(TUNICA, MS) – Join us in Tunica, Mississippi for a free concert on our Gateway to the Blues front porch stage featuring Big A & The All-Stars on October 9, 2019 from 6-8 pm. Whether you’re in need for something to do outside our casinos or you’re headed to the Helena Blues Festival, make sure to stop by and begin your blues journey at the Gateway to the Blues located on Highway 61.

The Gateway to the Blues Museum, a fully restored train depot circa 1895, is a must-stop for music lovers and fans of art, history and folklore. You can’t miss it with its authentic rustic charm and striking neon sign.

For more information on the free concert, visit visit tunicatravel.com.

Make sure to Tour the Museum Where the Blues Comes to Life

Your blues journey begins! Inside this larger-than-it-looks museum, you will learn where the blues genre came from, why it’s called the blues, and how the blending of cultures – African, European, Native American – would ultimately birth the blues. Through interactive exhibits, videos and recordings you can see and hear blues performers. Learn what makes the Delta unique. Hear how Robert Johnson traded his soul to the devil to be able to play the blues like a master. Learn to play the lap steel guitar and the diddley bow. See more than 20 famous guitars on display. There’s even a recording studio where you can record your own blues song, then take it with you via email. That’s just a short list of what awaits you.

And inside a mesmerizing “starlit” room, encircled by artist George Hunt’s deeply evocative paintings of eight blues greats, you will feel like you’re right there: in a field, in a juke joint, on the front porch listening to the true stars of the Delta sing the blues as naturally as breathing air. It’s truly magical.

Tunica:  Where it Began, Where it’s Going Strong

Almost all of the most influential blues artists were born and raised in the Mississippi Delta: B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Charley Patton, Son House, Sonny Boy Williamson, and many others. These bluesmen gave birth to the distinctive high lonesome sound forever after equated with the Delta. Tunica is located on the Mississippi Blues Trail, which features over 200 historical markers throughout the state. If you’d like to visit the six markers in Tunica, the Visitor Center staff is happy to assist with the next leg of your journey, as well as help you find the perfect Tunica souvenir in the gift shop. 

Then make sure to visit Tunica’s six resort casinos for table games, slots, live entertainment, lip-smacking dining and more. And plan a stop in the charming town of Tunica itself, cozy, welcoming and steeping with southern charm. 

For more information on the Gateway to The Blues Museum, visit tunicatravel.com/blues.