from the First Battle of Dalton to the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. On July 4, 1864, at Kennesaw Mountain he was struck in the eye by a tree limb and fell off his horse. Hindman suffered severe injuries that left him unfit for service and made him have to recouperate. Afterwards, he applied for a transfer to the Trans-Mississippi Department. His request was denied, but Jefferson Davis offered a leave of absence until he had fully recovered from his "physical disability". Hindman set out for Texas and arrived in San Antonio and settled there with his family for the time being. By May 1865, Confederate generals in New Orleans signed a document detailing terms of surrender. Hindman refused to surrender and, along with many other ex-Confederates, he crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico and sought asylum. He engaged in coffee planting and attempted to practice law. By April 1867, he was confident enough to return to Arkansas and apply to President Andrew Johnson for a pardon. Hindman's application was one of the few denied. At around 9:30 on the night of September 27, 1868, Hindman was assassinated by unknown assailants who fired through his parlor window while he was reading his newspaper with his children. The musket shots hit Hindman in the jaw, throat and hands, and he died 8 hours later due to significant blood loss, ending the life of Arkansas' highest ranking Confederate military officer. Before his death, Hindman gave a farewell speech from the porch of his house. He told listeners to "unite their courage and determination to bring peace to the people." "I do not know who killed me; but I can say, whoever it was, I forgive him." "I forgive everybody, and hope they will forgive me." Afterwards, he was too weak to continue speaking, and he sat down on a lounge. He remained there until he died early next morning. Hindman's assassins were never caught.

Wonderful local museum with an amazing collection!read more

A really nicely done museum. Great exhibits, tons of blues trivia and history. Filled with stuff…read moreabout the highway 61 migration route. The ladies working the gift shop are adorable.

One of the best music museums I've been to. Not big, but rich in texture and personalities. Worth…read moreit! Note: one reviewer said it's free. It's not: $15 general admission. Double worth it!

I am so grateful that Yelp suggested this place to me!! I had NO IDEA that Jim Henson lived in…read moreLeland, Mississippi as a child and created Kermit the Frog there! I cried when I got to the museum. I SERIOUSLY CRIED! I adored Sesame Street when I was growing up in the early 80's. It was a huge part of my life. And this museum was so incredible to stumble upon. And I went down the street and saw the Rainbow Connection Bridge in honor of Jim Henson. My cup runneth over! And the gift shop is lovely

If you are anywhere near Leland, Mississippi, you should do yourself a favor and stop in at the…read moreBirthplace of Kermit the Frog. This is a simple little museum/exhibit, supported through donations and grant monies, and operated with a lot of love and affection towards a hometown boy made good. We love the Muppets and we love the impact Jim Henson had (has) on children for generations. Visiting takes about 15 minutes - or 30 if you stop and chat with the curators like we did. They are a wealth of information about Jim Henson's early years so it's worth the time to talk. We also hit up the gift shop for a few special things to remember our visit. Also a worthwhile thing to do because we want this special place to stay open for many years to come.

The interpretive center is exceptional, providing detailed historical information along the civil…read morerights trail.rț

This amazing piece of property is steps away from the Sumner courthouse, and we all know what it's…read moreknown for. When I think about '55-- My paternal great-grandfather worked here then, living his humble grocer's life, a Chinese liaison bridging Black and White tensions, lending to his Black customers until they could get paid from the cotton work. It was a rotten, hard filled with racism. And now it's the interpretive center. The space was rather large, clean, sparse. The photos and his grocery sign and all of the sad memory that is commemorated here-- set and opened with the intention of starting dialogue of racial reconciliation. It was one of the most sobering moments of my life. The kind young man working here told me that my jin was very good to him and his family as he grew up, and he told me some stories of being a kid and buying snacks here. He let me walk every inch of the place, trying to imagine my relatives living in the rear of their store. I aim to head back for a visit, whenever it is "safe" to.

