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Located in Indianola, Mississippi, the B.B. King Museum not only highlights the life and career of the legendary singer and songwriter, but also the history of the Mississippi Delta region.

“To our visitors from afar, we show the genius of a guitar player who kept his humility while being showered with praise and awards from all corners of the globe,” said Malika Polk-Lee, executive director of the museum. “Visitors and fans have a chance to pay their final respects to the musical icon that was B.B. King at his final resting place on the museum grounds.”

The museum features a theater, three main exhibits and a gift shop. Each exhibit follows King through his life while also highlighting Mississippi Delta history and culture.

B.B.King Museum
Gift shop, B.B. King Museum, Indianola, Miss.
Credit: B.B. King Museum

Learn about King’s upbringing during the late 1920s and 1930s. Follow his journey to Memphis in the 1950s and see how he became a worldwide icon in the 1960s — influencing big names like The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and The Who.

Five thematic elements such as land and place, African American social history and interracial relations are present throughout the museum and help connect the audience to King’s life.

Just a short walk down the street and around the corner is Club Ebony, an African American nightclub that hosted not only King, but other legends like Ray Charles and Count Basie. King purchased the club in 2008 and then donated it to the museum four years later. Now, this historic spot is open to visitors.

“This gift allows us the opportunity to offer tour groups the unique chance to experience a meal of southern cuisine and live blues music in an authentic blues club,” Polk-Lee said.

The B.B. King Museum is looking forward to a number of new developments, including a completed Memorial Courtyard for B.B. King’s burial site and additional exhibit space.

“This new proposed space will allow the museum to install several major artifacts that cannot be presently accommodated,” Polk-Lee said.

Additions will include B.B. King’s Rolls-Royce, tour bus and customized Chevy El Camino. Interactive exhibits and an expanded theater will also be added.

For more information, call B.B. King Museum 662-887-9539 or visit bbkingmuseum.org.