Five-day Cultural-Heritage Tour Through the Delta Region of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana
Take this five-day journey through the river delta country of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Discover life in the Mississippi Delta as you cross over the Mississippi River and state lines on your way through the heart of the Mississippi River Delta.
Day 1: Arkansas
Delta Cultural Center
The journey begins in Tunica, Mississippi, at the Tunica RiverPark Museum. Tunica offers the Bluesville Showcase Night Club/Blues & Legends Hall of Fame Museum, the Tunica Queen Riverboat and several casinos.
From Tunica, we will cross the river and into Arkansas and head towards Helena, AR, and the Delta Cultural Center.
Delta Cultural Center
141 Cherry Street
Helena, AR
(870) 338-4350
deltaculturalcenter.com
Housed in a 1912 train depot, the Cultural Center features exhibits depicting the life of the people of the Delta from the 1800s through the 1940s. Exhibits focus on the history, art and culture of this remarkable area.
Our journey takes us southward along Hwy 44, to Hwy 20, to Hwy 316, to St. Charles and the White River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.
White River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
57 South CC Camp Road
St. Charles, AR
(870) 282-8200
fws.gov/whiteriver
You’re now in the lair of one of the world’s most elusive birds—the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Once thought to be extinct, this magnificent bird has reappeared in this area. Learn more about the Ivory-billed woodpecker and the unique flora and fauna of Arkansas’s vast bottomland forests.
We’ll head southward to Lake Village, located on Lake Chicot, a 20-mile long abandoned channel of the Mississippi River. The area offers several options for accommodations.
Day 2: Mississippi
From Lake Village, we travel eastward, crossing the Mississippi River into the State of Mississippi. Then we’ll travel southward to Vicksburg, site of one of the most important battles of the Civil War.
Vicksburg National Military Park
3201 Clay Street
Vicksburg, MS
(601) 636-0583
nps.gov/vick
Natchez Bridge
This is the site of the 1863 siege that helped give the Union control of the Mississippi River. It is also the home to the U.S.S. Cairo, a partially restored Civil War gunboat.
Our Mississippi River journey continues through Port Gibson, Lorman and Fayette to our final destination of Natchez. We’ll stop at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center.
Natchez Visitor Reception Center
640 South Canal Street
Natchez, MS
(800) 647-6724
natchez.ms.us
Relive the thrilling adventure of the steamboat era. Enjoy a walk on the sky ramp to view the Mississippi atop the 200-foot Natchez Bluffs. Founded in 1716, you can tour Natchez’s historic downtown district by trolley, bus or horse-drawn carriage.
There are many lodging options in Natchez, as well as the Isle of Capri Casino.
Day 3: Louisiana/Arkansas/Mississippi
After leaving Natchez and heading south, we cross into Louisiana. We continue south, passing a number of spectacular plantation homes, until we get to St. Francisville and the West Feliciana Historical Society Museum and Tourist Center.
West Feliciana Historical Society Museum and Tourist Center
11757 Ferdinand Street
St. Francisville, LA
(800) 789-4221
San Francisco Plantation, Plantation Country
Built in a restored 1895 hardware store, this center features information about life along the Mississippi and seven spectacular mansions, known as the River Road Plantation homes, which extend from the Mississippi State Line south to St. Francisville.
From St. Francisville, we will continue southward to Baton Rouge.
LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens
4650 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA
(255) 765-2437
Explore this outdoor museum with more than 20 buildings depicting the various cultures of pre-industrial 19th-century Louisiana. Twenty-five acres of gardens offer classical statuary.
There are numerous lodging options in Baton Rouge, plus two riverboat casinos.
Day 4: Louisiana/Arkansas/Mississippi
The next morning, we head west over the Mississippi River and then head north on the west side of the river. Our first stop of the day will be Morganza, LA.
Sweet William Antiques and Gift Gallery
121 S. LA 1
Morganza, LA
(225) 694-0777
Early American Antiques (c.1840-1880) await the serious collector. A variety of gifts make up over 9,000 sq. ft. of pure shopping delight! Tuesday-Saturday 10am–5pm; Sunday Noon–5pm.
We will continue north towards Epps, and the Poverty Point State Historic Site.
Poverty Point Historic Site
6859 Highway 577
Pioneer, LA
(888) 926-5492
crt.state.la.us
This is one of the archeologically significant sites in North America, dating from 1700 to 700 B.C. An array of mounds and six rows of concentric ridges overlook the Mississippi flood plain. Tours are available from Easter to Labor Day.
From Epps, we will head north again, back into Arkansas and then over the river again into Mississippi. We’ll spend the night in Greenville, MS.
Day 5: Mississippi
Greenville Mississippi’s River Road Queen Welcome Center is our first stop of the day.
River Road Queen Welcome Center
Highway 82 West at Reed Road
Greenville, MS
(800) 467-3582
visitmississippi.org
This unique structure of this center is a replica of the steamboat that originally served as the Mississippi State exhibit at the 1984 New Orleans’s World’s Fair.
We will next visit the Delta Conservation Demonstration Center. Established in 1999 as a living, growing and learning center, this 638-acre facility demonstrates Delta-specific conservation practices in a working farm environment.
Delta Conservation Demonstration Center
422 Feather Farms Road
Greenville, MS
(662) 332-0400
From Greenville, we will head north to Tunica, Mississippi, where our tour began. We’ll tour the Tunica RiverPark Museum.
Tunica RiverPark Museum
One River Drive, Tunica, MS
(866) 517-4837
tunicariverpark.com
The museum gives you a true water-level view of life along the Mississippi, with four aquariums, a life-sized tugboat simulator, diving bell and artifacts.
That concludes the five-day tour of the Mississippi Delta region.