Absolutely no rock 'n' roll tour. The south would be complete without a visit to this spot…read more The B.B. King story is one that starts very humbly and ends with a life that many of us enjoyed from afar. At this location, you'll have the opportunity to learn that history, to see his guitars, and to purchase souvenirs. You'll also get the chance to see his gravesite. This is a very humble down to earth presentation and worthy of your careful consideration. It's off the beaten path and so you'll have to plan to get here, but it's worth it.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Indianola, Mississippi. Both dead now, my other grandparents are from a small town…read morehere, in Mississippi, so I grew up round these parts. We always loved it here, still do. So many amazing childhood memories.. the food, the people, the music.. When we visited my grandparents we alway went fishing & we always listened to Jazz. I grew up listening to local New Orleans Jazz & local blues musicians like the "King of the Blues" BB King. All the jazz greats like; Louie Armstrong, Billy Holiday, Albert King, Freddie King, Arron Neville etc., I have every Nina Simone album ever made & LOVE LOVE LOVE Tab Benoit ohmygosh so so many greats from the river delta down to New Orleans. That's why they call it the "legendary Blues Highway" from Nashville, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a actual Route, highway 61 between Memphis & Vicksburg, just gorgeous. On this "legendary Blues Highway" you will find the beautiful southern town of Indianola, where the BB King Museum is located. BB King was born September 16, 1925, on a cotton plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi, near Indianola. He started playing guitar in the church & went on to produce over 50 albums, which I have all of them. The BB King museum is a must visit. It is an interactive museum where you can listen to his music & learn about his life in the river delta, the jute joints he used to play on the "blues highway" from Memphis to New Orleans. And you can see his trademark black guitars "lucille" all over town. They even have one out front showcased in the garden. BB King is also laid to rest there, you can visit his burial right on site. "The thrill is gone" was one of his best, however, the thrill of his guitar playing, his legendary music will live on & on.. The thrill of BB King for moi, will never ever be gone, there isn't a day that goes by i'm not streaming jazz, Blues & BB King all day long every day, in my car, in my house, when I ride my bike, hang in the garden, on the beach, on the lake, in the swamp, on the bayou, doesn't matter where I am, I always got the down home blues & jazz tunes blasting. Always singing the blues, the muddy water blues. Long live the King, BB King, "King of the Blues" forever. Legend. Highest Recommendations.

Beautiful property and house. The guide was also very knowledgeable. The house also has ac. The…read morehouse was a bit difficult to navigate off of a dirt road but there was plenty of parking.

Great History of the Local area. Great knowledgeable workers with history of the plantation. This…read morehome is in the middle of great agriculture and great views of the levee that protects the home from the Mississippi River.

Cool dude with a cool story that owns a cool store…read more Before you sell your soul at the crossroads, swing by and support him so he can continue to preserve the Blues and all it's local Clarksdale history! This guy commits to having live music 7 days a week in the blues history rich town of Clarksdale.

Such a cool gift shop with all the blues albums you could want…read more Lots of great shirts, posters, souvenirs as well. Glad we stopped by during our day trip to Clarksville. The guy working was helpful and he shared a lot of the history with us.

First rate all the way. Great displays and memorabilia. Lots of excellent video and photos…read more Beautiful museum. Beautiful building too. Highly recommended. They also have instruments belonging to famous musicians; for example, Bob Dylan's upright Yamaha piano that he owned from 1969 to 1975. He wrote Blood on the Tracks on it. Had lots of the red carpet fashions from Grammy Awards.

Abundant parking, located adjacent to Delta State University. The building is pristine in…read morecleanliness from the exhibits to the restroom. The state is incredibly polite and informative. I'll definitely revisit as it is only 1.75 hrs from Memphis! If you are a fan of music, museums, or history, see this place. Not extremely large, but packed with musical gems and interactive exhibits ranging from videos, to recording booths where you can make a complete song!

