Family & Visitor Attraction Awards 2019

www.lux-review.com Page 13 LUX 2019 Family & Visitor Attraction Awards Since its creation, the Delta Blues Museum has preserved, interpreted, and encouraged visitors to take a deep dive into the story of the blues. Established in 1979 by the Carnegie Public Library Board of Trustees and re-organized in 1999, the Delta Blues Museum is the state’s oldest music museum and the first in the world dedicated to the uniquely American art form known as “the blues.” Located in and funded in part by the City of Clarksdale, known in blues circles as the infamous “Crossroads,” the museum uses public and private funds to carry out its mission: The museum is dedicated to creating a welcoming place where visitors find meaning, value, and perspective by exploring the history and heritage of the blues. The museum is presently housed in the historic Clarksdale freight depot, built in 1918 for the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, and the exhibit space showcases the best of blues music. The building was designated a Mississippi Landmark Property in 1996. The former freight area and the adjacent Muddy Waters expansion - about seven thousand square feet of ground floor space - is devoted to permanent and traveling exhibits. For over 40 years the Delta Blues Museum has been delighting visitors and showcasing the best of blues music’s fascinating heritage. Having recognised the establishment in this year’s Family and Visitor Attraction Awards we provide a fascinating overview of its unique exhibits. Delta Blues Museum: Best Celebration of Blues Music Heritage - Mississippi Thanks to exceptional space filled with innovative exhibits, dedicated team and commitment to showcasing the best of blues music, the Delta Blues Museum remains a popular attraction for a wide range of visitors to this very day. It offers a range of exhibits, events and educational programmes designed to delight and inspire guests of all ages. Looking ahead, the Delta Blues Museum will continue to welcome a variety of visitors and showcase its spectacular array of exhibits and world-leading knowledge of this beautiful genre of music. The exhibits showcase many of the blues men and women who helped create this music. A highlight is the Muddy Waters cabin from Stovall Plantation, where he was recorded by Alan Lomax. The same type of equipment used by Lomax is also on display along with photos and artifacts from 1940’s Coahoma County giving visitors to learn about the music and the land where it began. Company: Delta Blues Museum Contact: Shelley Ritter Website: www.deltabluesmuseum.org