Category Archives: Arkansas

Why you should plan a Great River Road trip next year

Monday, November 25, 2024

Looking for a one-of-a-kind American adventure? Plan a road trip along the Great River Road, which follows the mighty Mississippi River for nearly 3,000 miles. The 10-state route offers a little bit of everything, from engaging historical sites to stunning scenery to delicious dining—here are four reasons to plan your road trip today.

It’s America’s greatest drive.

The Great River Road, which stretches from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana, is a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, a designation given to only the most notable National Scenic Byways. All-American Roads offer a truly unique experience to travelers that they can’t find anywhere else.

The Great River Road was established in 1938 and has encouraged road trippers to discover the heart of America ever since. The Great River Road passes through big cities and small river towns, passing National Park Service sites, state parks, historic bridges, and locks & dams.

Taking the whole road in one trip is about 36 hours of driving, but most visitors spend 10 to 14 days if they’re doing the whole route (which isn’t mandatory—many travelers will just travel on one state’s section of the Great River Road or hope back and forth between neighboring states.

Learn more about the best drive in America.

There are lots of stunning sights along the way.

A trip along the Great River Road is a trip through some of America’s most beautiful scenery. Start your trip at the same place the Mississippi River does: Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota, where the river is so narrow you can walk across it (or roll up your pants and wade across in the summer).

The northern section of the road—especially Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois—are home to lots of scenic overlooks at state and local parks that offer outstanding views of the river and the surrounding scenery. Get your cameras ready and head to photo hotspots like Garvin Heights Park in Winona, Minnesota; Buena Vista Park in Alma, Wisconsin; Pike’s Peak State Park in McGregor, Iowa; or Aerie’s Resort in Grafton, Illinois, where you can take a chair lift or gondola from the river to the blufftops.

See more scenic spots on the Great River Road here and here.

You’ll learn a lot at our Interpretive Centers.

There are nearly 100 official Great River Road Interpretive Centers—museums, historical sites, and other attractions that tell the story of the river and its people. Interpretive Centers can be found up and down the Great River Road and cover everything from music history (the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi) to Mississippi River ecology (the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa) to some of the region’s earliest settlers (Cahokia Mounds State Historical Site in Collinsville, Illinois, and Poverty Point in Pioneer, Louisiana, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.)

Learn more about our Interpretive Centers.

You don’t want to miss the food.

From walleye in Minnesota to cheese curds in Wisconsin to catfish in Mississippi to… well, almost everything in New Orleans, the Great River Road’s outstanding local and regional cuisines are enough to fulfill almost any appetite. Diners will find a little bit of everything, from James Beard Award-winning restaurants to family-owned roadside stops that have been in business for generations.

And that’s not to mention the ice cream stands, sweets shops, and bakeries you’ll find all along the route, as well as the wineries, breweries, and distilleries that craft some of your favorite beverages with care.

Learn more about the flavors of the Great River Road.

Photo: Confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers in Vicksburg, Mississippi/Lola McCrarey

All about our Interpretive Centers

Friday, November 01, 2024

Up and down the Great River Road, you’ll find special spots where you can learn about the history, culture, and natural wonders of the Mississippi River region. Here’s what you need to know about the Great River Road’s official network of Interpretive Centers.

What is an Interpretive Center?

The Great River Road’s Interpretive Centers include a wide variety of attractions, including museums, historical sites, state and national parks, and even UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These Interpretive Centers can be found in big cities and small towns all along the Mississippi River and tell the story of the river, its people, and the events—geological and otherwise—that have shaped life and culture here over the centuries. 

How many Interpretive Centers are there on the Great River Road?

The Great River Road’s official network of Interpretive Centers features nearly 100 sites across our 10-state region. Iowa’s stretch of the Great River Road has the most Interpretive Centers with 18, followed by Arkansas with 15.

Here’s how many Interpretive Centers you can find in each of the Great River Road states:

  • Iowa: 18
  • Arkansas:15
  • Minnesota: 14
  • Illinois, Louisiana: 9 each
  • Mississippi: 8
  • Missouri, Wisconsin: 7 each
  • Tennessee: 3
  • Kentucky: 2

See a full list of Interpretive Centers by state here.

All the Great River Road Interpretive Centers are also included on our free 10-state map.

What kinds of things can I learn about at the Interpretive Centers?