Graceland has always been on my bucket list. I'm not even that big of an Elvis fan, but the house…read moreis just so legendary! So while in Memphis, we absolutely had to visit. And I was so impressed with how organized this whole facility is for both the house tour and the exhibits. We pre-purchased tickets for the 11am Elvis Experience. We arrived a little early and watched a short pre-show video before boarding a shuttle across the street to the house. We opted for the audio tour device, which was really smart since we didn't have a guided tour. They explain how to use the iPad and you get a really fun narration from John Stamos as you go throughout the two lower levels of the house. The Jungle Room and the Billiard Room did not disappoint! And by the time we made it to the Memorial Garden to see Elvis's grave, I was very moved. The house tour took about an hour and then we actually spent another couple of hours going through all the exhibits (the car museum, the planes, the concert costumes, and more). We even ate lunch at Glady's Diner on site (there are a couple places to sit and have food) which looks like an old 1950s diner and serves pizza, hot dogs, burgers, salads and milkshakes. Overall, I was so impressed by the whole facility. And I came away loving Elvis just a little bit more!

The King is still here!…read more Elvis Presley Graceland! What a legend to step in here. The original grounds were a family farm! Elvis bought the land and sewed in the seeds of rock n roll. The seeds of Elvis are deep here in Memphis. This was the voice of Sun Records that it sounds that they were looking for. He used that fame to make his legacy stand but to make the community better too. They have over 200,00 square feet of the homestead, airplanes, cars, museum space that you want the VIP access for the ultimate experience and views. Many come from all over to see the King! The lines are sometimes very long and can be difficult. Do the VIP? It's the best! Less wait time? Better luck for you and your group. Make sure and listen you will learn so much about the King that you did not even know. The wall surrounding Graceland has so many personality too. Many individuals leave their mark here for the King still today. Read the words of others who have left their mark for him.

I volunteer here monthly and enjoy meeting people who come to visit. One of the best museums in the…read morestate of Mississippi! We feature a wide selection of artifacts from the Native Americans in the Delta area. A life-size, walk-through area of a Mississippi swamp (complete with sound effects), with a hands-on natural science room are always favorites of the children. Here they can explore, touch and learn! There are artifacts related to agriculture, regional military history and one of the Delta's most extensive collections of regional art. The Museum has a large collection of Mississippi art work which includes the largest collection of Native American trade beads in the southern United States. The Museum also houses a room dedicated to the agricultural history of our region, and includes things such as plows, fertilizer spreaders, mule hames, and blacksmith tools. Artifacts and furniture from Malmaison, the home of Greenwood Leflore, and numerous military history items are also highlights of the antique collection. The Military History exhibit focuses on the effect of various wars on Greenwood and its citizens and exhibits uniforms, veteran lists, victory posters, and artifacts from the wars and the homefront. There is a Civil War-era cannon and a model of the battle of nearby Fort Pemberton. So stop by and visit us, you'll be glad you did!

I visited here two weeks ago while on a tour of the state. This museum has some interesting…read morecoverage of the Native American period, including pottery and even an old rusted halberd blade from the DeSoto expedition. But that about all there is of interest. That said, the museum is misleading. It really only focuses on Greenwood and LeFlore County, not the entire Delta. The main problem is that it completely omits the history of sharecropping and the post Civil-War plantation economy. It has a World War II section on Greenwood, with a couple mentions of Black airmen stationed there, but nothing about the brutal Jim Crow laws. Black parents during the war were terrified to send their sons to Mississippi when they served, due to the state's history of lynching, especially in the Delta. There is nothing about how the whites of this area exploited Black labor, denied them the right to vote, and lynched them if they stepped out of line. One would get no sense from this museum that it covers the area referred to as 'the most Southern place on Earth.' It's all white nostalgia. What makes it even worse is that when I was there, over half the place was taken up by a 9/11 exhibit, for the 25th anniversary of the attacks. This included two large rooms, one given over to a film showing. The only connection to the Delta was that they showed photos from a Greenwood resident who was there that tragic day and took some photos, which made up the exhibition. That's a pretty tenuous connection for a museum covering the Delta's history and culture. 9/11 has been better represented in many other venues; a museum on Delta history shouldn't be one of them.