Discover the rags to riches story of this fast-growing casino resort town and then get on the Mississippi Blues Trail to find the roots of pop music.
The history of Tunica reads like a rags to riches story. The town was established in the 1800s and was notoriously poor. In the 1990s gaming was legalized and a mass interest for its new casinos and resorts turned the economy around. Today, Tunica has some of the country’s better-known casino resorts and each year over 15 million people come here to try their luck.
You can choose from nine casinos along the Mississippi River to experience some of the liveliest gaming rooms in the country. If poker, blackjack, roulette and slot machines don’t appeal to you, you can play golf, relax in a spa, see some live entertainment and enjoy the many fine dining options.
Explore the historic downtown district to see the restored courthouse and the Tate House, the city’s oldest residence. Browse antique stores or visit the Tunica Museum to see artefacts from the city’s humble past. Sit down in a café or stroll along the Eco Trail of the RiverPark.. In its interpretive centre you can see exhibits about the communities that grew along the mighty Mississippi River. Afterwards, enjoy dinner and a sightseeing cruise on the Tunica Queen, a huge paddlewheel boat.
Casino shuttle services and taxis make Tunica easy to get around if you don't have a car. If you do, stop at Tunica’s visitors centre on Highway 61. It is the starting point for America’s Blues Highway, that will lead you from these northern reaches of the Mississippi past a series of landmarks honouring blues legends such as Eddie James 'Son' House, Harold 'Hardface' and James Cotton.
It is in the sombre tones of the blues, first heard in these plantations and local bars, that modern pop music originates. If you love everything to do with music, also drive the 45 minutes from Tunica to Memphis and visit Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley and the cradle of Rock 'n Roll.