The Great River Road’s Interpretive Centers educate visitors about a wide range of topics, from natural history to the Civil War and everything in between. Here’s a little taste of what you’ll discover:

The Mississippi River & more: Visit the headwaters of the Mississippi River and learn about the area’s ecology and history at the Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center at Itasca State Park. Further south along the river in Minneapolis, the National Park Service’s Mississippi River Visitor Center in St. Paul has exhibits about the river and its related recreational offerings. The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, is home to dozens of species of fish and other animals that call the river home. 

History: See remnants from ancient Mississippi River cultures at Cahokia Mounds Historical Site in Illinois and Poverty Point in Louisiana, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Military history buffs can visit Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi and Columbus-Belmont State Park in Kentucky to see two important sites from the Civil War. Learn about the life of America’s most famous author at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri.

Music: The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi, is a must-visit for any music lover—visitors can see Muddy Waters’ sharecropper home, instruments played by blues legends like B.B. King and John Lee Hooker, and much more. Learn about the early life of country music legend Johnny Cash at the History Dyess Colony and Johnny Cash Boyhood Home in the Arkansas Delta.

Are there other attractions along the Great River Road?

Yes! The Great River Road is home to lots of interesting places to stop, including scenic overlooks and locks & dams. See a state-by-state list here.

Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism

Interpretive Centers to visit on the southern Great River Road

Tuesday, August 06, 2024

The Great River Road’s network of Interpretive Centers tells the story of the Mississippi River, its people, and its history at museums, historical sites, parks, and more through 10 states. Here are some of the Interpretive Centers you shouldn’t miss on the southern half of the road in Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

See more Interpretive Centers along the Great River Road here.

Fun for everyone

Discovery Park of America is a one-of-a-kind museum in northwestern Tennessee that features exhibits about Native American history, space exploration, dinosaurs, natural history, and loads more, as well as a 50-acre heritage park featuring gardens, a grist mill, and a manmade river.

Learn about the birth of blues music at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta, about a 90-minute drive from Memphis. The museum features interesting exhibits and artifacts, including Muddy Waters’ sharecropper home, instruments played by greats like B.B. King and John Lee Hooker, and the sign from the juke joint where Robert Johnson played his final show.

Music fans can also see where a young Johnny Cash grew up at the Historic Dyess Colony/Johnny Cash Boyhood Home in northeastern Arkansas. This Arkansas State University Heritage Site educates visitors about the Great Depression and the Dyess Colony (a farm resettlement colony established by the federal government) and how these factors shaped the early life of the famed musician and many others. 

Parks and natural areas

Anglers, boaters, and birdwatchers will find a lot to explore at Lake Chicot State Park in southeastern Arkansas. Lake Chicot is 20 miles long and is the largest oxbow lake in North America, offering outstanding opportunities for fishing and boating, and programs at the park include tours of the lake and the Mississippi River levee.

Reelfoot Lake State Park in northwestern Tennessee has an interesting geologic history—the largest natural lake in Tennessee, Reelfoot Lake was formed during a violent earthquake in 1811 that caused the Mississippi River to flow backward and sank the area’s cypress trees under a massive rush of water. Today, Reelfoot Lake is a popular fishing destination (it’s one of the world’s best natural fish hatcheries) and a good spot for birdwatching, camping, and other activities.

The Jean Lafitte National Historic Park & Preserve invites visitors to explore New Orleans and beyond, offering free walking tours of the city’s famed French Quarter and lots of other sites to discover, including the 23,000-acre Barataria Preserve and three Acadian attractions that focus on Cajun life and traditions.

A trip through history

Kentucky’s stretch of the Great River Road is the shortest in the 10-state region, but visitors can still find some interesting historical attractions. Columbus-Belmont State Park sits on the site of a former Confederate fortification where the Battle of Belmont began in 1861, marking the opening of the Union’s western campaign (it was also Ulysses S. Grant’s first active engagement in the Civil War). Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site is home to Native American mounds built by the Mississippian culture from the 12th to 14th century—a museum on site contains artifacts and shows visitors how the inhabitants used the river’s resources in their daily lives.

Another Civil War site worth visiting is Vicksburg National Military Park in east-central Mississippi. Vicksburg was the site of one of the most important campaigns of the Civil War, and visitors will learn about the men who fought this pitched battle for control of the Mississippi River, a key conflict that shaped the outcome of the war.

