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City in Mississippi, United States
Photo: Joe Mazzola, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Clarksdale is a town of 15,000 people (2020) in the Mississippi Delta. About an hour south of Memphis, this little podunk town draws visitors from all over the world for its blues clubs and blues history.
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The intersection of Highway 49 and Highway 61 where Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical genius.
A museum founded in 1979 and dedicated to "the blues," which is in the restored Illinois Central Railroad freight depot.
"Shack Up Inn & Hopson Comissary, 001 Comissary Circle. If there is one place where you can say the blues was created it is Mississippi Delta. Learn to play blues harmonica in the heart of the Blues Country at a 5-day seminar filled with classes, jams, and friendship. Travel out to Sonny Boy Williamson's grave, visit Muddy's cabin, and learn and play harmonica with some of America's great teachers and players.
Offers wilderness expeditions on the Lower Mississippi River, its Back Waters, Bayous, Oxbows, and Flood Plain between the levees. Tours can be arranged by the day or the week.
At the Crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. Opened in 1924. According to its website, entertainers eating there include ZZ Top, Paul Simon, Big Jack Johnson, Thomas Harris, Steve Azar, Charlie Pride, Conway Twitty. Abe’s is famous for its barbecue pork and beef, hot tamales, and ribs.
This has become a popular spot in Clarksdale since it opened. The restaurant is usually filled to capacity, but there is never a long wait. If it’s your birthday, be sure and tell them as they love to put a traditional sombrero on your head and sing “happy birthday” to you in Spanish.
Fried Butterfly shrimp is one of the favorite dishes at Ramon's, which has a full menu of delicious food. Ramon's is only open evenings.
A Clarksdale tradition for more than 50 years. Middle Eastern cuisine shares the same table with traditional southern food, such as black-eyed peas and turnip greens. The specialty is kibbie, and include stuffed kibbie, kibbie patties, kibbie sandwiches, and even raw kibbie. The coconut and chocolate cream pies that have been popular for almost 30 years.
Rust Restaurant is a trendy, upscale restaurant which was opened in 2008 by Randall Andrews, a Clarksdale native who graduated from the Memphis Culinary Academy. Rust Restaurant's fare includes gumbo, crawfish, and seared tuna.
Its building that has been in Clarksdale since 1912 and has been renovated. The restaurant has five flat-screen televisions, Wi-Fi accessibility, and a pictorial history of Clarksdale and many of its colorful residents. The food is homemade, hand-tossed pizza.
You can enjoy a cup of coffee and a fresh baked pastry in the cozy atmosphere. Offers free wireless internet.
A dive with live blues on Mondays.
So named because of the wide-spread belief that Clarksdale is where “the blues” began. The club is partly owned by actor Morgan Freeman, who is a native of the Delta area of Mississippi. He helped open both Ground Zero Blues Club and Madidi’s Restaurants partly because he wanted some to make sure he had good restaurants when he returned home from Hollywood. Ground Zero has pool tables in the front part of the restaurant, exposed brick walls, rough wooden floors, and purposefully mismatched furniture that could have come from a garage sale. In the evening, it is an excellent place to hear live music and drink cold beer.
Hopson Commisary
Has a big music hall with live music.
An old movie theater with a roof that caved in, now an open air live music venue.
A genuine juke joint with regular live music, and one of the last great juke joints in the Delta region.
Formerly Plantation Inn
The pool area is not exactly overflowing with foliage.
Formerly "the Afro-American Hospital," the Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale was the site of the dedication of the fourth historic marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail. It's where Bessie Smith died on 26 September 1937 after her auto accident on Highway 61. Ike Turner wrote the first rock n' roll tune of all time here, Rocket 88. Sam Cooke lived here. Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters stayed here. To spend your nights at the Riverside is to immerse yourself in the history of the blues, and the proprietors will help you explore the past and present of the town. Accommodations are very basic, with shared bathrooms and window A/C units/gas heaters, but you don't stay here for the luxury, or for that matter, come to Clarksdale for luxury! Very close to Red's.
Formerly Days Inn
Cheap, more reliable than some other motels, and close to Ground Zero.
Wide open loft space with stained concrete floors, combo living, dining, kitchen, and bedroom area, all featuring local artwork.
These lofts have 1 bedroom, 1½ bathrooms, a kitchen, and a great room. The full-size bathroom has a large marble shower. There is a half bath in the hallway. In the bedroom are a king-size bed and a pull-out queen size sleeper sofa in the living room. Plasma televisions in the living room and bedroom. Each loft is approximately 985 square feet.
For those blues lovers visiting Clarksdale who want something different, you can have the experience of staying in one of the renovated shotgun shacks or one of the newly renovated bins in the Cotton Gin Inn. These buildings are restored only enough to accommodate 21st-century expectations (including indoor bathrooms, heat, and air conditioning. Besides, there are coffee makers, refrigerators, and microwaves in all units).
Decorated in true funky "Delta Style" by local artisans, John Magnusson and Randall Andrews.
According to its website, "Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Inc. is a 6-day-a-week store that features a full selection of blues CDs, videos, DVDs, books and collectibles as well as an affordable mix of Southern self-taught, folk and outsider art. 'It's kind of like shopping in a juke joint,' Roger (Stolle - owner) said, describing the building's rustic interior, colorful artwork, and down-home music. 'It's the kind of store we always dreamed of finding in our Delta travels but never did.'"
You can buy pretty much anything here! Interesting browse and food.
The Mag-Pie Gift & Art Shop features unique gifts, home accessories and a Bridal Registry. It is across the street from Cat Head and is within easy walking distance from Ground Zero and other blues venues in the downtown area.
By plane
Clarksdale is served by a public airport, which is capable of serving large private airplanes. There are no commercial flights into Clarksdale.
By bus
Having a car is pretty much a requirement in Clarksdale. According to one website, 91% of Clarksdale residents drive to work.
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Greenville · Regional · GLH
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