Atypical Events

B.B. King Museum Opens

Posted by jessie under Museums, News

B.B. King’s hometown of Indianola, Mississippi has created and dedicated a museum in honor of the legendary blues musician and his career.

The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center opened on September 13, just days before King’s 83rd birthday.

The 20,000 square foot museum cost $14.2 million to build. The people of Indianola came up with the idea for the museum and raised $1.7 million for it, with the rest of the cost coming from private donations.

The exhibits chronicle B.B. King’s life and career, as well as American history. The museum is housed partly in the restored brick cotton gin where King worked when he was a teenager.

Artifacts from King’s life like photographs, maps, murals, films and personal relics are displayed throughout. Some of the relics include a Western Flyer bicycle form the late 1930s that King rode 60 miles on in search of his family, stage outfits, Grammy awards and lots of guitars and records.

King gave the museum keys to his Las Vegas house and told them to take whatever they wanted. Those artifacts are now on display, including his home studio with all the instruments and recording equipment.

In addition to the displays dedicated to B.B. King’s life, the museum is home to the Delta Interpretive Center, which offers educational, cultural and character development programs for Delta young people, in the form of mentoring, classes and interactive exhibits.