Did you know that Louisiana is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Poverty Point World Heritage Site in the northeastern corner of the state preserves the remnants of a complex array of earthworks that predate the Mayan periods. The site dates to as early as 1700 BC and encompasses more than 400 acres.

All about the southern Great River Road

Friday, May 03, 2024

Come explore the southern states of the Great River Road—Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Learn about what highways make up the Great River Road, river towns and cities to visit, and Interpretive Centers you shouldn’t miss.

Kentucky

Kentucky’s section of the Great River Road is the shortest (only about 60 miles or so), but it’s not lacking in scenery or history. Columbus-Belmont State Park offers outstanding views of the Mississippi River and shares the area’s Civil War history. Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site preserves structures and artifacts from the native people who inhabited the region in the 12th to 14th centuries.

Notable Great River Road towns & cities in Kentucky:

  • Wickliffe
  • Bardwell
  • Clinton

Notable highways that make up the Great River Road in Kentucky:

  • U.S. Highway 51

Notable Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Kentucky: 

  • Columbus-Belmont State Park, Columbus
  • Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Wickliffe

Learn more about the Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Kentucky here.

Tennessee

Whether you’re looking for outdoor recreation options, iconic music attractions, delicious barbeque, or anything else, you’ll find it along Tennessee’s stretch of the Great River Road. The route starts in the northwestern part of the state, which is home to Reelfoot Lake, a popular fishing and birding destination that’s actually a flooded forest. It ends in southwestern Tennessee in Memphis, which is home to everything from Elvis Presley’s Graceland to can’t miss-music attractions on Beale Street. 

Notable Great River Road towns & cities in Tennessee:

  • Tiptonville
  • Ripley
  • Covington
  • Memphis

Notable highways that make up the Great River Road in Tennessee:

  • State Highway 78 (Reelfoot Lake State Park/Tiptonville)
  • U.S. Highway 51 (Ripley to Memphis)

Notable Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Tennessee: 

  • Discovery Park of America, Union City
  • Reelfoot Lake State Park, Tiptonville
  • Chucalissa and the C.H. Nash Museum, Memphis

Learn more about the Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Tennessee here.

Arkansas

The Great River Road passes through Arkansas’ Delta, offering great chances to explore the state’s natural beauty, including national forests, wildlife refuges, and lakes (like Lake Chicot, the largest natural lake in Arkansas and the largest oxbow lake in North America). Visitors will discover engaging history, too—travelers can visit Johnny Cash’s boyhood home or learn about the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history.

Notable Great River Road towns & cities in Arkansas:

  • Osceola
  • West Memphis
  • Marianna
  • Helena-West Helena
  • Lake Village

Notable highways that make up the Great River Road in Arkansas:

  • U.S. Highway 61 (Blytheville to Wilson)
  • State Highway 79 (West Memphis to Marianna)
  • U.S. Highway 65 (Dumas to Eudora)

Notable Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Arkansas: 

  • Delta Cultural Center, Helena
  • Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, Dyess
  • Sultana Disaster Museum, Marion

See more Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Arkansas here.

Mississippi

Part of Mississippi’s stretch of the Great River Road includes U.S. Highway 61—“the Blues Highway”—and road trippers will discover important sites along the Mississippi Blues Trail in Tunica, Cleveland, Clarksdale, and other cities and towns along the way. Be sure to stop in Natchez (the oldest city on the Mississippi River) and discover a vital Civil War site in Vicksburg.

Notable Great River Road towns & cities in Mississippi:

  • Tunica
  • Clarksdale
  • Vicksburg
  • Natchez

Notable highways that make up the Great River Road in Mississippi:

  • State Highway 1 (Lula to Rolling Fork)
  • U.S. Highway 61 (Onward to Woodsville)

Notable Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Mississippi: 

  • Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale
  • Vicksburg National Military Park
  • Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau

See more Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Mississippi here.

Louisiana

Louisiana is the only state that has a section of the Great River Road on either side of the Mississippi River—the western section starts at the Louisiana-Arkansas border and travels all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern section starts at Louisiana’s border with Mississippi and travels through St. Francisville, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. There’s lots of history, culture, and delicious cuisine to discover along the route.

