A trip along the Great River Road is a trip through the history of America. Here are some historical sites and museums you shouldn’t miss as you follow the Mississippi River through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. 

Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Kentucky

At this archaeological site located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in southwestern Kentucky, visitors can learn about life at a former Native American village dating to 1100-1350AD. Visitors can tour the earthen mounds and explore a museum with artifacts from the village that illustrate how these early inhabitants used the river’s resources.

Chucalissa and the C.H. Nash Museum, Tennessee

Another site connected to the river’s Native American heritage can be found just south of Memphis along the Mississippi River in Tennessee. Chucalissa, administered by the University of Memphis, is an archaeological site that was part of the Mississippian culture and was occupied, abandoned, and reoccupied several times between 1000 and 1500AD. The C.H. Nash Museum has an extensive collection of artifacts from the Chucalissa site and includes a large outdoor archaeological display.

Sultana Disaster Museum, Arkansas

Did you know that the country’s worst maritime disaster took place on the Mississippi River? The Sultana, a Civil War-era steamboat, exploded in April 1865, claiming more than 1,200 lives. Uncover the history of what happened that night at this engaging museum in downtown Marion, just a short drive across the river from Memphis.

Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale

It wouldn’t be a trip through the Mississippi Delta without a little blues history, and Clarksdale’s Delta Blues Museum is a great place to go for people who want to learn more about this uniquely American art form. The Delta Blues Museum contains a plethora unique exhibits, including the sharecropper home where Muddy Waters lived, instruments played by greats like B.B. King and Big Mama Thornton, and the sign from the juke joint where Robert Johnson played his final gig. (When you’re done exploring the museum, check out some live music in town—Clarksdale has live blues music 365 days a year!) 

Poverty Point UNESCO World Heritage Site, Louisiana

One of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the Great River Road (the other is at Cahokia Mounds in Illinois), the 400-acre Poverty Point site preserves a complex array of earthworks that dates as far back as 1700BC. While much of the purpose of the site remains a mystery (it is believed that the mounds and ridges were home sites), it’s still an impressive attraction that welcomes visitors daily. 

Find more Interpretive Centers on the Great River Road here.

Photo: Sultana Disaster Museum/Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism