B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center

The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Mississippi, celebrates the life and music of Riley B. King — known worldwide as B.B. King — who was born in Berclair, Mississippi in 1925 and grew up picking cotton in the Mississippi Delta before becoming one of the most influential blues guitarists of the 20th century. The museum opened in 2008 on Second Street in Indianola, the city where King lived and performed in the 1940s before his career took off.

The building itself incorporates the original 1930s cotton gin warehouse in which King worked as a young man, and the architecture deliberately evokes the textures and materials of the Delta landscape. Visitors move through a chronological narrative that begins with King's hardscrabble childhood in the Delta and traces his evolution from sharecropper's son to Grammy-winning global ambassador of the blues. Listening stations let visitors hear the development of King's signature vibrato and the evolution of 'Lucille,' his famous Gibson ES-355 guitar.

The Delta Interpretive Center within the museum contextualizes King's story within the broader sweep of Delta blues history, exploring the connections between African American church music, field hollers, and the blues tradition that produced Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf. A replica of the Club Ebony — the legendary Indianola juke joint where King frequently performed — is a highlight of the exhibition.

The museum hosts live performances during its annual B.B. King Homecoming Concert, typically held in late spring, which draws musicians and fans from across the country. Plan 1.5 to 2 hours for a thorough visit. Indianola is located 35 miles east of Greenville in the Mississippi Delta.