Notable Great River Road towns & cities in Louisiana:

  • St. Francisville
  • Plaquemine
  • Baton Rouge
  • New Orleans

Notable highways that make up the Great River Road in Louisiana:

  • U.S. Highway 65 (State line to Vidalia) – west of Mississippi River
  • U.S. Highway 61 (State line to Baton Rouge) – east of Mississippi River
  • State Highway 15 (Vidalia to Plaquemine)
  • Interstate 10 (Baton Rouge to New Orleans)

Notable Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Louisiana: 

  • Poverty Point UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pioneer
  • The Louisiana Great River Road Interpretive Center and Museum, Darrow
  • Jean Lafitte National Historic Park & Preserve, New Orleans

See more Great River Road Interpretive Centers in Louisiana here.

Photo: Mississippi River bridge in Helena-West Helena/Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism

Spring recreation along the Great River Road

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Get ready to go outside as you explore the Mississippi River and its surroundings. There are great opportunities for outdoor recreation up and down the Great River Road in spring, from hiking and biking to birdwatching and paddling—here’s where to go.

Hiking

There are lots of places to enjoy a scenic stroll along the Mississippi River in the spring or find a more challenging hike with stunning overlooks that make the hike worth the challenge.  On the northern half of the Great River Road (through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, and into Missouri), many cities and towns along the river are home to scenic local and state parks that offer outstanding hiking opportunities along the limestone bluffs overlook the Mississippi River. The flatter terrain on the southern half of the river is no less impressive, as places like Mississippi’s Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge and Louisiana’s Barataria Preserve offer outstanding scenic walks as well.

Where to go: Pike’s Peak State Park (McGregor, Iowa); Mississippi River State Park (Marianna, Arkansas); Columbus-Belmont State Park (Columbus, Kentucky)

Biking

Explore the scenery of the Great River Road and the Mississippi River region on two wheels. Many cities along the route—Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota, the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa, and St. Louis, just to name a few—offer scenic paved bike trails alongside the river, and local and state parks up and down the Great River Road provide mountain bike trails for more adventurous pursuits.

Where to go: Quincy Riverfront Trail (Quincy, Illinois); Mississippi River Levee Bike Path (Baton Rouge, Louisiana); St. Louis Riverfront Trail (St. Louis, Missouri)

Birdwatching

The Great River Road is a perfect place for avid and amateur birdwatchers alike, as the Mississippi River Flyway is the migration route followed by 40 percent of all waterfowl and shorebirds in North America. Spring is a particularly good time to catch migrating birds, as songbirds like warblers, gnatcatchers, and vireos head back north after the winter and swallows, swifts, and migratory woodpeckers return to the bluffs and forests along the Mississippi River

Where to go: Reelfoot Lake State Park, Tiptonville, Tennessee; Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Visitors Center, Onalaska, Wisconsin 

Paddling

Want to get off the Great River Road and onto the actual Mississippi River? There are plenty of places to do so in the 10 states along the Great River Road, including serene backwaters, massive lakes, and the main channel of the mighty Mississipp’ itself.

Where to go: Mississippi River State Water Trail, Minnesota; Quapaw Canoe Company, Vicksburg, Mississippi 

(Photo: Kayaking in Mississippi River State Park, Marianna, Arkansas/Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism)

Don’t miss these fun annual events in the South

Friday, February 09, 2024

Mardi Gras, food festivals, and more—the states along the southern Great River Road offer an outstanding calendar of events all year long. Here’s a look at just a few of the annual events you’ll find in Mississippi River cities and towns in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Kentucky

  • Banana Festival, Fulton – Every September, the twin towns of Fulton, Kentucky, and South Fulton, Tennessee, come together for this fun event that celebrates the area’s history as an important railroad stop (it had the only icehouse on the way to Chicago from New Orleans, meaning fruits like bananas could make the long trip). The festival includes food vendors, craft vendors, and (obviously) lots of banana treats. 

Tennessee

  • Memphis in May – Head to the Home of the Blues every spring for a monthlong celebration of music, international culture, and food. The festivities traditionally kick off with the Beale Street Music Festival (on pause for 2024), which attracts world-famous acts from a diverse array of genres for a three-day celebration. Bring your appetite for the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest in the middle of the month and work of the calories at the annual Great American River Run over Memorial Day weekend. 
  • Let it Glow Light Show, Union City – Discovery Park of America is part of the official network of Great River Road Interpretive Centers and holds events throughout the year for school groups and other visitors. A holiday highlight is the Let it Glow Light Show, a walk- or drive-thru display that features more than a million lights spread throughout the park’s grounds, as well as live music, visits from Santa and Mrs. Clau, and other attractions.

