Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Passenger Depot | |
 Exterior of the museum in 2017 | |
   | |
| Location | Bounded by N. Edwards, Sharkey and Issaquena Aves., and the ICRR main track,Clarksdale,Mississippi, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°12′3″N90°34′15″W / 34.20083°N 90.57083°W /34.20083; -90.57083 |
| Built | 1926; 99 years ago (1926) |
| NRHP reference No. | 95001194[1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 31, 1995 |
TheDelta Blues Museum inClarksdale,Mississippi, United States, is a museum dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing public access to and awareness of the musical genre known as theblues. Along with holdings of significant blues-related memorabilia, the museum also exhibits and collects art portraying the blues tradition, including works by sculptorFloyd Shaman and photographer Birney Imes.
The museum is located in theYazoo and Mississippi Valley Passenger Depot, also known asIllinois Central Passenger Depot orClarksdale Passenger Depot, which was built in 1926 and listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1995.[1]
The museum houses many artifacts related to the blues, notably the shack where blues legendMuddy Waters purportedly lived in his youth onStovall Plantation, near Clarksdale. The shack was restored to structural stability through the intercession ofIsaac Tigrett, theHouse of Blues owner, and transported from Stovall Plantation on a tour of HoB venues before being returned to Mississippi to the museum and rebuilt inside.
There is a 2003 30-minute documentary of the same name.
In 2013, a marker was placed outside of the museum as part of theMississippi Blues Trail.[2]
The museum has been visited by many notable artists such asEric Clapton andPaul Simon. The Texas-based rock bandZZ Top, especially front manBilly Gibbons, have made this museum their pet project and have raised thousands of dollars in support.
Themuseum also focuses on educating young people interested in learning to play musical instruments.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Mississippi Roads; Delta Blues Museum, 26:46,Mississippi Public Broadcasting[3] |
The building was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1995. The museum then moved into the former railroad depot in 1999. The circa 1918 brick building served as the passenger rail depot of theYazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad and later the freight depot ofIllinois Central Railroad.[4][5]
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| Preceding station | Illinois Central Railroad | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobo towardNew Orleans | Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Main Line | Lyon towardMemphis | ||
| Claremont towardJackson | Clarksdale –Jackson | Terminus | ||
| Claremont towardYazoo City | Yazoo City –Clarksdale | |||
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