The Crossroads of Hwys 61 and 49 is supposedly the intersection where the great Robert Johnson made his mythical deal with the devil, immortalized in his tune 'Cross Road Blues.' Now all of the implied lonely fear and dark mysticism of the space is taken up by a tacky sculpture at the busy business intersection of the old highways at State St and Desoto Ave. For what it's worth, few historians agree on where the actual crossroad is located.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Riverside Hotel

0.49 MILES

A historic marker fronts the historic Riverside Hotel, a well-loved place soaked in blues history. Blues singer Bessie Smith died here in 1937 when it was…

2. Delta Blues Museum

0.65 MILES

A small but well-presented collection of memorabilia is on display here. The shrine to Delta legend Muddy Waters includes the actual cabin where he grew…

3. Sonny Boy Williamson II's Grave

13.71 MILES

Acclaimed harmonica player and host of the King Biscuit Time radio hour, Williamson – aka Aleck Miller – is buried amid a broken-down jumble of…

4. Tutwiler Tracks

14.54 MILES

Tutwiler is where the blues began its migration from oral tradition to popular art form. Here, WC Handy, known as the 'Father of the Blues', first heard a…

5. Emmett Till Interpretive Center

19.05 MILES

In 1955, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy from Chicago, was lynched in Mississippi after being accused of flirting with a white woman. An all-white…

6. Delta Cultural Center

22.68 MILES

Blues fans and history buffs should visit this museum, which displays all manner of memorabilia such as Albert King's and Sister Rosetta Tharpe's guitars,…

7. Buck Island

23.57 MILES

Most people don't think Arkansas and 'island escapes', but that's exactly what Buck Island is – a Mississippi river retreat of almost 1000 acres of…

8. Po' Monkey's Lounge

27.4 MILES

This legendary rural juke joint, famous for its knick-knacks, string lights and Thursday night gatherings, closed its doors in 2016 after the death of…