Arkansas

  • King Biscuit Blues Festival, Helena-West Helena – Discover the sounds of the Delta at this annual event held the weekend before Columbus Day. Named for King Biscuit Time, the longest-running daily radio show (which broadcasts from the Delta Cultural Center in downtown Helena), the festival brings thousands of visitors to the banks of the Mississippi for a weekend of blues music from performers across the South and the country.
  • Lake Chicot Fall Festival, Lake Village – The community of Lake Village in southeastern Arkansas is home to not only Lake Chicot—the state’s largest natural lake and the largest oxbow lake in North America at 20 miles long—but also the annual Lake Chicot Fall Festival, which features a barbecue cookoff, a classic car show, and more fun events.

Mississippi

  • Juke Joint Festival, Clarksdale – Clarksdale is rich in blues history—it’s the site of the Delta Blues Museum and the famous Crossroads where Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul for his legendary musical talent—so it makes sense that it’s home to lots of great opportunities to catch live music. One event that visitors shouldn’t miss is the annual Juke Joint Festival, which features a day (and night) of live music from more than 100 blues artists at venues throughout the city.
  • Spring Pilgrimage, Natchez – Every March and April, the historic city of Natchez—the oldest continuous settlement on the Mississippi River, it was officially established in 1716—opens more than a dozen of its iconic homes to the public for tours as part of the Spring Pilgrimage. The event includes guided tours of pre-Civil War homes and other properties on the National Register of Historic Places.

Louisiana

  • Christmas Eve bonfires, St. James Parish – This uniquely Louisiana tradition features the lighting of gigantic bonfires along the levees on the Mississippi River to help “Papa Noel” (the Cajun Santa Claus) navigate his route on Christmas Eve. These bonfires can be found throughout Louisiana’s river parishes but are most common in the communities of Grammercy, Lutcher, and Paulina in St. James Parish, about 30 miles upriver from New Orleans.
  • Festivals & celebrations, New Orleans – New Orleans isn’t called the Festival Capital of the World for nothing. Throughout the year, the Big Easy welcomes millions of visitors to music festivals, cultural celebrations, arts events, and much more. There’s a festival going on every weekend—visitors can find fun at Mardi Gras, Essence Fest, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and many more.

Photo Credit: Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism

Outdoor dining on the southern Great River Road

Tuesday, September 05, 2023

Looking for a spot to grab a bite to eat outside while you’re traveling the southern half of the Great River Road? Here’s a look at some outdoor dining options in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Perhaps more of a “take it to go” place (though there is some outdoor seating outside the small restaurant), Prince Pit BBQ has two locations along Kentucky’s section of the Great River Road—one in Barlow and one in Bardwell. At both spots, you’ll find delicious barbecue, including pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and more.

Wilson Café cooks up Southern fare with an upscale twist for brunch, lunch, and dinner in a historic building in downtown Wilson, Arkansas, about a 45-minute drive from Memphis. The café is a popular spot that’s well known for dishes that use local ingredients, and diners can enjoy the outdoors (and even some live music) on The Wilson’s outdoor patio. 

Flight Restaurant in downtown Memphis offers outdoor seating right on Main Street in the heart of the Bluff City, and diners can enjoy delicious dishes like scallop caprese and lobster and crab benedict or Southern favorites like chicken and waffles and shrimp and grits. If you’re in the mood for a drink, be sure to try one of the restaurant’s white wine or red wine flights.

Take in outstanding views of the Mississippi River on the 10th floor of the First National Building as you enjoy a meal at 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill in downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi. This casual—and scenic—dining spot serves up a wide range of tasty dishes, from blackened catfish (this is Mississippi, after all) to fried green tomatoes to burgers.

If you’re headed to New Orleans, don’t miss The Court of Two Sisters in the city’s famous French Quarter. This historic restaurant is housed in a historic 1832 building and is famous for its beautiful open-air courtyard, daily live jazz brunch buffets, and romantic ambiance.

Find more flavors of the Great River Road here.

(Photo: Wilson Café/Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism)

Summer events along the Great River Road

Thursday, May 04, 2023

Summer Fun on the Great River Road logo

Summer is just around the corner, and that means it’s a great time to drive the Great River Road. You’ll find a lot to see and do along the Mississippi River, from exploring parks to visiting museums and unique attractions, but there are also a lot of great summer events you shouldn’t miss—here’s a closer look.

We’ve asked organizations up and down the river to share some of their best summer events; see a searchable listing here.

Farmers’ markets & foodie events

The Great River Road cuts through some of the most fertile agricultural land in the county, so it’s no surprise that the 10 states along the Mississippi are home to outstanding farmers’ markets, food festivals, and more. Food Truck Fight comes to three Great River Road destinations this summer and fall (Galena in Illinois and Bettendorf and Muscatine in Iowa) and offers tasty food from local food trucks. In mid-May, the annual World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest takes place as part of the annual Memphis in May celebration in Tennessee. (The event also includes the Beale Street Music Festival and the Great American River Run.)

During growing season, Great River Road travelers will find delicious offerings from local producers at farmers all along the river from the La Crosse Farmers Market in Wisconsin to the Crescent City Farmers Market in New Orleans.

Festivals & other fun events

Visit the charming river towns along the Great River Road on the weekend in the summer, and you’re likely to find some sort of fun festival or community celebration. Take the upcoming Mayfest in historic downtown Blytheville, Arkansas, which features a chicken wing competition, live music, and more. Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi is celebrating the 160th anniversary of the famous Civil War siege this year with lectures, cannon firing demonstrations, and walking tours. Or, head to Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site in Kentucky in September to celebrate Kentucky Archaeology Month.

Live entertainment

A trip along the Mississippi River is a trip through America’s musical history, and you’ll find plenty of options for live music pretty much everywhere you go. Many of the river towns along the Great River Road offer free concerts during the summer—for instance, you can pull up a chair outside the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, and take in live music at the museum’s Music Under the Stars series. There are also music festivals aplenty, like Weekend at the Cave in Murphysboro, Illinois, where you can enjoy live music in an open air, natural rock-formed amphitheater in the Shawnee National Forest

But it’s not just music—keep your eyes peeled for arts fairs and other events. Theater lovers shouldn’t miss the annual Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minnesota, which offers performances of The Bard’s work throughout June and July.

(Photo: Shawnee Cave Amphitheater)

Visit these romantic restaurants & great gift shops

Thursday, February 02, 2023

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for that special someone or a fantastic place to go for that next date night, you’re in luck—you’ll find romantic restaurants and unique stores up and down the Great River Road. Here are a few places you shouldn’t miss.

Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery

Located on the banks of the Galena River (a tributary of the Mississippi River in northwestern Illinois), Galena is often named as one of the most charming towns in America, and it’s home to an extensive collection of restaurants and shops, as well as abundant historical attractions and scenic spots. Established in 1985, Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery has two great locations to visit to sample award-winning wines: a downtown kitchen and tasting room on historic Main Street and its vineyard, located in the scenic countryside of Galena.

Uffda Shop

Take a stroll through the boutiques, antique shops, and other stores in the walkable downtown of Red Wing, Minnesota (yes, it’s the same Red Wing that lends its name to the famous pottery and well-known boots). One place you should visit—especially if your significant other boasts Scandinavian heritage—is the Uffda Shop, which sells a wide array of gifts from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Find clothing (including hand-made scarves, mittens and hats), jewelry, crystalware and glassware, and much more.

Wilson Café & Tavern

If you’re traveling along the Great River Road in Arkansas, make a stop in the tiny town of Wilson (population: 750) and visit the Wilson Café, where you’ll find delectable farm-to-table cuisine for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Using ingredients from nearby communities and farms, Wilson Café offers an upscale dining experience and an ideal place to take someone special in your life.

Flashback

Take a trip through the past (and find a great retro gift) at Flashback, a vintage department store in Memphis’ midtown that specializes in clothing, accessories, and home décor. Whether you’re looking for a new outfit, some mid-century furniture, or quirky holiday decorations, you’re sure to find something worth taking home at this fun and funky store.

Bywater American Bistro

You’re going to get a great meal pretty much anywhere you go in New Orleans, so you really can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. Bywater American Bistro (located in the city’s Bywater neighborhood along the Mississippi River), the sister restaurant to the nationally acclaimed Compere Lapin in the Warehouse District, is a cozy, intimate neighborhood destination that’s perfect for a special night out.

(Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism)

One Interpretive Center to see in each Great River Road state

Thursday, January 05, 2023

The nearly 100 Interpretive Centers along the Great River Road tell the story of the people, places, and events that have shaped life and culture along the Mississippi River. Whether you’re traveling the whole Great River Road or just visiting one state, you’ll find lots of great places to explore—here’s a look at one must-visit Interpretive Center in each state along the route.

Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center at Itasca State Park, Minnesota

See the start of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park in north-central Minnesota. Itasca State Park is Minnesota’s oldest state park, covering more than 25,000 acres and containing more than 100 lakes. At Lake Itasca, the Mississippi River starts its 2,500-mile trek to the Gulf of Mexico (it’s only about 25 feet wide here, and in warmer months, visitors can wade in the headwaters or use steppingstones to walk across the river). The Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center is open year-round and features information about the park and the area, educational exhibits, interactive play areas, a large fireplace, a gift shop, restrooms, and more.

See more Interpretive Centers in Minnesota.

Freedom Park Great River Road Visitor Center, Wisconsin

Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers in northwestern Wisconsin, the Great River Road Visitor Center at Freedom Park is an Interpretive Center and city park that offers spectacular views, educational programming, community events, and wonderful birding and wildlife watching opportunities.

See more Interpretive Centers in Wisconsin.

Villa Kathrine, Illinois

This unique building, which houses the city of Quincy’s Tourist Information Center, sits amidst a 4-acre park overlooking the Mississippi River in west-central Illinois. The Villa Kathrine was built in 1900 for wealthy local resident W. George Metz and incorporates Mediterranean and Moroccan designs into its unique architecture—many of the elements came from sketches of Islamic architecture that Metz observed on his world travels.

See more Interpretive Centers in Illinois.

Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa

About 2,700 to 3,500 years ago, nearly two dozen American Indian tribes constructed countless effigy mounds throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Today, important remnants of that culture can be found at Iowa’s Effigy Mounds National Monument, which is home to more than 200 effigy mounds on one of the most scenic sections of the Mississippi River. The park’s visitor center features exhibits and artifacts outlining the area’s natural and cultural history, and visitors can also explore several hiking trails that pass by the effigy mounds and other notable sites.

See more Interpretive Centers in Iowa.

Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Visit one of the iconic sights along the Mississippi River and the Great River Road at Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis. From the top of the arch, visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view of St. Louis and the surrounding area. The Museum of Westward Expansion tells the story of America’s growth as a nation during the 1800s and features several unique artifacts, including items from the Lewis and Clark expedition.

See more Interpretive Centers in Missouri.

Columbus-Belmont State Park, Kentucky

Columbus-Belmont State Park offers outstanding views of the Mississippi River in far western Kentucky, but it was also the site of a notable 1861 Civil War battle—the first active engagement in the war by Ulysses S. Grant. Visitors to the park can explore a Civil War museum that includes artillery shells and other items, and a giant six-ton anchor (which was part of a plan to blockade the river) is also on display at the site. 

See more Interpretive Centers in Kentucky.

Chucalissa and the C.H. Nash Museum, Tennessee

Chucalissa, located in southwest Memphis, allows visitors to explore a culture that flourished before the first Europeans landed in America. This archaeological site was occupied, abandoned, and reoccupied several times between 1000 and 1500 A.D. and was part of a large political system called the Mississippian culture. The C.H. Nash Museum curates an extensive collection of artifacts recovered from excavations of the site.

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Lakeport Plantation, Arkansas

Lakeport Plantation in Lake Village dates to the 1830s and produced cotton for nearly a century. Today, it’s an educational site run by Arkansas State University that provides a full picture of plantation life in the South, including exhibits on slavery, sharecropping, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.

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Delta Blues Museum, Mississippi

The blues was born in Mississippi, and music lovers of all kinds will find an educational and fascinating experience at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale (which is also home to the famous “Crossroads” where Robert Johnson reportedly sold his soul for his unearthly talent). The museum contains lots of interesting items, including the sharecropper home of Muddy Waters and instruments played by greats like John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, and Big Mama Thornton.

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Poverty Point World Heritage Site, Louisiana

One of only 24 UNESCO World Heritage sites located in the United States, Poverty Point World Heritage Site (near the village of Pioneer in far northeastern Louisiana) contains the remnants of a complex array of earthen works that predate the Mayan pyramids. The purpose of the mounds and ridges remains a mystery, although many believe they were the site of homes. The site dates to as early as 1700 B.C. and encompasses more than 400 acres. Tram tours are offered daily.

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(Photo: Louisiana Office of Tourism)